Author: The Mindful Migraine Blog

  • Water bottle derangement

    Water bottle derangement

    In the past I have written about the importance of hydration and why it is so vital if you want to move yourself from illness to wellness and stay there. If you are susceptible to migraines, then you need to drink water. Knowing how much water to drink, is trickier.…

  • Kiddy craft for migraines

    Kiddy craft for migraines

    OK, so since I’ve finished my PhD and graduated, I have had a bit of spare time on my hands. One of the things that I yap about to myself and others, here and at home, is the healing power of distraction – preferably through simple, hands-on arts and crafts…

  • Meh… to mojo-motivated

    Meh… to mojo-motivated

    Now that I have finished my PhD and graduated as a Doctor of Philosophy, I find myself with a lot of time on my hands. I still have plenty of things to do, don’t get me wrong, but there is now a gaping 20-hours-a-week ‘hole’ in my to do list.…

  • Is life becoming Kafkaesque?

    Is life becoming Kafkaesque?

    I was a teenager when my mother suggested I read Franz Kafka’s novella ‘Metamorphosis’. Spoiler alert – in the opening sequence, a man discovers he has turned into a giant cockroach. The point of the story (I now believe) is that there are occasionally moments of dumb-bad-luck when humans can…

  • Choose your own adventure

    Choose your own adventure

    When I was a youngster, I loved those books where you could choose your own adventure. For example: the main character is trekking along when they arrive at a fork in the road. Which way should they go? If you think left – turn to page 11 / if you…

  • What is White Magic?

    What is White Magic?

    As Christmas draws near, the phrase ‘white magic’ keeps popping up in reference to a wintery wonderland shared with family and friends. In Australia, however, it’s Summer, so there’s not a snowball to be seen. As such, the kind of White Magic that has been on my mind of late,…

  • Medical detectives (in art)

    Medical detectives (in art)

    Many, many, years ago there was an ad on Australian television that suggested that modern doctors could tell that the model in a Renaissance painting had breast cancer based on some dimples near her armpit. I’ve always remembered it, and it came into my mind again the other day when…

  • Alice in Wonderland Syndrome

    Alice in Wonderland Syndrome

    A short time ago I wrote a post about the four stages of migraine, one of which is called “aura” (here). The sorts of things that happen to migraine patients during the aura stage include: visual disturbances, dizziness, ringing in their ears, even paralysis. But one of the rarer symptoms…

  • “Are you a Migraine Minimalist?”

    “Are you a Migraine Minimalist?”

    When I was an architecture student, I loved the style called Minimalism. It was represented by designs which were simple and functional, made with natural materials and an emphasis on light and space. It was building pared-back to its essence. A skeleton of what was required, if you like, or…