Relaxation techniques

There are lots of different kinds of relaxation techniques that you can try out. Lots of people find these helpful particularly when they are feeling overwhelmed, stressed or anxious. Relaxation techniques are also often recommended in a lot of therapies.

A few different types of relaxation techniques are:

• Slowing down your breathing

• Progressive muscle relaxation

• Guided visualisation

• Repeating Mantras to yourself (e.g I can handle whatever comes my way)

‘Relaxation is a big one I use when I notice my thoughts speeding up…I try to just go with it and see what happens, not being too bothered about the small things or if I feel self-conscious.’

There are a range of relaxation apps which you may wish to try which you can find  including the free NHS Chill Panda app.

In this video, Dr. Rina Bajaj gives some simple advice on relaxation techniques that you might wish to try:

What young people have told us:

'The days can easily become busy and potentially be overwhelming, so having a few minutes in your day just to be aware of your breathing and become fully relaxed can calm the mind completely.'

'Relaxation techniques don't need to take long and consume a lot of your day, but can still really impact how you're feeling.'

'This activity has helped my well-being as it keeps me calm and relieves stress.'

'I think it helped because it helped me be more mindful of my breath and take some time for myself.'

'I would say that more people should try relaxation techniques as it is relaxing and makes you feel calm.'

There isn’t much academic research in the area of self-care for young people who are living with mental health issues. We are trying to find out more about what works for different people so we can better advise other young people what to try.