Moms and dads are superheroes. The adventures of Superman and Wonder Woman pale in comparison to the tasks that parents accomplish every single day. Getting everyone dressed, fed, and sent to school is only the tip of the iceberg. Working parents have to keep the house clean, maintain the yard, work a full day, pick up the kids, attend to homework, and get the kids fed, changed, and happily secure in their beds. “Me time? No way!” say many parents; by the time the children and work have been attended to, the day is simply over. Add migraine management into the equation, and parental achievement becomes magnified even further.

Parenting and migraine experts agree that breaks are necessary. Parenting is exhausting. Managing migraines is exhausting. The pain of a migraine attack is exhausting. With all these multiple sources of exhaustion, how do migraineurs make time for themselves?

Making time for oneself requires commitment — as much commitment as, say, it takes to bring a child to soccer practice for a full season. Reinforce to family members that you need time just for you, and that that time is to be taken seriously. If necessary, schedule appointments with yourself on the family calendar! Expect your family to honor your time alone, and then be sure that you actually take it.

What to do with your newfound freedom? Many migraineurs enjoy simple time alone to reflect on their current pain-free day and enjoy the moment. Building a conscious appreciation of healthy periods gives you something to look forward to later and allows you to get through a migraine with the understanding that this, too, shall pass, and pain-free periods of time will follow.

Many migraineurs have a low sense of self-esteem. The constant threat of an attack, as well as the social stigma of a chronic disease, can contribute to feelings of shame and worthlessness. The worse you feel about yourself, the less likely you are to value yourself enough to demand a break.

Defuse this cycle by understanding that migraines are not your fault, and there is no blame to be placed. Self-worth is derived from strength of character, values, morality, and the totality of a person's being. It is not diminished by disease. Take time for yourself because, in four easy words, you are worth it!

Happiness rubs off on those around us. When we are in a good mood, smiling, cheerful, and well rested, we project those emotions onto the people with whom we come into contact. Migraineurs may need to go to extra effort to achieve a rested, happy state, but arriving at that state benefits more than just themselves.

When migraine pain has abated and the postdrome has faded, rest and simple bliss can slowly make their way back. Irritability is a thing of the past. For some, the aftermath of a postdrome can feel euphoric, or it can feel like a hangover; eventually, though, normalcy resumes. After a painful migraine, normalcy seems twice as good as it did before.