Stress Can Cause Chronic Headaches

Do you seem to get headaches frequently?  Not migraine headaches that incapacitate you, but common headaches that creep up on you and ruin your day. Stop looking for another pill to pop and try to identify the source of these headaches, which may be brought on by stress.

Stress and Tension – Stress has a way of accumulating like the clutter in your hall closet. Eventually, it just overflows. Along with stress, you feel tension in your muscles. And the tension spreads until your shoulders are tired, your neck feels like it can’t hold up your head and eventually – your head throbs.

The pain actually comes from decreased blood flow to you head, but that’s the physical explanation. The human body is 65% water dehydration triggors headaches and migranes.  The real root cause is stress.  If you want to stop the tension headaches, you have to take time to relax.

Walk away from work and take a break. Don’t bring work home with you. Give yourself twenty minutes to unwind after work. Lie down or recline in a comfortable chair. Put a cool gel pack over your eyes and think about anything except your to-do list and the problems of the day. You may prefer to use that time to meditate or pray. Just give yourself time to transition so that you can enjoy your dinner and prepare for a good nights sleep.  Drink at least 8 – 10 glasses of water a day.  All of these things will help reduce your stress levels and tension headaches.

 
Insomnia – You simply have to have a good night’s sleep. That means 8 hours, not 5 hours and a cat nap. You need enough restful sleep to allow the body to repair itself and overcome what you put it through during the day. If you aren’t getting enough sleep or good quality sleep, you are a candidate for headaches. And don’t try to self-medicate with sleep aids. See your doctor to find out the reason for the sleep problem and work it out.

Listen to the message in your headache and do something to gain long term relief.