This post is part of an ongoing series focused on how you can help yourself mentally and physically by… you guessed it - taking a break.

Headaches are not uncommon, but those working with computer monitors or screens of some sort for an extended period of time (8+ hour work day) often experience headaches more frequently that folks whom spend their days outdoors or away from artificial light (monitors).

Wikipedia defines a headache as:

A headache (cephalalgia in medical terminology) is a condition of pain in the head; sometimes neck or upper back pain may also be interpreted as a headache. It ranks amongst the most common local pain complaints.

The vast majority of headaches are benign and self-limiting. Common causes are tension, migraine, eye strain, dehydration, low blood sugar, and sinusitis. Much rarer are headaches due to life-threatening conditions such as meningitis, encephalitis, cerebral aneurysms, and brain tumors. When the headache occurs in conjunction with a head injury the cause is usually quite evident.

Notice that the mentioned causes of headaches are common factors in the day of a modern professional. We all can’t change jobs tomorrow, nor would most of us want to. So, is getting a headache just part of being employed? No! There is plenty you can do to reduce being prone to pain in the brain.

  • Get up from your desk at least once an hour, for 5-10 minutes. Stretching during this time is greatly beneficial. These breaks also improve your mental state. By allowing yourself to be a different physical location than your work area, your mind can also travel somewhat outside of work.
  • Have any monitors’ brightness and contrast set to a comfortable level, for your eyes. This takes under a minute and can provide a lifetime of better eyesight and less headaches.
  • Identify and correct ergonomic issues with your common work areas/station. Often a slight adjustment to the chair that sits too high, the mouse that’s too far away, or the painful elbow rest, can do worlds of good for you.
  • Get a good night’s rest before coming into work. Millions of people around the world do not spend enough time asleep in a quality bed, and it affects them negatively. Make it a point to fall asleep at a decent hour and get into a sleep pattern/rhythm. Think of this as refueling for the next day.
  • Stay properly hydrated throughout the day. This does not mean to load up on soda and coffee; in fact it’s quite the opposite. Decaf beverages or fluids high in antioxidants are prime candidates to keep you energized and ward off a dreaded headache. Water and herbal teas are what I drink during business hours and beyond.

These are just 5 of many things you can do, and I invite you to add to the list via commenting on this post. I will say though, that by introducing these tips into the way you go about work, you’ll find that headaches occur less often and can quite possibly become a thing of the past :)

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