In this information we will cover some methods to help you manage your tinnitus with relaxation techniques.
Tinnitus and stress
Everyone has a limited capacity for coping and most people have a lot going on in their lives, for example:
- Health worries
- Family issues
- Work stress
- Financial worries
Stress produces a variety of physical symptoms and tinnitus can be one of these.
The higher the level of stress someone has, the more severe their tinnitus tends to be.
Symptoms of stress
Body
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Taut muscles
- Skin irritation
- Frequent infections
- Constricted breathing
Mind
- Worrying
- Indecision
- Negativity
- Foggy thinking
- Hasty decisions
- Impaired judgement
Behaviour
- Substance abuse
- Loss of appetite
- Accident prone
- Restlessness
- Loneliness
- Insomnia
Emotions
- Loss of confidence
- Apprehension
- Indifference
- Depression
- Irritability
- Insomnia
Managing stress
There are various ways to cope with stress.
- Become aware of particular times your tinnitus is causing you distress and look at what is going on around you. What are you thinking? How are you feeling?
- Look at things you can do to change the situation you are in to make it less stressful.
Monitoring tinnitus and planning your life
Monitoring tinnitus and planning your life around it results in more attention and importance being placed on it. The brain will prioritise tinnitus.
- Try not to let tinnitus stop you from doing the things you enjoy. This is usually when your tinnitus may not be as noticeable as your focus is on more important things.
- Socialise regularly if you can – meeting friends, going for coffee or a night out and seeing family can all help to reduce your stress levels.Have a chat with a trusted friend or family member, they can often help see things from a different perspective.
- Increase the amount of relaxation you have in your life to counteract stress levels.
How can I relax?
What people find relaxing differs from person to person, some examples include:
- Hobbies/Interests e.g. walking, painting, gardening, reading, cooking.
- Exercise – gym, yoga, swimming, pilates.
- Watching TV, listening to music.
- Relaxation has to be something you pay a conscious effort in doing, it is not something which can be done to you.
Relaxation exercises
- Simple relaxation exercises such as breathing exercises or progressive muscle relaxation can really help to calm tinnitus down.
- Apps which are available to download on your phone or tablet can also help with this and let you monitor your progress. Try an app such as Calm
- Visualisation techniques.
Mindfulness
- Recent research into tinnitus management has found that the practice of mindfulness has been proven to be very successful for some patients and is a recommended treatment.
- Based on meditation and relaxation it focuses on the moment, not worrying about the past or future and helps the body to be calm.
- Local groups are available to join if you are interested in learning more about this.
Complimentary Therapies
These are often mentioned in relation to managing tinnitus more because they can help address underlying muscle tension, aid relaxation and make you feel better about yourself.
You might want to try:
- Massage
- Reflexology
- Acupuncture
- Indian Head Massage
Please consult your GP prior to using any complimentary therapies.
Goal setting
- Being able to relax is often hard for people but it is something which has to be worked at as no one can do it for you.
- It is often easier to put off doing things, even pleasurable ones, if you are feeling tired or feeling down about your tinnitus. Sometimes keeping an activity diary can help you set yourself a goal and monitor that you achieve it.
Worrying
- To help with anxiety, consider a ‘worry diary’ which helps to empty your head.
- Use a set time each day to write down any worries and possible solutions, then put it to one side.
- It puts worries into perspective and helps you plan what you can do about them.
Ways to learn and practice relaxation techniques
- Search for local classes or 1-2-1 sessions
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Mindfulness
Try online for further information and support
Try online for further information and support:
Free guided mediations
For tinnitus support and information
British Tinnitus Association support group
Relaxation and meditation
Starkey Relax
Soothing pictures and sounds, sleep timer
Resound Tinnitus Relief
Nature sounds with gentle music, download relaxation exercises, exercises incorporating CBT and mindfulness elements
White Noise Lite
40 nature sounds that allow customization and mixing, can be expanded to over 100 sounds by adding free White Noise Market App.
Mindfulness daily
This introduces mindfulness and compassionate ways of thinking, using short mindfulness meditation exercises.
Calm
Calm offers guided meditations, Sleep Stories, breathing programs and relaxing music. Recommended by top psychologists and mental health experts to help you de-stress.
Buddhify
Buddhify is described as the mindfulness app for modern life. It has a mixture of short and long relaxation scripts and mindfulness meditation practices. The app provides a host of suggestions of how to add short moments of relaxation to ease that tension that can build up during the day!
Relax Meditation and Relax Melodies
Relax Meditation is a relaxation tool based around CBT, which also has sound samples. Relax Melodies is by the same developers and provides soothing music and sound tracks. Both apps can be tailored to your needs.
Spotify
Spotify combines millions of music tracks that can be listened to free of charge when you are connected to the internet. A paid Premium membership allows you to download the tracks onto your phone/tablet to be used when you are not connected to the internet. There is a multitude of meditation, nature and Zen sounds available for Mindfulness, Meditation and Relaxation, without the need to purchase CDs.
YouTube
Author and illustrator Matthew Johnstone reveals how simple daily mindfulness practices can help us be more present, more positive, have better health and greater clarity.
In collaboration with the World Health Organisation, writer and illustrator Matthew Johnstone tells the story of overcoming the “black dog of depression”.
Gentle floor-based exercise videos that can help with well-being, relaxation and fitness. Yoga incorporates elements of meditation and breathing exercises. There are a multitude of videos on offer for free, ‘Yoga with Adriene’ has a good collection to start.
