RNID: For deaf and hard of hearing people.

Regular relaxation is a very helpful part of tinnitus management and can help you manage the stress that is often associated with tinnitus.

Many people notice their tinnitus more when they are worried or tired, and this in turn increases their levels of anxiety and stress. This becomes a vicious cycle. It is now widely accepted that stress plays a key part in the way people react to their tinnitus.

You can learn to control your responses to stress by using relaxation techniques. Exercises can be physical, for example tensing and releasing your muscles, or psychological, where you use your imagination to help you relax. Some form of breathing exercise is usually a key part of a relaxation routine.

You can buy guided relaxation cassettes and CDs from the RNID Shop.

Relaxation is taught in many tinnitus and audiology clinics and also local adult education classes. Alternatively, classes in yoga or meditation can help you learn to relax.

Why not try this two-minute breathing exercise?

Find two minutes, three times a day, to practise this exercise.

  1. Sit in a comfortable chair, preferably with a high back so that head and neck are supported. You can lie down if you prefer.
  2. Now tell your muscles to relax, let go and become soft.
  3. Mentally run through the body from head to foot.
  4. If you find any tension in the muscles, try to relax, and then continue to check the next area of the body. Pay particular attention to the head, neck and shoulders, as these are areas where many of us hold our tension and stress.

Spend no more than two minutes doing this exercise, then carry on with your day.

If you don't feel any great sense of relaxation, don't worry. Relaxation is a skill that has to be practised. Over time you will become more aware of your stress as it builds up in your body and be able to release it more easily.