Hey Tribe,

Let’s about the ever annoying “Headaches” today.

Can you just nod, if a headache has messed up your day at least once? If you see me now, my head is almost nodding out of my neck. Headaches could be caused by anything from chronic stress, acute stress, hunger, dehydration, lack of or not enough sleep, hormonal gymnastics (high five to us women), and the list goes on and on.

Regardless of the cause, headaches are far from pleasant. I am not against medications, but I find that there are times, you might not have access to any or want to take them. 

I have been in this position more times than I can count, where I desperately needed a headache to go away really fast without having to pop any pills. 

Here are some ways to tackle a headache without having to take any drugs.

1) Drink Water

Have you ever tried really hard to find something that was right there with you, probably staring you in your face? That’s the way I feel about water and headaches. It’s the easiest and one of the fastest remedies for a headache. When your body is dehydrated, your brain reacts and one of the most noticeable indications is a ‘headache’. I find that it is so easy to be dehydrated; it’s funny how we just forget to drink water. From running between classes or between meetings to drinking any and everything but water. The moment you feel a headache creeping up on you, DRINK WATER. If a headache is related to dehydration, you will feel relief in a short time. Additionally, a very good way to prevent headaches is to stay hydrated; you can do this by drinking a cup of water every 2-3 hours.

2) Eat Something

This is very similar to drinking water. Hunger can also cause headaches. Then again, it’s funny how we forget to eat and just skip meals for whatever reason. The brain functions with sugar, and when we are hungry, our blood-sugar level drops, hence a headache can set in. If you get a headache and you identify that you have skipped a meal, put something in your mouth, preferably something healthy (fruit, cooked meal, etc).

3) Change Your Environment

When you stay in an environment that is loud, or one that has any form of high stimulus, a headache can also set in. Staring at a computer for hours, or doing something non-stop for a long time can encourage a headache. You can manage this by changing your environment. Personally, environments that are quiet, relatively darker, airy or breezy, have helped me. Sometimes it’s just dimming the lights in my office, or sitting on the balcony, or moving to a quieter part of the building. Once your stimulus decreases, your headache can also begin to reduce.

4) Change Your Posture

This is similar to changing your environment but a lot easier. It’s very easy to forget you have been slouched or staying in an uncomfortable position when you are engrossed in work. The moment that headache starts to make an entrance, change your posture. This helps to relieve whatever spasms or tension that could be contributing to a headache.

5) Exercise

No, I don’t mean climbing a treadmill or running around your school. Exercise could be as simple as stretching in the bathroom, walking around your building, or taking deep breaths on your seat. When we get engrossed in our work, our muscles can tense up, and this can cause a headache. Slight exercises like the ones listed above can help relieve those tense muscles. This also has the advantage of a changed environment. For example, while walking around, your environment changes to become airier and can also cause some relief.

6) Power Naps

This one works like a miracle. I have experienced the tremendous benefits of taking short naps in between really busy days. You can take power naps in between classes, meetings, or even split your lunch time into two – rest one-half and eat the other half. If you stay on campus, you might find this relatively easy to achieve; if not, your car or a private corner is just as good. I have had short naps in my car that have been very refreshing and helped with slight headaches. Even if you don’t actually sleep, but you close your eyes and rest your head for a few minutes, the relief is just amazing. I recommend at least 30 minutes if you can afford it during your day.

7) Massage

You can massage the back of your neck, your temples, or your forehead and get relief from a headache. Massaging eases muscle tension or muscle spasms around the head or neck that can contribute to a headache. For me, circular motions around my temples provide significant relief. Another thing that helps me is running my three middle fingers firmly around the sides of my neck.

8) Hot/Cold Therapy

You can use either an ice pack, warm compress, or both of them to relieve a headache. Placing an ice pack on your head can relieve a headache. The cooling effect can work on the blood vessels to reduce the pain or make your brain pay more attention to the cold as opposed to the pain. A warm compress works in a similar way. The brain will focus more on the heat. Muscles around your head can be relaxed from the warm compress, heat can also relax the blood vessels around the head. You can also use the both. Cold on one side, and heat on another. I once had a terrible migraine and this helped out a lot.

9)  Mental Imagery

Imagine something beautiful. This is one of my favorite ways of relieving pain. Go somewhere beautiful in your mind. It could be a calming scenery or something happy. Good thoughts calm the mind and the body. It works like medicine in the way it relieves stress and pain. 

10) Music

I have standby playlists for my work. Music might as well be food for me. Music is great for relaxation and can tremendously help with a headache. I find that depending on the song, music has a way of also creating beautiful images in your mind too, that can further help easing a headache. I would advise the music you choose should be calm or soothing. When you are having a headache might not be the best time to play those songs that shake everywhere with vibration or that are loud.

There you have it! These are ten ways to relieve a headache when you are at school or work, and not interested in popping pills.

Don’t go yet! Share your thoughts in the comment section. Let me know if you agree with these remedies or if you have tried something that is not on this list that has worked for you.

Until we chat again, plenty kisses.

Have a Winning-Day

WDG