Stress and Headaches

Luckily, I am someone who does not get headaches very often. Most of the time it’s when I forget my morning coffee. I can take a couple Ibuprofen and it goes away and I move along with my day.

More recently, I have been experiencing more frequent and severe headaches. After some research, I found that my symptoms were that of a tension headache.

The symptoms of a tension headache are dull, achy pain around the head, almost in a sweatband distribution. This pain is sometimes relieved by medications. It can last minutes to hours and is brought on by a lot of different things. One of the biggest factors of is stress. I find that when I am stressed and worried I get these headaches more frequently. This only adds to my stress because on top of all the work I need, I now have an aching headache that I can’t stop thinking about.

I have decided to try to tackle my headache problem by the source and better manage my stress and worry. I have been taking an hour to myself to relax and unwind. I will listen to my favorite music, go to the gym or take a hot shower. Just something to take my mind off my task at hand and my headaches. I have also started to become more organized and make a weekly plan. This allows me to see the things I need to do and better prepare for them. It allows me not to stress about something that I don’t need to stress about at the moment.

Since using these stress relieving techniques, I have noticed I am having less frequent and less severe tension headaches. This overall, has really helped with my stress level because I am not worried about the headache that can come from my stress levels.

Sometimes it may take more to relieve a headache however, and if you are having very frequent and very severe headaches, you may want to see a professional. Some things I use to manage my tension headaches are getting off my computer or phone for about half an hour. Sometimes I need to step away from the light and sounds. I also like to take a hot shower, use ice packs on my neck and use essential oils like peppermint for relief. But with these techniques, hopefully it will help manage both  your stress and your headaches.

Do you get headaches because of stress or worry? What are your best ways to get rid of your headaches?