Headaches always seem to come at the worst time. When we have places we need to be or lots of work that needs to get done, it seems like a headache is not far behind. Which makes you think, why do we get headaches?
If they usually pop up when we have a lot on our plates, that alone should tell us something. A headache is like the canary in the coal mine. When our lives are starting to get out of balance a headache is there to tell you to rein things back in.
In this article, I will go over the reasons why we get headaches and how you can avoid them.
1. Stress
Being stressed causes tension and this tension around the neck and shoulders ends up causing headaches. This is called a tension headache and is felt around the back of the head and at our temples.
If you are in a stressful situation, and you often get headaches as a result then you need to find a way to deal with the stress. If you are already stressed then aromatherapy can help with headaches, but the best bet is to be aware of when you are nearing a stressful event and try to avoid the stress from the start.
For instance, if work is starting to get tense and deadlines are looming, then this is a good time to go for a day at the sauna, or try some yoga, or meditation to put your mind in a place that acts as a barrier to the stress.
2. Diet
Living life on the go constantly means we usually end up eating foods that are already prepared. And these foods are almost always processed which means they contain too much sugar and preservatives.
Too many processed meats like bacon and ham end up being problematic due to the excess nitrates and salts. Your body ends up slightly dehydrated when you eat too many processed foods and the insulin spike doesn’t help either.
Avoid processed foods and eat whole foods instead. You can make food ahead of time that is ready to heat up and eat on the go if you lack time to cook every day.
3. Your environment
Everything from the harsh lighting at work to the air pollution in the city can contribute to a myriad of health problems – but it usually starts with a headache. The way our modern lives have become is not very healthy and we have to find ways to keep ourselves from succumbing to too many poor environmental issues.
If you work in an office with bad lighting, ask your boss to think about changing them for natural lighting or wear tinted glasses. If you have bad air quality in your city, then install some air purifiers for your home so you can breathe clean air when you aren’t out at least.
Try to get out into nature when you have time off, to recharge your lungs and to prevent the causes of the headaches to build up.