Lessen the intrusiveness of your tinnitus exercise
This information has been written to help you learn some simple ways which may help you lessen the intrusiveness of your tinnitus and improve your quality of life.
Tinnitus is a very common symptom, and although we at the BTA recommend that everyone who has tinnitus should seek appropriate professional help, there are many measures that you can take to help yourself.
It can be difficult to find something that works for you but relaxation is often a good place to start.
Relaxation and meditation
It is quite common to feel anxious and afraid when you first experience tinnitus. By relaxing more, you may be able to feel less stressed and so notice your tinnitus less. Among the different types of relaxation are yoga, tai-chi and meditation.
We are all different and you may find you prefer one type of relaxation over another. You may find a class that teaches one you like. However, you may not be able to get to classes or you may just prefer to do something yourself. Using some simple techniques regularly may help you to improve your quality of life and make a real difference to living with tinnitus. It does take practice to develop good relaxation techniques, and it may help one day, but not the next – so don’t give up if at first it does not seem to help.
Relaxation exercise 1
First, find a peaceful place where you feel comfortable and at ease, and where you are unlikely to be disturbed. You will need to find a time of day that suits you – perhaps you have time in the morning, or perhaps early evening to help you unwind. Try to do these exercises for some time every day if you can. Aim for about 30 minutes but don’t be too hard on yourself if you can’t manage it for that long. Even 15 minutes a day can be helpful. Complete quietness may be unhelpful for your tinnitus – if you find this is the case, then play some gentle background sound. You are going to use a technique called progressive muscle relaxation. You can do this exercise sitting in a comfortable chair or lying on your back on a supportive surface. Whichever you choose, don’t cross your arms, legs or ankles.
Think about your breathing. Notice that it has a natural rhythm. Try to breathe in a steady, even rhythm. It helps to breathe in through your nose, hold your breath for a moment and then breathe out through your mouth. Wait a moment before breathing in again. Every time you breathe out, try to release a little bit of your tension. Do this for a few minutes, until you feel ready to move on to the next step.
Now make your toes as tight as you can, really scrunch them up. Hold them like this for a moment – and relax. Now do the same with your ankles, then your calf muscles, your thighs… work all the way up your body to your head, making sure you tense, hold for a moment, and then release the tension. Once you’ve done this with your whole body, focus again on your breathing – notice the rhythm, it should be even and calm.
Relaxation exercise 2
In this exercise you are going to imagine yourself in another place – as if you’re actually there. What it looks like, the smells, the sounds… You can make this exercise as long as you want to and you can take your time to visualise a number of different places, such as a forest, a garden or a beach. Here is a short example of how you can do this (remember not to rush through it).
As with the first exercise, make sure you’re comfortable and unlikely to be disturbed. Now imagine yourself leaving this room. You walk out of the door and follow a path… at the end of the path is another door. You open that door and inside you see a beautiful garden – you can hear birds singing, children playing somewhere in the distance. You feel a cool breeze on your skin and hear the rustle of leaves through the trees. The colours of the leaves, green, gold, red, all dance across a beautiful pond in the middle… as you walk over to the pond, you feel the soft grass under your bare feet… you dip your toes into the calm, clear pond and stop for a moment – just experiencing the beauty of everything around you…
This exercise can stop there, or you can spend some time in the garden and then make your way back into the room where you are, feeling more relaxed on your return.
Meditation exercise
Sit comfortably in a chair.
Relax the muscles around your eyes and soften your gaze.
Allow yourself to feel sensations in the body:
Feet on the floor
Legs resting comfortably on the chair
Arms resting
Hands soft and relaxed
Tightness in your shoulders
Tension in the face
Now allow yourself to experience your breathing.
Feel the gentle movements of the body as you breathe.
Pay attention to your breath:
Entering your nose
Passing through your throat
Filling your lungs
Causing the abdomen to swell
Feeling the swell against the back of the chair
Now invite other areas of the body in…take your attention to any area where you may have pain or tension. Let any tight muscles soften and relax. Become aware of your feelings or mood and what thoughts might be passing through your mind. Be aware of all of these sensations together with your breathing.
Now start to move gently – any small movement that you can manage, maybe moving fingers up and down, circling the feet or simply moving them side to side. Be aware of being back in the room again, but feeling more settled and at peace.
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Read more: Silencil Natural Remedies For Tinnitus