Tension in face/head/neck

[puddingduck]

I've been working on dealing with almost constant anxious thoughts during the day recently and I think that while I am getting better at not being overwhelmed by my thoughts, I'm kind of physically resisting them by tensing up unintentionally.

I keep feeling tension-y pain all over my face, I keep catching myself clenching my jaw/teeth, and I get stiffness in my neck sometimes.

Does anyone else experience this? If so, how do you keep yourself from tensing up your face/head? By the time I realise I'm doing it, I seem to be too late and then I end up doing it a little bit more anyway.

[Speranza]

Start as you are, by noticing it. Then. very consciously drop you shoulders and let your bottom jaw hang loose. Rol your tongue backwards until it touches the palate at the back of your mouth, hold it a few seconds, relax, do it again a few times.

My dentist taught me this exercise, it makes an amazing difference after a few days.

[Kim51]

Start as you are, by noticing it. Then. very consciously drop you shoulders and let your bottom jaw hang loose. Rol your tongue backwards until it touches the palate at the back of your mouth, hold it a few seconds, relax, do it again a few times.

My dentist taught me this exercise, it makes an amazing difference after a few days.

I will try this tip I am so uptight and anxious today I feel like my head is going to explode :hugs:

[puddingduck]

Start as you are, by noticing it. Then. very consciously drop you shoulders and let your bottom jaw hang loose. Rol your tongue backwards until it touches the palate at the back of your mouth, hold it a few seconds, relax, do it again a few times.

My dentist taught me this exercise, it makes an amazing difference after a few days.

Thank you, I tried this to day and it helped ease the tension. :]

[Mummytofour]

Hi,
Just wanted to say, I am doing exactly the same thing! I could have written that exact post. I am getting very aware that I am clenchiny my jaw all day and frowing a lot too. My face, neck, shoulders and head are so so tense. Then because it hurts I worry that there's something wrong even though I know it's my own doing.
Thing is I feel like that's how I am keeping the anxiety and panic inside and not freaking out. I have a banging head now that feels so full.

As I am aware of it now I do try to relax my shoulders and exercise my jaw a bit but I forget sometimes and end up aching. Hope u get some relief from it soon.

Take care

[puddingduck]

Hi,
Thing is I feel like that's how I am keeping the anxiety and panic inside and not freaking out.


Exactly. It feels like a subconscious way of keeping my anxiety at bay. I didn't even realise I was doing it for ages until I wondered why my face was always throbbing.

[xvolatileheart]

Was just coming here to post about my head feeling like it's going to burst today. Try to take a few breaks each day and do some relaxation exercises - tighten your shoulders up to your ears for a few seconds, then drop them quickly until they are as low as they can go. Tighten your face muscles for a few seconds, then fully relax. Gently roll your head from side to side then around each direction in a circle.

Hope this helps!

[puddingduck]

Was just coming here to post about my head feeling like it's going to burst today. Try to take a few breaks each day and do some relaxation exercises - tighten your shoulders up to your ears for a few seconds, then drop them quickly until they are as low as they can go. Tighten your face muscles for a few seconds, then fully relax. Gently roll your head from side to side then around each direction in a circle.

Hope this helps!

Thanks, I'll try this too :]

[shazbog]

Hi,
Just wanted to say, I am doing exactly the same thing! I could have written that exact post. I am getting very aware that I am clenchiny my jaw all day and frowing a lot too. My face, neck, shoulders and head are so so tense. Then because it hurts I worry that there's something wrong even though I know it's my own doing.
Thing is I feel like that's how I am keeping the anxiety and panic inside and not freaking out. I have a banging head now that feels so full.

As I am aware of it now I do try to relax my shoulders and exercise my jaw a bit but I forget sometimes and end up aching. Hope u get some relief from it soon.

Take care

Me too I have written hoping for some reassurance on exactly same thing - but not much forthcoming - now driving me to total full on anxiety attack and feeling of hopelessness as fed up feeling like this all the time - my head/neck pain almost constant and despite seeing osteopath for sorting I cannot stop the tension which I think my stem from constantly without realising biting my teeth together when I have a natural overbite :-( need some sorting out but don't know how to stop it now :-(