How Stress Affects the Brain and Influences Migraine
- Olivia Orr
- 8 hours ago
- 3 min read
Written by Olivia Orr, BSN, RN
Have you ever felt overwhelmed and heard someone say, “Just relax”? It can leave you questioning whether you are overreacting or imagining the problem. You are not. Stress is a real, physiological response rooted in the nervous system.
Stress is often described as an emotional response, but it produces physical changes throughout the body. A stress response is the body’s way of telling you something is wrong, similar to an immune response. An immune response lets you know when something is wrong by fighting the invading germs with fever, vomiting, diarrhea, sneezing, and so on to destroy the invading germs. A stress response uses anxiety, depression, fatigue, pain, headache, or chronic illness as signals that something is out of balance. This isn’t a weakness, it’s an alarm.
What Happens in Your Brain During Stress
Stress activates a part of your brain called the amygdala, which then sends a signal to the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus triggers the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) to release adrenaline, cortisol, and glucose into the body to flee from danger. These hormones are helpful in small bursts, but problematic when they remain elevated. The SNS initiates the fight-or-flight response, causing faster breathing, sweating, dilated pupils, slowed digestion, and increased energy. Your body is absorbing as much information as it can from the environment to manage the situation. This state of heightened awareness is designed to be a protective, short-term reaction to escape danger, but when it sticks around, damage happens.
Duration Matters
Short-term stress, or acute stress, is not as destructive as chronic, long-term stress. An example of acute stress is the anxiety you may feel when preparing for an important meeting or test. You may feel a burst of focus, energy, or experience a sensation of sweating, or as if your heart is pounding. Periods of short-term stress are normal and not destructive to your well-being.
On the other hand, chronic stress is always with you, underlying every day with feelings of low-level anxiety, dread, or overwhelm. When stress becomes chronic, it is not helpful for brain function and leads to burnout and illness. Chronic stress can contribute to fatigue, brain fog, headaches, and metabolic changes. Over time, it may also increase susceptibility to anxiety, depression, digestive issues, high blood pressure, and migraine attacks.
The Stress–Migraine Connection
Stress is a common trigger for migraineurs, with one reason being that stress causes fluctuations in cortisol levels. Many people have migraine attacks on the weekends when they finally relax after a busy week due to a cortisol drop. This is known as the let-down effect.
Your brain can only tolerate a certain amount of stress before it starts signaling you, leading people to believe migraine is a threshold condition. The threshold theory says that after a certain number of stressors, your body cannot handle any more, and you are more likely to experience a migraine attack. On the flip side, if you manage these triggers well, you may be able to reduce the frequency of attacks.
Supporting the Nervous System in Real Life
In the same way that you cannot turn off your immune system by saying, “Just be healthy,” you also cannot turn off your nervous system by saying, “Just relax.” Your body needs to feel safe to relax and believe it’s not in danger. Forcing relaxation backfires by increasing feelings of guilt and frustration, causing more stress. This isn’t your fault; it’s how our bodies are designed.
Your body wants you to fix the anxiety-inducing problem. If you could relax on demand, you probably wouldn’t make the necessary changes for your body to feel safe. Supporting the nervous system does not require perfection, but small, consistent choices make a difference. Keep a predictable routine that includes:
1. Consistent Sleep
Have a set bedtime and wake-up time, even on weekends
Nervous system predictability
2. Gentle Movement
Exercise for 30 minutes, 5 days a week
Walking, stretching, yoga
3. Sensory Input Management
Know your limits for light, noise, and screen exposure
Wear tinted glasses, earplugs, and brimmed hats
4. Nutrition & Hydration
Eat healthy meals at regular intervals
Stay hydrated, use electrolytes as needed
5. Stress Management Techniques
Breathwork, grounding practices
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Final Thoughts
Stress is not failure; it’s your body's design to signal you to take care of it. If you are experiencing new or persistent neurological symptoms, please seek the appropriate medical help. Your physician can also recommend lifestyle and mindset shifts that may improve your physical and mental health while reducing migraine attacks. Be your own advocate and know that small, consistent steps are important progress.
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Assessed and Endorsed by the MedReport Medical Review Board
