Image from Pinterest

So according to my doctor, a side affect from being an awesome “type A” personality that gets shit done is apparently getting frequent headaches that make doing work so much more difficult. As if my workload wasn’t enough to deal with, I apparently have to get headaches on top of all that too. Just my luck. (I mean, at least I don’t have to deal with migraines, because that’s a whole other ball game. Though I was warned that may be in my future… D:)

So how do I still keep the ball rolling when my temples feel like they’re being pounded by a sledgehammer? Well, I let me show you the tips that work for me!

1. Drink Water

Sometimes I find myself in the middle of a work session and I realized my head is pounding. I also realized that I probably haven’t moved, much less drank water for the past couple of hours…Woops.

A common cause of headaches is dehydration, so when you feel a headache coming on try grabbing a glass of water and wait a few minutes to see if that at least reduces the pain.

2. Get fresh air

I found I sometimes get headaches because I’ve been in a stuffy room for too long. Therefore, assuming it’s a safe time of day to do so, I head outside and take a 15 to 30 minute walk. Most of the time, the headache (at the very least) decreases in size enough for me to get back on track.

If it’s not exactly a safe time to be wandering around the area, just open a window or even turn on a fan nearby to help circulate the air better. Any little thing can help!

3. Stay Cool like a cucumber~

Living in Southern CA, heat is a thing I deal with for several months out of the year. Where I live, this past month has seen triple digits and lots of humidity to make matters worse. Heat exhaustion is a serious thing and even being in a hot room for too long can bring on a headache. Therefore, make sure that you keep cool (and hydrated, see above).

If you need a quick way to cool down and iced drinks aren’t cutting it, grab a wet cloth or napkin and place it in the back of your neck, being sure to rub behind the hears. You can also wet your wrists with cool water as well.

4. Hot shower with candles

I have also been told by various sources that headaches are brought on by a lack of oxygen to the brain. So, opening your airways would be the most obvious cure for this cause. What I like to do is turn on the hot water enough for a little steam to form. Then, I light a scented candle and, voila! The steam from the shower along with the odor of the candle open up your air passages allowing you to breathe that sweet, sweet oxygen that your brain so desperately needed. You also get the added bonus of have a very relaxing break. 🙂

5. Nap time

This tip is a bit of a hit and miss for me. Depending on how bad the headache is, sometimes I can sleep it away and wake up refreshed and ready to face that pile of papers that I’ve been ignoring for weeks. Other times, I just wake up with a bigger headache. It depends on your body I guess. Doesn’t hurt to try!

6. Call it a night

Sometimes, a headache is just letting you know you’re pushing yourself too hard. Remember, sometimes it’s more productive just to call it a night as opposed to trying to work through your headache. It’s okay to take a day off. It’s for your health!

7. Pills

Now, usually my last resort is pills. It’s not like I’m one of those people that think modern medicine is the devil. No! I like modern medicine. It keeps me from catching gross diseases…However, I do feel that regardless of the wonders of modern medicine, taking pills too often is probably still not a good thing.

Nevertheless, if the headache is absolutely unbearable I usually take OTC medication like Excedrin for Headaches or Advil Liquid Gels and then vegetate for however long it takes to work.

–

So there you have it! These are just a few things I do to troubleshoot my throbbing brain! Hope it helps you, fellow headache sufferers!

❤ Much Love!