Almost 40 million Americans live with migraine and headache disorders. Unfortunately, headaches are considered invisible diseases, due to its ability to cause people who live with it to feel isolated and alone. There is a lack of understanding from employers, the public and people with migraine themselves about the impact and complexity of the condition.
The impact of migraines and headache in the workplace presents a serious issue for employers as well as the individual. Attacks typically last between 4 and 72 hours and symptoms cease in-between attacks which means employees are often able to return to work soon after an attack. Despite the severe pain experienced during an attack many people will not take sick leave when they experience a migraine and will continue to attend work despite their productivity levels being considerably impaired.
Promoting employees’ good health and well-being adds value to an organization by increasing motivation and engagement of staff which has a positive impact on productivity and profitability for the organization. You can best cope with migraines at work is by learning your migraine triggers, avoiding the most common ones you encounter at work, and implementing a practical, effective action plan to address one when you feel it coming on. Here are some tips to avoid migraine triggers at work:
- Eat regularly
- Hydrate throughout the day
- Stay cool
- Minimize exposure to bright light and computer glare
- Use blue light filters on your computer screen and try wearing blue light glasses.
If you experience terrible headaches and/or migraines in and out of the workplace try these simply changes to your daily routine in order to ease the severity of the pain.
Innovative’s Workplace Wellness
Innovative’s Workplace Wellness assists employers in creating a culture of health. Our skilled wellness team works hand-in-hand with organizations to design and implement customized wellness programs that improve your population health and ultimately lower claims costs. Workplace wellness is more than keeping your team physically healthy. It’s about empowering employees to be their best, creating a fully engaged staff and making them advocates of their health. We help employers focus on each individual employee, guiding your team to effectively manage their own mental, physical, and emotional energy so your employees and your business thrive. To learn more, visit here.
