Travelling with Migraine: My Favourite Travel Tips.

If you're living with migraine and worry about travelling, you're not alone.

After living with migraine for more than 20 years, I know how stressful travelling can feel.

If you've watched my videos or attended one of my courses, you've probably heard me say that many women with migraine find their nervous system responds best to routine.

The same bedtime.

The same wake-up time.

The same breakfast.

The same daily rhythm.

For years, travelling almost always meant a migraine for me.

Every trip felt like another migraine waiting to happen.

Not because flying itself was the problem.

But because everything changed at once.

I had to wake up earlier than usual.

Eat breakfast at a different time.

Rush to the airport.

Stand in queues.

Spend hours under bright artificial lights.

Listen to constant announcements.

Be surrounded by strong perfumes, hundreds of people and endless stimulation.

Individually, none of these things seemed like a big problem.

Together, they often became too much for my nervous system.

Migraine Is About the Total Load

As you've probably read in my other articles, I no longer believe migraine is caused by one trigger.

I think of it as a glass of water.

This simple analogy completely changed the way I understand migraine.

Every challenge adds another drop.

• Poor sleep

• Stress

• Muscle tension

• Gut health

• Hormonal changes

• Environmental factors

• Dehydration

• Nutritional deficiencies

Travelling often adds several more drops.

Airport stress.

Bright lights.

Noise.

Perfume.

Different food.

Changes to your routine.

When the glass is already almost full, it doesn't take much for it to overflow.

For me, perfume was often one of those final drops.

It wasn't necessarily the cause of my migraine.

It simply arrived when my nervous system was already overloaded.

Once I learned how to reduce the overall load on my body, travelling became much easier.

My Biggest Travel Tip

If I could give you just one piece of advice, it would be this:

Start preparing two or three days before your journey.

Don't wait until you arrive at the airport.

Prepare your nervous system first.

For me, the journey didn't start at the airport. It started two or three days before.

Whenever I knew I was travelling, I tried to "empty my glass."

That meant:

• reducing stress as much as possible;

• getting enough sleep;

• drinking plenty of water;

• eating nourishing meals;

• making time for gentle walks;

• reading a book;

• avoiding unnecessary rushing;

• practising relaxation exercises.

One thing that helped me enormously was choosing afternoon flights whenever possible.

When travelling to places like India, Barcelona or Poland, I often had the choice between an early morning flight and an afternoon flight.

I almost always chose the afternoon.

Early morning flights usually meant poor sleep because I worried about waking up on time.

By the time I reached the airport, I already felt tired and stressed.

With an afternoon flight, I could wake up naturally, have breakfast, double-check my luggage and begin my journey feeling much calmer.

That simple change made a surprisingly big difference.

My Airport Routine

Over the years, I realised that every small stressor at the airport could add another drop to my glass.

That's why I stopped trying to control everything around me.

Instead, I focused on the things I could control.

I always brought my own food.

Good nutrition was one less thing for my nervous system to worry about.

Personally, I never felt well after eating typical airport food.

Preparing homemade sandwiches and healthy snacks meant I stayed nourished and didn't have to rely on whatever was available.

I also carried a bottle of water and made hydration a priority.

Another investment that completely changed my travelling experience was buying noise-cancelling headphones.

They created a small sense of calm in a very busy environment.

I usually listened to podcasts or relaxing music instead of airport noise.

Bright artificial lighting was another challenge for me.

Wearing lightly tinted glasses helped reduce eye strain and made airports much more comfortable.

Whenever possible, I also booked a seat with extra legroom.

It usually cost a little more, but for me it was well worth it.

Being able to move my legs, stretch gently and do simple ankle pumps during the flight made my body feel much better afterwards.

Most importantly, I gave myself plenty of time.

Rushing through traffic or worrying about missing a flight only increased stress and muscle tension.

Arriving early made the whole experience much calmer.

How I Travel Today

One of the most valuable things I added to my travel routine was the relaxation and body scan that I now teach inside the TRINUO Programme.

Instead of sitting at the airport worrying, I used that time to calm my nervous system.

It helped me feel grounded before the journey even began.

Travelling still challenged my nervous system—but it no longer controlled me.

I was prepared.

I had healthy food.

I stayed hydrated.

I wore my glasses.

I used my noise-cancelling headphones.

I listened to podcasts or read a book.

I practised my body scan.

Instead of expecting my body to cope perfectly with a stressful day, I gave it as much support as I could.

When I arrived—whether it was Barcelona, India or Poland—I didn't rush straight into sightseeing or work.

I gave myself permission to slow down.

I found a quiet café.

Had something to eat or drink.

Read a book.

Went for a gentle walk.

Or simply sat quietly and allowed my nervous system time to recover before starting the next part of my trip.

Looking back, that small change helped me just as much as anything else.

What This Taught Me

Today, I travel regularly.

Do I still have to look after myself?

Absolutely.

But migraine no longer stops me from seeing the world.

It simply reminds me to prepare differently.

One of the biggest lessons migraine taught me is this:

Don't prepare for the airport. Prepare your nervous system for the journey.

That simple change in mindset transformed the way I travel.

And it's one of the principles that later became part of the TRINUO Method™.

Remember This

Travel doesn't have to cause a migraine.

You can't control:

• the airport;

• the weather;

• flight delays;

• other people's perfume;

• bright lights;

• loud announcements;

• unexpected changes.

But you can control how well you prepare your nervous system.

Small actions—getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, eating nourishing food, reducing stress, moving your body and allowing yourself time to recover—can all help reduce the overall load on your system.

You don't have to travel perfectly.

You simply have to prepare differently.

You can't control every trigger. But you can build a body that's better prepared to cope with them.

That's what changed travelling for me.

And I hope it can do the same for you.