Guest Author - Lisa Shea

Once you get a stress headache, it can interfere with everything you try to do. Here are ways to minimize its impact and to get it to go away quickly.

First, of course, is to find a way to reduce the stress you're under. If your children are screaming, call a time out. If your workload is getting to you, go for a 10 minute walk around the building. Get yourself a glass of water and a healthy snack, to keep your body nourished. Put on some soft music, give yourself a five minute neck rub. There is always something you can do, even in the thick of things, to take a short break to regroup and relax a bit.

If you have access to either an ice pack or a heat pack, give that a try on your neck and shoulders. Often that will help ease the tightness and reduce the pain. I personally like heat packs, but I know of others who get more relief with the ice pack.

If you can get to a shower, sometimes a long hot shower or bath can really help with the tense muscles. The heat helps the muscles to relax and un-knot. Also, having the time alone in the shower / tub can give you the breathing space you need to relax and reconsider the situation.

Often, people with stress headaches become super-sensitive to sudden noises, bright lights, loud sounds, etc. It is all part of the body's "fight or flight" response - it thinks there is a threat and is helping you stay alert for the problem. This was fine in the days of wild wolves but works less well in a busy office. Still, to help out, find a way to play soft music to drown out other noises. If you have headphones, those work well. Turn the lights down a bit if you have control over that.

In general, what will help most is a reduction of the stress you're under, giving the body ample food / water to help it relax, and relaxing the muscles so they stop being tense either by hot water, a hot/cold pack, or by exercise. In the future, prevention is really the best technique.