TURN-UP YOUR SOUND FOR AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM MARK KENT
Welcome to Day 4 of your 7 Day Super Stress Solutions Course. One Day 1 you learned about your personal stress response and Day 2 you were able to determine if you are experiencing stress by identifying the 6 stages of stress. On Day 3 you learned how to achieve restorative sleep. Now you will learn more about how to reduce or eliminate them in your life.
Super Stress Solution Day 4 Stress and Headaches - What can I do about them?
Basically there are 2 classifications of headaches; one muscle contractions (tension) headaches which are most common and secondly vascular or migraine headaches which are less common. Although stress can cause both types of headaches the physiological response in both is quite different. For tension headaches the fine non striated muscles of the forehead, jaw, shoulders and neck contract involuntarily and if not relaxed will begin to become tight, stiff and can cause significant pain and impairment.
However for migraine headaches there is a vasodilatation of the intracranial arteries that can cause neurological abnormalities, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound. As well migraines can also be triggered by fatigue, stress, sunlight, hormonal changes and foods containing tyramines for example yeast, cheese, tenderizers, caffeine, chocolate and red wine. Fortunately both tension and migraine headaches respond well to dietary changes for example the elimination of caffeine and alcohol abuse and behavioral and emotional interventions. Here are some well proven suggestions that can reduce and/or eliminate headaches in your life.
Suggestion #1 - Recognize that your headaches may in some way be directly related to your emotions and a lifestyle behavior is the first important step to changing stressful patterns and resulting head pain.
Suggestion #2 - Learn how to deal with unresolved anger and pent up frustrations and other tension producing emotions which can help prevent the onset of headaches.
Suggestion #3 - Changing the way we think and react to situations can eliminate a lot of stress and emotional angst that is often associated with headache pain.
Suggestion #4 - If you notice tension in your neck or shoulders start to breath deeply, let your shoulders slide down and say to yourself neck and shoulders relax.
Suggestion #5 - If you notice tension in your jaw from clenching, ask yourself what was I thinking that caused my stress? Recognize your self talk and alter your thinking towards a more flexible, relaxed and open manner.
Suggestion #6 - Take a relaxation course, or meditation or biofeedback and massage on a regular basis to reduce physical tension build up that may cause ongoing headaches.
Suggestion #7 - Eat consistently about every 4 hours, focusing on healthy foods, low in caffeine, salt, sugars and preservatives.
