5-minute guided self-compassion practice for tension headaches — early on

About this practice

Slow, spoken guidance for tension headaches. A self-compassion session you can do early on. A guided session of about 5 minutes, suited to all levels. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.

What this works on: tension headaches

Tension headaches follow a band of tightness across the forehead and around the skull, usually the product of long staring, jaw clenching and neck position.

It tends to show up as:

A band of pressure across the forehead
Pressure behind the eyes
Ache worsening through the day

Softening the jaw, eyes and neck interrupts the pattern early. Once a tension headache settles in it is harder to shift.

Doing this in the morning

Do it before checking your phone — the first minutes set the tone for the rest
Sitting up is better than lying down, or you will drift back to sleep
Light on your face helps more than any practice

Mornings can become a performance of productive habits. This one does not need to be done well.

How self-compassion works

Self-compassion practice changes the tone of the inner voice rather than the content of the thoughts. It uses the same warmth and steadiness you would offer a friend, applied without requiring you to have earned it.

Use the words you would actually say to someone you love
Ask what you need, not what you deserve
A hand on the chest or belly gives warmth and pressure a place to land

What happens, minute by minute

0:00Notice where your body touches the chair. That contact is doing more for you than it looks.
0:15Notice the tone you are using on yourself. If it would wound a friend, it is not the truth.
0:31Settle into the fact that for the next few minutes, nothing is required of you.
0:45This is not a performance. Nobody is listening to how well you're doing it.
0:59Feel the last part of the exhale, where it turns into nothing.
1:12Let the breath get soft, the way it goes when someone is reading beside you.
1:26Feel the middle of your back, the part that never gets attention.
1:39Notice your whole body as one shape, sitting or lying here.
1:51Notice your ears, which mostly just receive things.
2:02A few seconds more.
2:11You are allowed to have a hard time without earning it first.
2:24You might be planning something. Notice the planning, then come back.
2:36Imagine the pressure building behind the eyes as a room you can walk out of for a minute. The room will still be there.
2:55There is a part of you that has handled hard moments before. That part is here now, even if it is quiet.
3:13Feel the air move past your upper lip. It's the coolest spot on the way in.
3:28Feel the weight of the band around the forehead somewhere specific, then let the floor take a share of it.
3:45Notice any part of you that wants this to be over.
3:57I'll leave a gap here. Use it however you like.
4:09Put a hand where the feeling is strongest. Warmth and pressure are the oldest kind of reassurance.
4:24Come back to the room through your senses, one at a time.
4:37Let the quiet do its work.

Questions people ask

What does this session help with?

Tension headaches follow a band of tightness across the forehead and around the skull, usually the product of long staring, jaw clenching and neck position. Softening the jaw, eyes and neck interrupts the pattern early. Once a tension headache settles in it is harder to shift.

Where and when should I do this one?

Do it before checking your phone — the first minutes set the tone for the rest. Mornings can become a performance of productive habits. This one does not need to be done well.

What actually happens during the 5 minutes?

Meditation is a practice, not a treatment. If you are dealing with ongoing distress, please also reach out to a professional.