Creating a Migraine-Friendly Environment

Why the environment can feel overwhelming

Many people with migraine report heightened sensitivity to light, sound and smell, both during an attack and in the hours around it. The NHS describes increased sensitivity to light and sound as a common feature of migraine, which is why a room that feels ordinary to one person can feel unbearable to another.

That sensitivity is not fussiness and it is not something to argue yourself out of. Treating it as useful information tends to be more productive: if a particular light, sound or smell is difficult, it is worth adjusting where you can.

Light and glare

Glare is usually more troublesome than brightness on its own. It comes from bare bulbs, low winter sun, reflections off white surfaces and screens sitting in front of a window.

• 01Use lamps at eye level or lower rather than a single bright ceiling light
• 02Choose warm white bulbs and add a dimmer where you can
• 03Fit blinds or lined curtains you can adjust through the day
• 04Replace any bulb or tube that flickers, hums or has begun to fail
• 05Keep a pair of sunglasses by the door for bright or wet days

Noise and sound

Constant low level noise is easy to stop noticing and surprisingly tiring. Extractor fans, a loud fridge, traffic through a single glazed window and a television left on in another room all add up.

• 01Soft furnishings, rugs and curtains absorb echo in hard rooms
• 02Close doors between noisy and quiet rooms rather than raising the volume
• 03Keep loop style earplugs or over ear defenders somewhere you can find them quickly
• 04Agree with the people you live with which room is the quiet one

Smell sensitivity

Strong smells are one of the more commonly reported sensitivities, and household products are often the source: cleaning sprays, air fresheners, plug in diffusers, laundry products and cooking smells with nowhere to go.

• 01Choose unscented or lightly scented cleaning and laundry products
• 02Open a window while cooking, or use the extractor from the start rather than halfway through
• 03Keep bins closed and emptied
• 04If you use anything aromatic, keep it to one room and to an amount you actively choose

Screens and visual load

A screen is a light source held close to your face for hours. Position it at a right angle to windows rather than facing or backing onto them, raise the text size rather than leaning in, and match screen brightness roughly to the brightness of the room so your eyes are not constantly readjusting.

Regular breaks matter more than any single setting. Looking at something in the distance for twenty seconds every twenty minutes is a small habit that is easy to keep.

Temperature and comfort

Overheated, stuffy rooms are hard to rest in, and so are cold ones that make you tense your shoulders. Aim for steady rather than warm, with fresh air at some point in the day.

• 01Air the bedroom for a few minutes before sleep
• 02Keep an extra blanket to hand instead of raising the heating for one person
• 03Watch for draughts across the neck and shoulders at a desk

Preparing a quiet resting space

Deciding in advance where you will rest removes a decision from a difficult moment. It does not have to be a spare room. A corner of a bedroom with the curtains closed, a pillow, a blanket, water within reach and a bin nearby is enough.

• 01Curtains or an eye mask for darkness
• 02Water and something plain to eat
• 03Earplugs or defenders
• 04A phone charger, with notifications silenced
• 05Whatever medication you have been prescribed, kept where you can reach it

Making small adjustments at work

Workplace adjustments tend to be more achievable when they are specific. Rather than asking for a quieter office, it is often easier to ask to be moved away from a particular light, to have a desk lamp instead of overhead lighting, or to have a place you can go for twenty minutes.

The Migraine Trust publishes information on migraine at work, including talking to an employer, which is a useful starting point before a conversation.

• 01A desk away from direct glare and busy walkways
• 02A monitor with an adjustable refresh rate and text size
• 03A named quiet space you are allowed to use
• 04Flexibility over start times after a difficult night
• 05A written note of what helps, so you are not explaining it each time

A simple environment checklist

A short pass through the rooms you use most:

• 01Is there a flickering or failing bulb anywhere?
• 02Can you dim or lower the main light in each room?
• 03Is one room reliably quiet?
• 04Are scented products limited to places you choose?
• 05Is your screen positioned away from direct window light?
• 06Is the resting space ready now, rather than needing setting up?
• 07Is water easy to reach in the places you sit?

Stephanie's experience

This part is personal rather than general guidance. Having lived with the aftermath of eighteen brain surgeries, I have learned that my surroundings change how a difficult day feels, even when they change nothing about the day itself. Lamps instead of the big light, unscented cleaning products, and one room in the house that stays quiet, these are the adjustments I keep coming back to.

About Not My Grain

Not My Grain is a cosmetic cooling botanical roll-on created with migraine sufferers in mind. It is not a medicine and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent migraine.