90 days of data-driven tracking to reduce debilitating headaches
I had severe migraines 10-12 times per month that would knock me out for 3-4 hours. Couldn't study, couldn't go to school some days, painkillers didn't help much. Doctors said 'track your triggers,' but I didn't know how or what to track. The migraines felt random and unpredictable—I felt helpless.
Created a systematic 90-day tracking diary logging every potential trigger: sleep, screen time, meals, stress, food types, weather. Used simple correlation analysis in Excel to identify patterns. Found 5 statistically significant triggers: screen time (67% correlation), skipped meals (80%), inadequate sleep (75%), stress (combined with sleep), and chocolate (surprise!). Eliminated/managed these triggers → 60% migraine reduction in 3 months.
from helpless to empowered: migraines started age 14. crippling pain 2-3 times/month. missed 15 school days in 6 months. doctors said "stress" and "hormones" - zero solutions. felt helpless. started tracking EVERYTHING: food, sleep, screen time, weather, period cycle, stress levels. 3 months of data. patterns emerged. triggers: <6hrs sleep (90% correlation), processed cheese (instant migraine), >3hrs phone screen time, skipping breakfast. modified behavior. results: migraines down from 8-10/month to 2-3/month. when they happen, i catch them early (aura warning signs) and take meds immediately. saved 80+ school hours this year. but best part? took control. went from victim of random pain to scientist managing a condition. turned personal suffering into a rigorous study. data = power over your own body. 🧠📊
Daily log of 8+ potential trigger variables over 90 days
Excel analysis to identify statistically significant patterns
Systematically eliminate triggers one-by-one to confirm causation
Monthly tracking shows clear reduction in frequency and severity
Migraines have identifiable triggers that can be avoided through systematic tracking and analysis. If I track all potential triggers for 90 days, I can find correlations and reduce migraine frequency.
Created Google Form for daily logging (easier than paper). Filled it every night: migraine (yes/no), severity (1-10), duration, sleep hours, screen time, meals timing, stress level, foods eaten, weather. 90 consecutive days, zero missed entries.
Exported to Excel. Used CORREL function to find correlations between each variable and migraine occurrence. Anything above 0.6 correlation = potential trigger. Found 5 strong correlations.
Eliminated triggers one at a time to isolate effects. Month 2: reduced screen time only. Month 3: added sleep + meal consistency. Tracked results monthly to confirm each intervention worked.
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