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You are in: Home > Chest Information > Living With > Relaxation

Relaxation

Everybody needs to relax; it is a vital part of our lives. When you have a chest condition it is even more important to relax as it helps to loosen your shoulders and control your breathing.

Sometimes you may have to make a real effort to relax and you may need some help. There are many different relaxation 'exercises' and 'techniques'; they all take practice. You can get relaxation CDs from bookshops, music stores and some hospital therapy departments. Check with your library, practice nurse or GP if there is a relaxation class in your area.

• Tips to help you relax
• Breathing control

Tips to help you relax

• Go to a quiet place. Get into a comfortable position with your arms and legs supported.
• Close your eyes.
• Concentrate on your breathing. Take deep breaths through your nose and exhale slowly through pursed lips.
• Learn to recognise tension. Make a fist and squeeze your hand tightly. Slowly open your fingers and feel the tension leave. Your hand will feel lighter and relaxed.
• Now you can relieve tension all over your body simply by contracting and relaxing each set of muscles in turn.
• Every time you breathe out think 'RELAX'.

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Breathing control

This is a very simple way of learning how to breathe normally and restore normal breathing when you are anxious.

It involves gentle breathing using the lower part of your chest and stomach, with the upper chest and shoulders relaxed.

Practising breathing control and relaxation techniques when you are feeling calm and relaxed will help you to cope with stressful situations when they arise. If you become confident about how to use these techniques, it will be much easier for you to use them when you actually need them.

How to do breathing control Settle yourself into a chair in a comfortable position. Make sure your back is well supported. Rest one hand on your lower rib cage with the other hand on your upper thigh. Let your shoulders and upper chest relax, think about letting your shoulders go. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Concentrate on letting the lower part of your chest move under your hand. Feel your hand rise and fall with your chest as you breathe gently in and out. Breathe at your own rate. Doing this should not tire you. Continue until your breathing is back under control once more. Once you feel happy about doing this, you may like to try resting both hands down on your thighs with the palms of the hands facing up.

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