Goodbye Painkillers: Overcome Headaches with Natural Methods

Life is full of different challenges for each of us. The world is very harsh. We all have many problems and traumas, big and small, that I can’t even imagine. The pressure on us, sometimes bowing our heads, bending our backs, reaches unimaginable proportions. Nowadays, people seem to be losing their ability to empathize and support each other; they don’t even smile.

We all have times when we feel down, bad, and lonely. In this challenging world, there is no one who doesn’t suffer from headaches. Of course, the first thing we all do when our head hurts is to take a painkiller. I don’t want to sound like your mother, but mothers are right. We all know the potential long-term dangers of painkillers, that we shouldn’t take these chemicals we don’t know… (Oh, I can’t stand it, yada yada yada…)

Still, I understand you very well. I am one of you; I’m human. Sometimes when our heads hurt so much, we think, “Oh, the harms of painkillers… Forget it!” and we pop a pill.

I discovered the headache relief method I am about to talk about during one of my tough times when I felt like my head was going to explode. At that moment, I thought I needed that famous, strong painkiller we all know and say, “Only that can save me.” Despite that, this time I didn’t run to that painkiller as usual. I lay down, listened to my inner voice, and did what it said. This is how I discovered this headache relief method. I later realized that this method is also scientifically supported and I want to share it with you.

Since the issue causing my headache was deep, it brought the pain back with it at different times. Of course, it wasn’t always possible for me to find an environment like the one I suggest for relieving the pain. Still, the basic principle of this method is to temporarily clear our minds.

Self Affirmation and Relaxation Techniques

Scientific studies using self-affirmation and relaxation techniques for headache and general pain management show that these methods are quite effective in stress reduction and chronic pain management. Although I haven’t come across a specific article on “healing headaches with self-affirmation,” I found a few broader articles related to “healing pain with self-affirmation”:

1. Mind and Body Approaches for Stress and Anxiety: What the Science Says
2. Efficacy of biofeedback in the treatment of migraine and tension-type headaches
3. Biofeedback and Relaxation Training For Headaches
4. Effects of physical therapy and relaxation techniques on the parameters of pain in university students with tension-type headache: A randomized controlled clinical trial

After quickly glancing over the method, I intentionally provided the scientific articles first, so you don’t immediately run to the painkillers thinking, ‘This method won’t help me.’ Now, let’s get to the method you’ve been curious about since the beginning of the article:

1. Find a Quiet and Dark Place: Prefer a calm environment, away from noise if possible. We need to clear our minds of external factors and focus. I’ve even had success with this method while sitting in the subway with noise-canceling headphones.
2. Take a Comfortable Position: Lie down or sit; the important thing is to relax your muscles, meaning as few active muscles as possible. This way, we can better focus on our minds and ourselves.
3. Take Deep Diaphragm Breaths: Close your eyes and take deep breaths through your nose, exhaling through your mouth. Try to relax. Your belly should expand, not your chest. Let your heart rate drop.
4. Let Your Thoughts Go: The hardest step. Don’t think about anything. Hit the thought bubbles that appear in your mind with a paddle so they disperse and pop. Just focus on the darkness, the blackness behind your eyelids. If you can’t stop thinking, think about black. Not “Oh, black is such a nice color.” Nothing should pass through your mind.
5. Give Yourself Positive Affirmations: Focus on relaxing by saying positive things to yourself. “There’s nothing… It’s over… You’ll be better… You did your best… You’re good…” Continue for minutes.

Try this method during your next headache and share your results in the comments. I’m looking forward to your experiences.

Final Thoughts

This method, taking a painkiller, or sleeping… It doesn’t matter. I know it’s not easy to overcome the big problem causing the headache, but after calming down and regaining your peace and health, you can approach the situation more rationally by saying, “There is such a problem and how can I deal with it? How can I solve this problem?” This way, you are more likely to reach a reasonable solution. After all, a person with a headache may not want to see anyone or anything, let alone solve problems. That’s all from me; now the solution to the problem is up to you.

This article originally posted on Medium