The to-do list beckons. There’s work to do and goals to meet. But pain hits, derailing everything. Here’s my natural help for headaches to get back to work.
This week was all about big finishes. Or at least it should’ve been.
Finishing October.
Finishing my Halloween pumpkin.
Finishing my manuscript Odd-a-Sea which will conclude my five-book Delilah Duffy Mystery Series. Thereby finishing my main goal for October, second to blogging every week (finishing that task now).
And, slated to be an epic week of big finishes, it started well. Pumpkin carving…done. October… done. Odd-a-Sea… getting there.
But then… I suffered the worst assault on productivity, the evilest gremlin in the machine, the wicked thief of missed work and lost days, the devil to my deadlines.
A HEADACHE.
Not to be overly dramatic—surely there are worse things that destroy productivity (and I don’t want to jinx myself)—but headaches are devious little shits that sneak up without warning and seemingly without reason to ruin your plans and force you into submission like playground bullies bending your arm behind your back and laughing while you scream “Uncle!” And because they’re little shits, they don’t relent when you give in. They keep pounding and aching and feeding your anxiety like those kids in Kindergarten Cop.
Work still gets done with a sprained ankle or a tummy ache. Recovering from surgery, I wrote chapter after chapter. But a headache? Nothing shuts a person down quite like it. And like the crane technique from Karate Kid, there’s no defense.
So this week, half of my big finishes have been hijacked by a… 2-day migraine (so far). Even now, I feel the numbed gremlin in my temple, making my eye twitch like he’s considering a resurgence. He’ll probably wait until I’m nearly done with this blog, as he did with my manuscript, so I’ll feel the heavy weight of the unfinished in addition to the headache. I foresee a weekend curled on the couch with Boo Boo Eyeore.
I love Boo Boo Eyeore. He’s my best headache friend.
Anyway, in the spirit of helping others, I decided to share my best headache advice to thwart the devil in your writing deadlines. Here are my humble headache tips after decades of headache experience–I feel like a wee bit of an expert now.
P.S. I’m not a doctor. And if you’re worried about your headaches, you should definitely go see one. Besides, they can give you the good meds… I take Imitrex for mine.
Help for Headaches: 15 Tips and Tricks
#1 Don’t wait for it to get worse.
Headaches escalate. If it hurts a little now, it’ll hurt a lot later. So, it’s best to act at the first sign. I’ve discovered that delaying action, whether medication or the tips to follow, leads to greater agony. Sometimes, it feels like headaches have a no-turning-back point, and if you let it get there, all you can do is ride it out. Meds don’t work as well, then. Headaches are like the villains we write about–Ignoring them usually just makes them angry.
#2 Eat something.
When pregnant with my first, I complained to my doctor about headaches—I had one right then, and she asked, “Have you eaten anything?”
“No,” I answered sheepishly. (In my defense, it was an early appointment)
She brought me an apple juice and said, “That’s the quickest way to get a headache—not having enough calories.”
Sometimes, I’m so caught up in a draft that I forget to eat. Often, a good meal relieves symptoms, so if you can stomach it, eat something–the heavier, the better.
#3 Drink water.
Dehydration is another headache cause. So, keep chugging the H2O to ensure it’s not causing your head pain.
#4 Go for a walk.
Light exercise helps with headaches if done in the early stages. Don’t overdo it, but a brisk walk will (at the very least) give your eyes a break from screens. Our park walk mid-blogging alleviated my eye-twitch and kept the headache gremlin at bay.
On the flippity-flip, on Wednesday, when I first woke with a headache-twinge, ignored it, and went for a four-mile walk with a friend, it only worsened–reference tip #1.
#5 Try a cold or hot compress.
Applying Boo Boo Eyeore to my temple alleviates my pain instantly. I like the cold, but some prefer heat to relieve the pressure. I bought my Boo Boo Eyeore at Dollar Tree and keep it in the freezer for times like these. Course, that was years ago, so any drug store would be a safe bet for picking one up to add to your emergency headache kit.
I also have an eye ice pack for a backup. For bad headaches, I switch between the two. As soon as one gets lukewarm, I trade it for the frozen one. At Amazon, there are beanie-style ice packs for chronic headaches, and after this week, I may add that to my Christmas list. A wet cloth in the fridge does the trick, too.
#6 Have caffeine—but not too much.
Caffeine is a common headache help, but too much can, of course, cause a headache. Like with exercise, it’s best to go easy on these remedies.
#7 Try some tea.
Tea is a good alternative for a caffeine kick—use black tea. But herbal teas without caffeine promote calm and ease tension.
Ginger is supposed to help, too, so keeping ginger tea on hand is a wise idea to fight headaches. Since I’ve been on a tea kick lately, I also have Tension Tamer and Lavender Chamomile. Their calming properties may calm headaches, too, or at least the anxiety associated with having one.
#8 Practice self-care.
A hot bath or long shower helps. Bath salts with calming properties will increase relaxation. We like Dr. Teal’s.
Peppermint, spearmint, and lavender are essential oils used in migraine sticks to relieve headache pain on contact. Face masks with similar ingredients may help, too. Scalp treatments featuring tea tree oil offer a tingling effect that may be soothing. Whatever usually provides comfort for your aches and pains should alleviate the tension causing your headache.
#9 Go dark.
Headaches may make you sensitive to light, so dim the overhead lights and close the blinds or curtains—give your poor eyes less work. Oh, and I don’t mean turning on dark mode on your screens. Put the screens away. However, dark mode is a great relief to the eyes and might prevent some headaches.
Your manuscript will wait. And who knows? You may find inspiration in your forced downtime.
#10 Stretch it Out.
Writers are incredibly guilty of spending too much time on our screens. When the muse hits, we must get the words down or lose them forever, headache or not! To relieve headache pain or prevent it altogether, try gentle stretching. By loosening muscles, we release tension.
Or Yoga. We’re Yoga newbies, but we’re enjoying and finding success with 30 Days of Yoga for Beginners, Calm Mind and Body with Eliz.
Besides, bad posture is one cause of headaches (a fact I didn’t know until researching for this blog–I am the worst offender). Yoga, regular stretching, and perhaps posture-correcting devices might help reduce our headache days.
#11 Take your meds.
Here’s more advice on meds, but the trick is not to wait until your headache’s in full-horror-show mode to pop them.#14
#12 Get a head rub.
A gentle head massage works wonders for the headache-impaired if you have someone willing to do it. If not, a plethora of products will do the work for you. Ranging in price and style, you’ll need to figure out what works best for you, but it’s a worthwhile investment for your headache emergency kit.
#13 Don’t beat yourself up for it.
The angst I feel over missing my deadlines only adds to my frustration and pain, so I need to get over it. And any other headache sufferers out there need to let go of personal anguish, too. It doesn’t help. We’re human. We get headaches. Sometimes we must say no or not now to take care of ourselves. We’ll finish our awesome novels and blogs once we feel better.
#14 Listen to something soothing.
If you can’t sleep but need a relaxing distraction, listen to soft music, nature sounds, nature shows, or audiobooks. Giving yourself a focus other than your pain while keeping your eyes closed should reduce discomfort and may lull you to sleep.
#15 Take a nap.
Sometimes the only thing you can do for a nagging headache is to sleep it off—our automatic reset button.
And finally, on the fourth day, my reset worked–no more headache. So, back to work.
Share your best headache tips below. Last thoughts on pumpkin carving, goal-keeping, or funny GIFs are also welcome and encouraged.
For more on writing and positivity, check out my blog. And when you’re feeling better, add some mystery to your life with my books!
