Three things I noted this past week:

1. Do Migraines Mean Anything?

Last Thursday, I started having sharp pains in my head (imagine an ice-pick hammering into your skull) every few hours. When the pain did not disappear by Friday, and in fact was joined by a low-grade headache when I woke up, I decided to visit the doctor. According to him, this is a migraine and while I have been suffering from these occasionally (it used to be worse when I was younger), these are a new manifestation of the old problem.

I did not find any conclusive studies or meta-reviews about the link between migraines and depression but given that migraines can be triggered by stress, lack of sleep, hormonal changes, etc, I think they are a sign that I need to rest more.

2. Taking a break from my laptop

Due to the migraine, I was without my trusty laptop for the whole of Friday. I’ve never really considered my laptop use problematic, but the panicked-yet-strangely-happy feeling I had on Friday was eerily similar to my feelings towards my smartphone.

I decided to take a break from the laptop on Saturday and it felt great. I managed to finally watch some anime with my brother, go for supper, and get more sleep. It turns out that as soon as I’m on my laptop, I’m checking my email and drafting blogposts and doing all sort of other things that may or may not be busywork.

This is a reminder to schedule not just breaks from my phone, but breaks from laptops and other devices as well.

3. Coronavirus and Mental Health (BBC Link)

This last item is probably the most helpful one. I saw an article on the BBC on how to protect your mental health amidst the coronavirus pandemic. The tip on limiting the news you read is definitely a sensible one – I’ve seen people listen to the hourly news (and I’ve definitely hit the refresh button once too often) but really, how much new news can you get in an hour? And what good does it do to worry excessively?