Medical Portal

You know the symptoms. It’s four o’clock on a Thursday afternoon. Your boss has just dumped a pile of work on your desk, due before the weekend. Your co-worker has been yammering for hours about her upcoming vacation to Jamaica. The client who annoys you most in the world is holding for you on line four, and your crying ten your old who is home alone is on line two.

As your stress level officially goes off the charts, a headache starts to form in a tight band around your forehead. This article deals with getting stress and headache relief so you can get on with your work and your day.

Stress and Headache Relief - Short Term

Up to 80% of people suffer and seek relief from stress headaches at one time or another. Stress headaches are usually caused by the tightening of the muscles in your upper back, shoulders, neck, and scalp.

One quick fix for tension headaches, then, is to focus on relaxing those muscle groups. Shrug your shoulders tight and then release them. Then roll your shoulders backwards and forwards. Gently rotate your head in a circle. Give yourself a quick scalp massage. Close your eyes for a few moments and try to picture the tension flowing from your body like river water being expelled into the ocean.

It may also help to step away from the stressful situation for a few minutes, if you can. Take a short walk, escape to the bathroom, step into a supply closet if you have to. Use your break to try a few relaxing affirmations. “I am calm. I am competent. I can handle this situation.”

Another stress and headache relief technique is to take a hot bath or shower as soon as possible (i.e., the minute you get home from work). If the showerhead has a massage setting, use it. Set the water temperature to as warm as you can tolerate it. Try to imagine the water soaking into your muscles, breaking up the tension, and carrying it away.

If all else fails, stress headaches usually respond fairly well to mild pain relievers such as aspirin, Tylenol, ibuprofen, Aleve, etc. However, it is important not to make a habit of treating stress headaches with medications. Eventually, they will stop working as well for you.

Stress and Headache Relief - Long Term

If you seek relief from stress and headaches frequently, say once a week or more, you probably need to focus on long-term stress management.

It may help to see a therapist or counselor for a few visits to learn some stress relief techniques such as biofeedback or progressive relaxation.

A massage every week or two can be an especially pleasurably way to completely relax your body. Ask your massage therapist for ideas about keeping your muscles loose between massages. A regular exercise program, while not nearly as enjoyable as a relaxing massage, can also help put you in a relaxed state.

Finally, if your stress is severe, negatively affects your life, and does not seem to respond to other methods, you may want to consider asking your doctor for a mild tranquilizer such as Ativan or Xanax. This step should be both temporary and a last resort, however, as these medications can be quickly habit forming.