- Maintain a collection of pillows. Sleeping on a pillow that feels uncomfortable to your neck can cause pretty awful headaches. Many Chiarians say that having a good pillow is important, and it is, as a comfortable pillow can prevent and sometimes reduce headaches. However, in my experience, one isn't enough. What is comfortable for my neck changes often: sometimes I need a thick pillow, sometimes a thin one, sometimes a fluffy one, and sometimes a hard one. Therefore, I currently have about six pillows; they are all different, and I often use more than one on any given night. Handle your pillows like you handle your investments: diversify.
- As long as balance isn't an issue, learn the skill of picking up items with your feet. This may not be true of every Chiarian, but I find it less painful to stick my toe under a pair of jeans and lift them up with my foot than to bend down and pick them up with my hand. Bending down can be a major headache-initiator.
- Invest in a good mattress. What qualifies as a "good" mattress is different for everyone, but it is important to have one that is comfortable and supportive. "Bad" mattresses (old and worn-out, or unsupportive and too squishy) can leave you sleeping in uncomfortable positions or bent at bad angles, causing headaches. Therefore, a good mattress can be a great relief to your body.
- Find a comfortable recliner, chair, or couch. For me, I especially appreciate my comfy couch when I am really hurting, but I want or need to be out of bed. Because I am comfortable on the couch in the living room, I can spend hours with my family or watching TV or doing homework, almost as comfortably as I would be in bed. I also really appreciate this couch when it hurts to lie down, as I can sleep sitting up on my comfy couch, but I can't do so in bed. Therefore, find a piece of furniture, whether that's a recliner, a cushy chair, a couch, a loveseat, or a rocking chair, in which you are comfortable sitting up.
- Find a haircut that is flattering to your natural hair type so you don't have to strain with hours of blow-drying, straightening, or curling in order to look and feel cute. You'll enjoy that day/night a lot more if you feel good, and often your natural hair texture is the most flattering on you anyway!
- Also, find a hair length that is comfortable for you. Long hair can be very heavy, especially if it is thick. Personally, I have found that if I grow out my hair beyond my collarbone, it becomes too heavy. When my hair is too heavy, I get headaches when I put it up, when it is wet, and when I have it down and I turn my head, flicking it over my shoulder. Generally, I find that long hair strains my neck, thereby giving me headaches. If your hair is causing you pain, it's not worth keeping.
- Try riding a bike or using an elliptical machine rather than other modes of exercise. Using an elliptical machine burns more calories than using a treadmill, and it is a low-impact form of exercise, so it will be easier on your head and your joints than such actions as running, weight-lifting, jumping, bending down, and twisting. No matter how you do it, exercise! Regular exercise can help manage chronic pain and depression, to which Chiarians are prone.
- When you can, don't lift heavy objects. That's what friends, family, and wheeled laundry hampers are for! Especially in the case of backpacks, try using one with wheels; it involves much less lifting.
- Wear impact-absorbing shoes (like Nike Shox or Nike Air Max.)
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| Dad's Creation |
- Get a book holder that holds your books upright, ideally at eye level. When I was in high school, I realized that it was hurting me to read, simply because of the angle at which I held my neck. So, as a Christmas present, my dad made me a personalized book holder. I know that something this tailored isn't an option for everyone, but here are some decent-looking ones that are for sale online and in stores. If you read a lot, especially heavy textbooks, save your neck and get a book holder. Some of them are even cute! The brown one comes in bright pink. :)
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| Target |
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| Sears |
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| Sears |
Images:
Anchor Hocking Home Cast Iron Cook Book Holder Blk. Advertisement. Target. Target, 2011. Web. 4 Dec. 2011.
Maxiaids Book Holders Prop It Book Rest. Advertisement. Sears. Sears, 2011. Web. 4 Dec. 2011.
The Book Seat Book Holder. Advertisement. Sears. Sears, 2011. Web. 4 Dec. 2011.
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