Relaxation Techniques: for Young People Living with Fatigue Conditions

Learning relaxation or mindfulness meditation techniques can help reduce stress, manage pain and fatigue, and help you cope with symptoms.

Learning relaxation and mindfulness techniques can help when you are having trouble getting to sleep or just want to ‘wind down’ at the end of the day.

It can take a bit of time to learn the techniques and for them to start to work, but keep practising and they become easier.

Find time every day to relax.

Here is a Guided Relaxation Exercise:

• Keep your surroundings as quiet as possible and make sure you are unlikely to be disturbed for around 20 minutes.
• Make sure you are wearing loose, comfortable clothing and nothing is restricting your movement.
• Get yourself into a comfortable position either sitting in a chair with your feet on the ground or lying down.
  • Keep your eyes open or close them, whatever is most comfortable.
  • Take a slow breath in and out. Keep your breathing not too deep and not too shallow, but somewhere in the middle.
  • Feel how your body moves when you breathe in and when you breathe out.
  • With every breath, concentrate on how your body is moving and start to relax.
  • Imagine the breath going up to your scalp and over your head and neck feeling them relax as you breathe in and out.
  • Relax the muscles in your face and jaw as you breathe out.
  • As you breathe in and out relax your shoulders and arms and hands.
  • Feel your breath travelling down into your chest and back.
  • Breathe in and out focusing your attention on your waist, your pelvis and down into your thighs.
  • Imagine your breath flowing down across your knees and into your calves and your feet and your toes.
  • Breathe in and feel the breath rising up through your body, relaxing all your muscles.
  • Take a deep breath in and slowly open your eyes as you slowly breathe out.
     

Some people find it easier to use their imagination to help them relax. Try these ideas to see whether they suit you.

Peaceful place

1. Think of a peaceful place – a beautiful beach or a mountain. Imagine the trees or sand, the sky, the sun and the gentle wind on your face.
2. Imagine walking along a path through your peaceful place, feeling the sun and breeze on your face.
3. With each step you take, you feel more relaxed.
4. Imagine that you see a house in the distance and walk up to it.
5. Inside it is decorated just as you would want and has lots of comfortable chairs.
6. Imagine you are sitting in one of the chairs, just enjoying the calm and peacefulness.

The feather

1. Imagine you are a feather high up in the sky.
2. You become more relaxed as you float down to earth, slowly on the breeze.
3. As you float to the ground, you rest down gently, feeling yourself completely relaxed.

The clock

1. Imagine a clock with only one hand.
2. At 12 o’clock, you have the most stress and tension possible.
3. At 6 o’clock, you are completely relaxed and calm.
4. Imagine where you are now.
5. As you breathe in and out, imagine the clock hand slowly dropping down to 6 o’clock, until you are feeling completely relaxed.