About 16% of the world’s population experiences a headache each day, according to research published in The Journal of Headache and Pain. Neurologists believe that the number of people suffering from headaches has increased due to stress and lifestyle changes due to consistent working from home.
“A lot of patients went from commuting to the office and having that physical commute to now sitting at home,” says Dr. Britany Klenofsky, assistant professor of neurology at the Mount Sinai Headache and Pain Medical Center. “The lack of separation between work and home has affected people in more ways than one.”
Experts suggest the following tips to reduce the chances of developing headaches in the middle of a busy work day.
Focus on your neck
Staring at a computer or phone for long periods of time is a common habit in the WFH culture, which arose from slouching in chairs and resting laptops on laps. When the head tilts down, it creates tension that affects the neck and jaw muscles, and can signal the brain to feel pain, experts explained.
“If you reduce the tension in the upper neck, you’ll significantly reduce the likelihood of a headache ending,” says Helen Tufui, founder of The Headache Clinic in New Zealand. On the same subject : Supreme Court ruling on abortion sparks health tech Cambridge Analytica moment.
Sit up straight
Tufui also says to control your attitude. The goal is to maintain a neutral spine with a slight arch in the lower back. Placing a towel behind your back can also help you sit up straight, as can investing in an ergonomic desk chair or laptop.
Changing your posture may seem uncomfortable at first, but Tufui compares it to training: it’s normal for your back muscles to hurt a little at first, but it’s a sign that they’re working to keep you upright and will get stronger in the future. See the article : Senior business officials have good news, but we don’t believe them.
Take standing breaks
Experts recommend taking regular breaks to stand and walk around, even around the workplace. This may interest you : Political vibration theory. This can help relieve back and neck stress and give your eyes and brain a break from the screen.
“Start by standing every few hours, then make it every hour,” says Klenofsky. “It will become a habit.”
Maintain a sleep routine
Sleep affects stress and brain health, and therefore the likelihood of developing headaches.
Klenofsky recommends going to bed and waking up at the same time every day. Oversleeping on weekends and getting up early on weekdays can disrupt sleep cycles and lead to headaches, he says.
“It’s very important to maintain a strict sleep schedule,” says Klenofsky. “At the beginning of the pandemic, many patients came to me with headaches… We realized that it was because of that shift… They no longer went to [work] early.”
Sleep hygiene is key, says Tufui. She recommends “having a really good routine at the end of the day where you do the same thing, which makes sure that when it’s time to sleep, your body knows what [to] do.”
Eat regularly and hydrate
“The migraine brain becomes hungry and irritable,” says Klenofsky. If you can’t escape the repeated calls for lunch, experts suggest eating small snacks throughout the day.
Klenofsky recommends high-protein snacks such as hard-boiled eggs or a handful of nuts.
Also, it’s easy to forget to hydrate when you have WFH, but drinking plenty of water will help prevent headaches. Experts recommend six to eight glasses a day for most adults.
Track your headaches
Neurologists suggest tracking when you get headaches, which can help you and your doctor determine which lifestyle factors, including sleep, exercise and diet, may be playing a role.
“It helps us come up with a plan for whether we should not only treat them now, but work to prevent them,” says Klenofsky. “It speeds up the process of finding relief sooner rather than later.”
