The Headache Healer’s Handbook. Jan Mundo

Vitamins Yoga other: ___________

      30. Do you have any hobbies? If so, please list them:

      31. Describe any traumas, illnesses, or significant life events, including any that occurred during your perinatal and early life.

      32. What was going on in your life when your headaches first began?

      33. What do you think causes your headaches, based on what you know so far?

      34. What is stressful or causes stress in your life?

      35. Do you have any other health concerns? If so, please describe.

      36. Is anything missing from your life that you would like to have in it?

      37. Imagine your life as free of headaches. Describe what that would be and look like, and how it would be different from your current life.

      38. Write anything else you would like to express about yourself, your family, your headaches, or your life.

       Your Observations

      Now that you have recorded the details of your history and daily life, did this process stir the pot or remind you of things you had forgotten? Your recollections are the perfect place to start mining your life for clues. I’ll illustrate my point using four of the questions you’ve answered as examples.

      Questions 5 and 6, about occupation, seems pretty straightforward at first. But if you think about all the factors involved in your work and how you use your body throughout your day, there might be more to that seemingly simple question.

      What does your occupation have to do with your headaches? Let’s explore:

      • Notice whether you sit at your desk or computer in the same position or perform repetitive tasks for hours at a time without moving, getting up, taking breaks, or eating lunch. Is your head typically pulled forward toward your computer? Is your neck bent while you text? Is your body often torqued — for example as you reach sideways for items on your desk?

      • Think about your posture and the stress you experience as you commute, drive for your job, or chauffeur your kids around. Notice whether your lower back is supported, whether your shoulders are relaxed or raised up, and how tightly you are gripping the wheel. If you walk or bike to work, consider the weight of your bag, backpack, or briefcase over one or both shoulders.

      • Consider your workplace, whether it’s outside of or in your home, and whether it is a stressful place. What is your mood about it? Perhaps you are responsible for other people — employees, clients, patients, or customers — for their livelihoods, or even their lives. Perhaps you like your occupation but dislike your workplace or some of your coworkers and would rather be working somewhere else. Perhaps you are unemployed and desperately need a job. Does the stress of your workplace affect your emotional health? Your physical health?

      If you have aches and pains at the end of the day, any of the above factors, and more, connected with your work or your job could be causing them. Consider the tangible and intangible factors involved in doing your job and balancing your work with the rest of your life.

      Next let’s touch on questions 31 and 32, which ask about your life when your headaches first began. Reflect on that time and how