HINTS AND TIPS TO PROMOTE RELAXATION

Definition of Relaxation - “a state of consciousness characterised by feelings of peace and release from tension, anxiety or fear”.

Our aim is for you to gain an understanding of various styles of relaxation and hopefully you will find one style that you can relate to and use in everyday living. Regular practice can help reduce daily stress and anxiety, improve your sleep, boost your energy and mood, and improve your overall health and wellbeing.

Be mindful of your physical limitations i.e. any pain you may be experiencing before you start. The technique may involve stretching or deep breathing therefore please make sure you work within your limitations so as not to cause further pain/discomfort.

What is Stress?

Stress is a normal and necessary part of everyday life. It helps us to do the things that we need to do. It provides the stimulus to motivate us to get up, get dressed and carry out tasks. However sometimes the level of stress we feel can make it harder to get on with our lives. Having cancer or other life-threatening illnesses may make us feel completely out of control because we have the diagnosis imposed upon us, have to comply with treatments that make us feel ill and this can make us feel very anxious.

Other causes of stress:

Environmental, such as noise in the medical setting or at home as well as the

constant assault on the senses all around us;

Social – such as demands from the family and visitors, the change in dignity and

privacy when being treated in the healthcare system;

Physiological – such as poor health, interrupted sleep pattern;

And thoughts – such as worries, fears and concerns that bombard the mind at

stressful times.

“When there is too much stress or worry, look within” by the Dalai Lama

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a normal biological defence mechanism warning the body of potential danger and allowing it to react quickly in times of stress. This is a useful response when we need to act quickly such as jumping back to avoid being knocked over by a car but anxiety can spiral out of control at times and can be triggered when there is no obvious threat.

Physical effects of anxiety:

Muscles become more tense

A rapid heart beat

Difficulty breathing

Dizziness

Dry mouth

Nausea

Blurred vision

Psychological effects of anxiety:

Thinking we are having a heart attack

Worrying about appearing foolish

Feeling helpless and out of control

Influences our behaviour

Difficult to concentrate

Become irritable

Feeling angry

Have trouble sleeping

Avoid situations and/or people

“Worrying does not take away Tomorrow’s troubles, it takes away Today’s peace” by Anon

Why is Relaxation so helpful?

Relaxation is the opposite of stress. In a relaxed state we can feel calmer and more confident, with reduced tension in our body and mind.

When we are stressed the muscles in our bodies are tense. If this is prolonged this can cause uncomfortable aches and pains such as headaches, backache and muscular pain. Being tense all the time can make us feel tired as holding a tense position uses more energy than a relaxed one. Tension can lead to difficulties getting comfortable and getting to sleep. By relaxing we allow the muscles to be tension free, we can conserve our energy because our muscles are not working as hard and relaxation can aid restful sleep.

Relaxation is a skill which has to be learnt through practice. There are a variety of techniques that we can learn to help with relaxation. These include simple breathing exercises, techniques to teach us to recognise the tension in our bodies and techniques that use our imagination to take us somewhere where we can feel relaxed.

Not all relaxation techniques suit everyone; it is recommended we try different techniques and select one that works for us.

Cue Controlled Relaxation:

By repeatedly associating a word such as ‘relax’ with being the word, can become a

cue. This means that when you say the word as you breathe in and out, it can make

you feel more relaxed.

Without altering the breath and before your next in breath think the word ‘relax’ and

breathe in and on the out breath … slowly release the air as you focus on the word

“relax”

… breathing in the word relax and breathe it through the body on the out breath

… and repeat the sequence … keep the rhythm as gentle as you can … avoid

deliberately deepening the breaths

… continue for a few natural in and out breaths.

Affirmations:

Calmness washes over me with every breath I take.

I am at peace with who I am.

In this moment I am relaxed and calm.

Spontaneous laughter fills me with joy.

My courage is stronger than my fear.

My jaw is loose and relaxed, my shoulders are lowered and relaxed, my belly softens

and relaxes, my limbs and muscles are relaxed, my mind and my body are relaxed.

Choose one or more that you feel would work for you. You may decide to make up your

own, which would be great just remember to make it positive and in the present.

Calm Body:

Begin at your head and visualise that the inside of the body is full of water, liquid

light, a colour or whatever image works for you.

Visualise this gradually dropping/ moving down through the body, removing any

stress or tension as it moves, feeling or seeing it completely draining out of the soles

of your feet and into the earth beneath you.

