Noting for tension headaches: 3 minutes, after a horrible day

About this practice

Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 3 minutes of noting for tension headaches, after a horrible day. A guided session of about 3 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 after a bad day

• Do not review the day during it — that is what tomorrow is for
• Something physical first, then this
• Keep it short and end it deliberately

A bad day does not need a verdict. Closing it without a post-mortem is allowed.

How noting works

Noting is a technique from insight practice: when something arises, you give it a single plain label — thinking, hearing, planning — and return to the anchor. The label creates a small distance between you and the content.

• Use one word, not a sentence — explaining means you have joined in
• Label and return; do not follow the thought to see where it goes
• Drop the labelling if it becomes effortful and just follow the breath

What happens, minute by minute

1. 0:00Nothing needs to be decided in the next few minutes. Park the decisions.
2. 0:13If noting feels like too much, drop it and just follow the breath. The label is optional.
3. 0:28Let your attention settle on the space between your nose and your upper lip, where the air passes.
4. 0:44Notice if your breathing is faster than you expected. Don't correct it. Just note it.
5. 0:58Let your belly rise first, then your chest, then the tops of your lungs.
6. 1:12Notice your hands again. Check whether they've loosened on their own.
7. 1:24Imagine softening the edges of the ache from a long staring day. Not erasing it, just letting the sharp parts go a degree softer.
8. 1:43Notice how the band around the forehead changes shape when you stop resisting it. Usually it gets smaller, not bigger.
9. 2:00Breathe in through your nose and out through your nose, if that's comfortable.
10. 2:13Notice the space around the pressure building behind the eyes. It is there, even if it is small. Put your attention in that space.
11. 2:32Notice the moment you realise you've drifted. That moment is the whole skill.
12. 2:45Notice the gap between the label and the next thought. That gap is what we are practising.
13. 3:00Let the last minute of quiet be the last minute of quiet.

Questions people ask

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