Stress and Headache; How to Help Yourself.

You know your body better than anyone else therefore you can do more for your health than anyone else can. This article introduces some self-help techniques that are easy to learn and can be applied anytime, wherever you are.

The first is a breathing exercise that in times of stress or anxiety, will quickly relax you and calm your mind. Ideally you should find a quiet place to perform it but if you're sitting in a bus or standing in a line somewhere, it's still effective.

1. Exhale forcefully through your mouth to expel the stale air from your lungs. 2. Immediately inhale slowly and smoothly through your nose into the lower portion of your lungs to a count of 4 heartbeats. As you inhale, expand your belly. This pushes your diaphragm(an important respiratory muscle separating the chest and abdominal cavity) downwards to allow optimum breathing to occur. 3. Hold your breath for 7 heartbeats. 4. Slowly exhale through your mouth to a count of 8 heartbeats as you imagine the tension draining from your body. 5. Repeat steps 2 to 4 as often as you like or at least until you feel relaxed.

Throughout this exercise, keep the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth, just behind your top teeth. This connects important energy meridians in your body during the exercise. Initially you may have difficulty holding your breath or exhaling slowly but like any new exercise, with practice it will soon become easier. Also, incorporating this exercise into your daily routine, particularly first thing in the morning, can help to prevent stress throughout the day.

The next technique utilizes acupressure to relieve headache. Acupressure (acupuncture without needles) has been practiced for several thousand years in the Orient and uses thumb and finger pressure to reduce pain, relieve tension and improve blood circulation in the body.

When performing acupressure on yourself or another person keep the following in mind: 1. Apply gradual, steady pressure for 2 minutes on each point, using your thumbs or fingers. 2. Enough pressure should be applied so that the sensation is something between pleasure and pain. 3. If a point is very painful, ease the pressure a little but don't continue if it's too sore, although soreness does indicate that the point needs treating. Also, the more you press it the less painful it will become. 4. The points described below are bilateral meaning they're located in the same position on both sides of the body. Unless indicated, press each point on one side of your body first, then the other before moving on to the next point.

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