Rethinking Migraine Triggers: Why Avoidance Isn’t the Answer

Rethinking Migraine Triggers: Why Avoidance Isn’t the Answer

If you’ve ever tried to pinpoint exactly what causes your migraine attacks, you know how murky and frustrating it can be. Maybe you’ve heard of the migraine threshold—that idea that it’s not just one thing, but a stack of stressors (travel, hormones, work stress) that tips the scale. You think it was the glass of wine, but sometimes you drink wine and feel fine. What gives?

Are We Mislabeling Triggers?

What many people think are “triggers” may actually be early symptoms of a migraine already in motion. Neurologists are recognizing this more and more. Neck pain, light sensitivity, food cravings, mood changes—these might not cause the attack, they might be the attack, starting in its earliest stage: the prodrome phase.

That chocolate you blamed? It might have been your body already having food cravings in response to a migraine that had already started.

So What Are Real Migraine Triggers?

While everyone’s experience is unique, research consistently shows that changes—in hormones, sleep, stress levels, and even weather—are more reliable migraine triggers than any specific food.

Most studied triggers:

• Hormonal shifts (especially menstrual-related)

• Fasting or irregular eating

• Sleep changes

• Stress spikes and let-downs

• Weather fluctuations

Interestingly, food is the most cited trigger and also the least supported by research. Dr. Lauren Natbony’s talk at the 2023 Migraine World Summit underscores this: food is often blamed, but the evidence doesn’t back it up strongly.

This doesn’t mean your food-related triggers aren’t real—but it does mean we should question the tendency to blame them first.

Why Avoiding Triggers Doesn’t Work

Trying to avoid all your triggers might sound like a good plan, but it quickly becomes exhausting—and ultimately ineffective. Here’s why:

• You can’t control everything. (Weather, hormones, stress... life!)

• It increases anxiety and hypersensitivity. Always waiting for the next attack can heighten your nervous system’s reactivity.

• It shrinks your world. Avoiding triggers often means avoiding joy—sunlight, friends, exercise, even dancing.

This avoidance can spiral into what Dr. Rachel Zoffness calls vampire mode—closing the blinds, staying indoors, withdrawing from life. And ironically, this increased isolation and inactivity can actually make migraine worse by increasing sensitivity and lowering resilience.

The Power of Moving Toward Triggers—Gently

Instead of avoiding, try retraining your brain to feel safer around triggers through gradual exposure. For example:

• Sit outside in the shade for two minutes a day.

• Slowly work up to a short walk.

• Practice yoga with the blinds open.

This is part of Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT)—a core part of my Beyond Migraine coaching program—where we help your brain interpret once-dangerous signals as safe again.

What To Add (Not Just Subtract)

Rather than obsessively subtracting things from your life, ask:

What can I add that nourishes me and builds resilience?

Here’s where lifestyle strategies come in:

• Regular sleep

• Consistent eating patterns

• Movement (like Yoga for Migraine)

• Stress regulation

• Supportive community

Yoga for Migraine is more than a movement practice—it’s a tool to calm your nervous system, build confidence, and ease your way back into a full, vibrant life.

Ready to Rebuild Your Resilience?

You don’t have to do this alone. The Beyond Migraine coaching program is a comprehensive, science-informed approach that combines yoga, pain reprocessing, and nervous system support to help you increase your migraine threshold and reclaim your life.

Learn more about my brain retraining approach to migraine in this short video: https://www.beyondmigraine.yoga/guarantee/