So you've got a headache?

To do this topic justice you would need a volume of literature the breadth and depth of the Encyclopedia Britannica just as a start. As with any injury or illness, headaches can be and are often multifactorial, but no matter what else is going on you need get your sleep, hydration and posture right. Get these sorted and often many of the other contributing issues will resolve themselves.

1)      Sleep – you must be getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night. This needs to include 1-1.5 hours of quality deep sleep which is when your brain flushes metabolic waste from the previous day and prepares for the day to come. You need about the same in REM sleep too! If you want a great tool to measure your sleep quality try an Oura Ring which will tell you all this and more.

2)      Hydration – your body is up to 60% water BUT your brain is up to 80%. On average an adult needs 2-3L of water per day. Not coffee, not tea, not juice, soft-drink or milk…WATER!

3)      Posture – The upper neck and head share common neurological innervation, so if your neck is not right, many times your head is going to hurt as well!

Addressing sleep, hydration and posture will invariably have you engaging in gateway behaviours for a generally healthier life. Improving these areas of your life will have you needing to consider lifestyle factors such as:

-          Exercise

-          Work-life balance and stress management

-          Alcohol and coffee intake

-          General nutrition

-          Device usage, especially before bed

-          Ergonomics and micro-breaks at work

-          Relationships – those that are serving you and those that are not.

Sleep, hydration, posture and associated lifestyle factors can all become circular problems. If it’s all just a bit overwhelming, just start with one. You’ll be surprised how just addressing one factor can have you feeling a bit better and create the momentum you need to shift on a bigger scale. Just remember, ‘Your Body Never Lies’! Headaches are not normal, its your body trying to tell you to either stop something old or start something new, but do not just keep doing what you are doing.