Now inviting a new colour, a new image or new fresh light like the warm rays of the

sun to enter your body through the soles of the feet filling your body with a sense or

feeling of calm, with a sense of peace imagining this travelling and filling your body as

it rises up to the top of your head.

Feeling or sensing that calming image, colour or light filling your entire being from

head to toe.

Feeling your feet on the ground or body on the chair, opening your eyes if they are

closed, taking in your surroundings with this new feeling of calm or peace.

Calm Breathing:

Calming breathing (sometimes called “diaphragmatic breathing”) is a technique that

helps you slow down your breathing when feeling stressed or anxious.

It is important because our breathing changes when we feel anxious and stressed.

We tend to take shallow, quick short breaths or even in extreme circumstances

hyperventilate; this is called “over breathing”

” Over breathing” can actually make us feel even more anxious due to racing heart,

dizziness and/or headaches due to the imbalance of gases.

Calm breathing can be used anywhere whenever you are feeling anxious. It does

require some practice initially…. Calm Breathing involves taking smooth, slow and

regular breaths……

Sit upright with your back supported. Sitting upright can increase the capacity of your

lungs to fill with air. Arms loose in front of you on your lap or using the arm rests.

Take a slow breath in through the nose, breathing into your lower belly (for about 4

seconds)

Hold your breath for 1 or 2 seconds

Exhale slowly through your mouth (for about 5 seconds)

Wait a few seconds before taking another breath. It may help you to pause for a few

seconds after each breath.

Try to breath from your diaphragm or abdomen. To help you could try placing one

hand on your tummy area or abdomen. Watch your hand on your tummy rise as you

fill your lungs with air.

We hope that the relaxation techniques will be of benefit to you during these challenging times.

Pick a quiet place and time. Find a place where you will not be disturbed for at least 15 minutes. Let people around you know what you are doing and ask them to support you by leaving you alone without distraction.

Practise daily if you can ... Be patient … It may take 3 or 4 weeks before you notice the benefits.

Through using the relaxation techniques, you will begin to recognise your body and mind’s levels of relaxation and any existing tension. The aim is to gain more control over the tension so you can reduce it and become more relaxed.

Aim to stay awake during your relaxation practice if you are able to so that you can consciously recognise and experience the state of relaxation.

Once you have mastered any of the relaxation techniques you can use them whenever you experience tension or anxiety, or as part of a rest routine.

Mindful Observation:

Jon Kabat Zinn defines Mindfulness as “Paying attention, on purpose, in the present

moment and non-judgmentally.”

Choose something that you can focus your attention on for a few minutes ... this may

be a flower or plant … a leaf … a piece of fruit … the clouds or the moon.

Visually explore every aspect of its formation … noticing the shapes … colours …

patterns. If you are able to hold or touch the object … notice the texture or

textures ... does it have a scent?

Look at this object as if you are seeing it for the first time … noticing every single

detail.

If your mind wonders that’s ok just gently bring it back to the present moment … to

observing the object.

On the following pages we have provided details of various apps which can be downloaded for use in guiding you through different relaxation practices, establishing a regular routine, and keeping track of progress.

APP FEATURES COSTChill Panda Measures heart rate

Simple breathing techniques

Light exercises

Free (on app store and google play)

Stress and Anxiety companion

breathing exercises relaxing music games designed to calm

the mind identify triggers for

stress/anxiety

Free (with in-app purchases)

Headspace Breathing exercises Body scan General Mindfulness

exercises

10 x free sessions, 10 mins each (or can set to 3/5 mins each) - free sessions can be replayed£9.99 per month or £49.99 per year for access to everything else

Smiling Mind 5-minute exercises: Body scan Exploring the breath Mindful eating/ listening Gratitude and Joy

Free

Insight timer Music tracks Guided meditations Ambient sounds Polyphonic bells (add

bells to a track to create intervals during meditation)

Chanting meditation

Free

Breathe2Relax Breathing exercises Visual and audio prompts Music

Free

Stop, Breathe and Think

 

Breathing exercises Body scan Mindful walking track (4

mins) Equanimity track (5 mins)

- aim to reduce dislike for another person

Cause and effect (5 mins) - think about how action effect experiences

Free

Healthy Minds website and app

Breathing exercises Recommendations for

coping with stress e.g. reflect, observe from outside perspective

Problem solving (write down problem and how to solve it)

Free

Calm (Find your calm) Guided meditations for sleep, relaxation & mindfulness

Narrated Sleep Stories Health & meditation

videos Music Masterclasses

Initial 7 days of Calm is freeMonthly £10.50Annual £48.49Lifetime £242.49