Waking up with morning headaches? It may be closely linked to your mental health

If you have been experiencing morning headaches, it may be time to look into your mental well-being. This connection is not surprising since your mental health is closely linked to your physical health.

Waking up with headaches has become common due to the strains and stressors of our everyday lives. Most of us have difficulty re-energizing ourselves, especially after a hectic day.

Morning headaches are common but should not be taken lightly. (Image via Pexels/ Andrea Piacquadio)

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Exploring morning headache causes: Why do I have a headache when I wake up?

What causes me to feel like this? (Image via Pexels/ Marcus Aurelius)

Tension headaches are very real. Many psychological factors can contribute to you feeling dull, exhausted, and ultimately experiencing painful headaches in the morning. The primary triggers are chronic stress and anxiety. Both of these conditions take a toll on your body's capacity to deal with difficult situations.

However, when we can no longer deal with the distress, it can have multiple physical manifestations. Some mental health issues, such as Major Depressive Disorder, can disrupt your sleep patterns. When you don't sleep well, you don't feel fresh or rested after waking up. Headaches are a very common symptom of sleeplessness. A lot of times, it can also be linked to fatigue.

Think about other emotional experiences that may be contributing to these morning headaches. Have you been keeping something unaddressed? Is there an experience that you have been putting off for a later point in time? Have you recently been exposed to an event that shook you or was extremely distressing? If you resonate with any of these, it may be best to consult a professional.

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Is there a morning headache treatment?

How can I fix these headaches? (Image via Vecteezy/ Veerapong Boonporn)

Unfortunately, coffee is not the solution to our chronic morning headaches. Perhaps it can help you get through the day or make you feel better in the moment, but in the long run, your tolerance may just increase. What really helps is to stay away from screens first thing in the morning.

This is indeed very difficult. Most of us have important and urgent work that requires us to address it the moment we wake up. However, even if it's tough to accept now, your health will always be the most important thing to address.

Try to incorporate stress management techniques, perhaps first thing in the morning. This gives you a headstart to feeling better through the day and your body will eventually adjust to the new routine. Try to start with soothing tones rather than blaring alarms. Try to start your day with something that makes you feel positive, rather than dull and stressed.

Try to fix a sleep schedule so that your body gets used to waking up and sleeping at the same time. This soothes your nervous system and allows you to wake up peacefully. Finally, it is always beneficial to work on moving towards a balanced diet and incorporating physical activity in your everyday life.

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Morning headache reasons can vary from person to person. While occasional headaches are common and harmless, a consistent pattern may be indicative of something more serious.

These headaches can have both psychological and physical roots. It can be beneficial to consult a professional for treatment. By working on yourself, and more importantly, taking time out for yourself, you can learn to manage morning headaches.

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Janvi Kapur is a counselor with a Master's degree in applied psychology with a specialization in clinical psychology.

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