The 4pm headache rarely works alone — it is a committee: strained eyes squinting, a forward-craned neck seizing, and shoulders shrugged to your ears since lunch. All three vote, the skull loses. Break any side of the triangle and the vote fails.

Side One: the Eyes

Squinting at screens tenses the tiny eye muscles for hours — the strain radiates as a brow-and-temple headache. The 20-20-20 rule (every 20 minutes, 20 seconds, 20 feet away) plus honest text sizes disarms this voter.

Side Two: the Neck Crane

Every inch your head drifts toward the screen multiplies neck load — the muscles at your skull base grip like tiny climbers, and their tension refers pain up and over the head. Chin tucks (glide back, hold 5, x8) and a raised monitor recall this vote.

Side Three: the Shrug

Shoulders-as-earrings tension feeds the same skull-base grip. Hourly: exaggerate the shrug up, then drop completely with an exhale. The dramatic drop teaches muscles what off feels like — many have forgotten.

The Emergency Session

Headache already seated? Warm hands on neck, thumbs at the skull base with slow circles, then the long-gaze out a window plus water (dehydration co-sponsors most 4pm votes). Recurring daily headaches deserve an eye exam and a clinician — committees sometimes have hidden members.

Rest the eyes on schedule, retract the crane, drop the earrings, hydrate. The 4pm committee needs unanimous votes — deny it one member and the skull squeeze loses quorum.