Getting Relief For Headaches Caused By Stress

So you’ve got a headache. It’s a whopper – and your best guess is that it’s caused by the tremendous amount of stress you’ve been under lately. Who can handle all that stuff? No mere mortal. There’s gotta be a better way.

Getting Rid Of The Headache Once It’s There

How can you get relief from the stress headache once it takes hold? The first step is to not let it get any worse. Once you realize you’re getting a headache, do some things to make it better – right away. You can try an herbal headache relief measure, but until you can get to the store, you can try one of these:

Drink some water. Researchers have discovered that not having enough water causes dehydration – we knew that – but dehydration causes headaches. And it doesn’t have to be the major into-the-hospital-for-vital-fluids dehydration, even just a little dehydration can lead to a major stress headache, needing relief.

Lie down and relax. Let your body sink down into the floor or mattress, and consciously relax the muscles of the body. Feel like you weigh a million pounds and just have to let it all go. Purposefully unclench your hands – open then and let go of tension. Let your jaw go slack (a lot of tension is held in the jaw).

The stress causing a headache is often caused by very tight muscles in the neck, shoulders and back. Try massage for great stress headache relief. The neck, shoulders, and various places on the scalp are the places best suited for this. Also, it’s much better to have a friend give the massage than to try to massage it yourself – self-massage is almost useless in comparison to a good massage from someone else!

Extremes of temperature can also help with getting rid of a nasty headache. Moist heat (think hot compress) can help if applied to the neck, forehead, or shoulders. Take a washcloth or towel, soak it in hot water, wring it out, and apply on the stressed spots. Alternately, soak it in ice water and do the same, or put some ice into a bag, wrap the bag in a washcloth, and apply to the body. Either of these can relieve a stressful headache.

If you’re still struggling with a stress headache, relief also comes in a bottle. There are several forms of medicine available, both over-the-counter and prescription – for those really bad headaches that require medical attention.

Take Some Off Your Plate – Aka Preventative Action

As for the future – do things to avoid having stress headaches needing relief in the first place. Take better care of yourself, rest, relax, and do things for yourself instead of constantly being on the go. Learn to say “no” to new opportunities or obligations. You can do it!