Navigate through Christmas with migraines: Get practical tips and experiences from others who have found their way to a more relaxed and manageable December. Download our free guide and have an easier Christmas.
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December is packed with light, expectations and warmth. For many, it's the highlight of the year, but for people with migraines or headaches, it can quickly feel like a survival exercise. Stress, hustle and bustle and social expectations can trigger seizures, but there are small steps you can take to make the Christmas season more manageable — without losing the magic.
Read our take on a guide to having an easier and more relaxed Christmas - peppered with experiences and tips from Nanna (27), Kamilla (47) and Anne (60), all three of whom live with headaches and migraines and who have each found their own way of navigating the Christmas season.
The main thing is to feel. Nanna, 27, who also lives with migraines, says it so delicately:”I'd rather spend my energy on fewer events where I then have the surplus to be who I'd like to be. I don't always have to be in it all or be on a lot”
And she's right. Christmas isn't about doing it all, it's about doing the right thing for you. Choose those traditions and events that really bring you joy, and allow yourself to say no to the rest. It's not selfish -- it's self-care.
If December feels overwhelming, this simple exercise can help you sort in what's important to focus on and what you can do without:
• Challenge: What's pushing you? Maybe it's expectations from family, busyness at work or stress over gift shopping
• Strategy: What solutions can you find? Maybe you can buy gifts online, plan multiple breaks, or set aside time for yourself in the midst of the hustle and bustle.
• What can I do without? : What do you really not need? Kamilla has found her solution: 'I've learned that I don't have to stay until the end of an event to get something out of it. I may still have had a good experience, even if I go a bit before the others.”
Make a list with these three columns and use it as your personal guide through December. It can help you find peace in all the Christmas chaos.
Both Nanna and Kamilla have learned how much short breaks can do during the Christmas season. Nanna says: “When the others go to church, I stay home and sleep to recharge until the evening. Small breaks when the others go out help me get more profit.”
It's not about big changes -- even half an hour on the couch or a quiet walk can make a world of difference. Kamilla, who also lives with migraines, explains:
“Breaks can be anything from a walk in nature to just flattening out on the couch. The most important thing is that I feel throughout my body that I really pause.”
Anne has learned how important it is to delegate tasks and focus on what matters. She says: “My husband is in charge of the whole thing on Christmas Day, and I just manage to set the table — then I can be in it.”
It takes courage to let go of control, but it also gives you the freedom to be present in the moments that matter most.
We have found some small tricks that make a huge difference:
• Buy gifts well in advance: No last-minute panic shopping.
• Schedule air in the calendar: Keep room for breaks — they are just as important as the arrangements themselves.
• Say no without a guilty conscience: It's perfectly okay not to participate in everything.
• Get help: Anne, for example, has chosen to get cleaning help before Christmas to ease the pressure. Can you do something similar?
Do you want to try the exercise with the three columns? We have created a PDF guide that you can download for free. Print it out, hang it on the fridge, or use it digitally — whatever suits you best. You can also just draw it yourself.
The Christmas season should be magical — for you too. Allow yourself to prioritize and create a December where there is room for both tranquility and coziness. No one can handle it all, and neither should you.
Merry Christmas from Hemi — and from Nanna, Kamilla and Anne.
