Healthy Tuesday: A Real Wedding Headache

While a wedding is a joyous occasion, the planning of it can cause stress levels to reach new heights. For the most part, you're probably aware of this and you think to yourself, "Stress is my middle name. I can handle it." Until one day, you're sitting at the computer going over the wedding to-do list, and you realize you are way behind on sending out invitations. Suddenly you feel a slight ache in your head, which turns into a moderate throbbing, and you start hallucinating that little invitations are doing the cha-cha on your brain.

Minus the hallucination, which would not be good (if you start to hallucinate, see a doc ASAP), this would be a tension headache and it's one of the most common types of headaches. Although you may not be able to prevent it, you may be able to karate chop it before it starts dropkicking you. How? According to Women's Health Magazine, there are a few things to try:

Deep rhythmic breathing Shallow breaths cause CO2 levels in your body to rise. This dilates the blood vessels in your head, which can cause pain.
Do this: Count to five as you inhale through your nose, then count to five as you exhale through your mouth. Repeat 10 times.

Creative visualization Yeah, it's a cliché, but thinking of a "happy place" can halt the release of stress hormones.
Do this: Combine deep rhythmic breathing with thoughts of yourself relaxing in a soothing environment such as the beach or the woods.

Progressive relaxation Tension in your shoulder, neck, and back muscles can cause pain to radiate into your head.
Do this: Working up from your feet, contract each major muscle group one at a time. Inhale, hold for eight seconds, then exhale and release.

Remember! Breathe, Visualize, and Relax! Hopefully if you suffer from tension headaches, these tips will help keep you calm and happy.

Photo Credit: Reflecting Truth
Information Sources: Mayo Clinic, Women's Health Magazine