Reclaiming Your Time: Tips to Take Time Back From Migraine

Written by Stephanie Booth
Medically Reviewed by Shruthi N, MD on October 07, 2025
7 min read

When you live with migraine, you might feel that you never have enough time. Every painful attack can bring your world to a complete stop — for many hours or many days.

“Additionally, many people are used to ‘sleeping it off’ or using medications that cause them to feel fatigued or unwell, leading to even more time lost,” says Adil Niaz, DO, a board-certified neurologist at Hackensack Meridian Neuroscience Institute at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. “People with chronic migraine miss work, school, time with family, and are often fearful of a potential migraine disrupting important upcoming events such as weddings, school events, or vacations.”

To reclaim your time, the solution isn’t to try to fit in more things on days you do feel well. You can improve your quality of life by prioritizing the people and things you love and trying not to let your symptoms run your life. Here’s how.

 

Chronic migraine means that you have migraine attacks at least 15 times each month. An active attack can last up to 72 hours, but there are other drains on your time, such as:

  • Prodrome symptoms, which can make it hard to sleep, speak, or read and may last a few days before your migraine starts
  • Migraine hangover (postdrome), which can last up to two days once your headache subsides
  • Time spent worrying about future attacks

 

To spend your time more wisely, it’s important to keep track of it.

“Most of us don’t know exactly where our time goes. For instance, most people don’t even know there are 168 hours in a week,” says Laura Vanderkam, time management expert and author of Tranquility by Tuesday: 9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time For What Matters. “Getting data helps us make better decisions. We can see exactly what time is available and what isn't, and deal with the facts rather than drawing catastrophic conclusions.”

Use a time-tracking app, spreadsheet, or notebook. Note what you do in your waking hours and your energy and pain levels.

“You might come up with a rating system for your energy — 0-10, perhaps — or even a color system like red, yellow, green, to show what you feel capable of doing at any given moment,” Vanderkam says.

The patterns you see can help you understand what you’d like to change.

Before a migraine attack hits, stock up on items that can help manage your symptoms, such as:

  • Rescue medication
  • Blackout curtains
  • Headache ice cap
  • Ear plugs
  • Heating pad
  • Migraine glasses
  • Ginger tea or ginger chews

“There is unfortunately no cure for migraine yet, but there are many medications and interventions that can be helpful. This can hopefully help treat migraines and prevent you from losing whole days,” Niaz says.

Scheduling lets you balance things you need to do (such as going to the doctor) with things you want to do (such as playing with your kids).

Vanderkam suggests an “if-then” approach to a daily schedule. 

  • If you wake and feel good, have a schedule of things you’ll do.
  • If you have a migraine day, move that day’s schedule to the next day you feel well.

You can also think about what you’d like to accomplish over the course of an entire week. If you set a reasonable number of professional and personal priorities across seven days, “then even if you lose a few days to migraines, you’ll still feel like you’ve gotten a lot done,” Vanderkam says.

Use tools to help get insight about your health, keep your family on track, or help out around the house. For instance, most doctors now have online patient portals that allow you to email questions or schedule visits. And you can use apps to do things such as:

  • Order groceries or meals
  • Set reminders to take medication or drink more water
  • Get prescriptions delivered to your home
  • Manage stress through relaxation exercises or meditation

Home devices such as robot vacuums and automated pet feeders can also help shrink your to-do list.

When you have limited high-energy time, you want to spend your “good” hours on what means the most to you. “It doesn’t make sense to spend limited hours on things other people can do,” Vanderkam says. “So, as much as possible, simplify or get help.”

For instance, if you don’t like cooking, make simple meals instead of spending all day in the kitchen. Hate to clean? Assign chores around the house to family members. You could also hire a meal delivery or housecleaning service if it’s within your budget. If you have the resources, it’s okay to use them on things that make your life easier.

Tap into this strategy at work, too. “Focus on your highest value activities, and delegate or automate as much as possible,” Vanderkam says.

Chronic migraine is exhausting — and so is everyday life. We’re all tempted to escape by doomscrolling, TV binging, or gaming. But too much screen time doesn’t just consume chunks of your day. It can result in fatigue, a dip in mood, and a hit to your immune system.

Think about setting screen limits. Put those “Do Not Disturb” settings on your phone or tablet to good use. Avoid screen time during meals or when you’re with others. Set specific times during the day to check social media, and put your phone away at least one hour before bed. Finding screen-free activities you enjoy and do regularly, such as reading, baking, or working in your yard, will also make it easier for you to stay off your devices.

 

Although migraine symptoms can make you feel alone, 39 million Americans live with them. Headache nonprofit groups, such as the National Headache Foundation and American Migraine Foundation, offer time-saving resources you can use, such as:

  • A directory of doctors who specialize in treating headaches
  • Patient assistance programs (PAPs) that can help pay for migraine treatments
  • Information on your disability or legal rights, such as the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
  • Support groups
  • Online communities

To find local resources such as free rides, meals, help with taxes, or childcare, use the Disability Information & Access Locator (DIAL).

Trying to make up for “lost” time can sometimes backfire. “Saying yes to one thing means you will have to say no to something else,” Vanderkam says. 

Although you may feel frustrated that you can’t do more when you feel well, “ditch the guilt,” Vanderkam says. “If you have four good days a week, you want to spend them on things that bring you joy.”

Say no to things that aren’t a priority. Be gentle and polite, and keep it brief. You don’t need to apologize for protecting your time. The more you say no, the easier it will become.

Self-care isn’t a luxury. You need it for your physical and mental health. Maintain a healthy lifestyle, even on days you feel well. 

“That means getting good quality restful sleep, eating well, staying hydrated, and managing stress the best you can,” Niaz says. “It’s true that feeling ‘overstimulated’ or ‘stressed out’ can make you more susceptible to developing a migraine.”

Friends and loved ones can help pick up the slack when your symptoms hit and help you ease back into your life once you’re feeling better.

If you feel comfortable sharing, you could explain to them what a migraine attack feels like. It’s okay to be specific with how they could help you. For instance, “Strong smells trigger my migraine. Can you help me open some windows and turn on a fan to get fresh air in this room?”

Keep a list of people who are willing to help when you need it. If you live alone and don’t have a community yet, ask your doctor if they can suggest a local support group.

You could also get help from:

  • A nutritionist, who can help you plan meals that avoid your migraine triggers
  • A medical social worker, who can connect you to programs and services
  • Human resources at your job, who can help you understand your benefits
  • A counselor or therapist, who can help you better manage living with migraine
  • A migraine service dog that can help detect migraine up to 48 hours before it starts

Time loss can make planning ahead feel out of reach. You may worry about committing to big life events such as a vacation, wedding, or starting a family. As much as you can, focus on the present. Take it one day at a time and celebrate every small thing that goes right.

It’s also important to stay hopeful and keep making plans for the future. And when you get a migraine attack? “Give yourself some grace and allow yourself time to rest and recover,” Niaz says.