Relax for Pudsey

Thankyou for joining us for the Relax for Pudsey event.
At 9am on 20th November, all over the country, in School Assemblies, the workplace, at home, people will be relaxing together to the Play Pause Unwind visualisation, ‘One World’!

Increasingly, everyday stress is impacting dramatically on children’s health and affecting their life chances. Without direction, many seek release in quick fix solutions such as over-eating, drinking, smoking or taking drugs, so learning how to properly relax is a vital life skill, essential for long-term health, well-being and success.

We have made ‘One World’ free to download in the hope of reducing the stress-related health problems affecting an increasing number of children and young adults. Please show your appreciation by downloading ‘One World’ and joining us, wherever you are, whoever you’re with, at 9 am on 20th November and donating what you can to help us raise funds for the 2009 Pudsey Appeal.

RELAXATION

Relaxation is, without doubt, a life-enhancing skill which brings us precious moments of calm in a busy world.

It could be said to be doing nothing. Many people, however, say they find it difficult to relax, therefore it seems that doing nothing is not as easy as it sounds. The word ‘relaxation’ is often used as the opposite of tension with the connotation that relaxation is a purely physical process where muscles are inactive and lengthened. However, relaxation has a mental as well as physical dimension. It also needs the of absence of stressful or uncomfortable thoughts . A possible definition could be “a positively perceived state or response in which a person feels relief of tension or strain.

Aims of relaxation

1. To protect body organs from unnecessary wear and, in particular, as a preventative measure to protect the organs from stress-related disease e.g high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, asthma.
2. A coping skill to calm the mind and allow thinking to become clearer and more effective.
3. As an effective treatment to contribute to management of stress related conditions.

PREPARING FOR RELAXATION

1. Wear loose comfortable clothing
2. Ensure you are comfortable (discomfort quickly intrudes to break concentration)
• A padded mat to lie on or a comfortable/reclining chair if you prefer to sit
• A pillow or soft towel to support the head and neck
• A blanket- many people feel chilly when still for a while
• A warm but well aired room is ideal
• Try lying or sitting in an economical body position with good posture to put minimal strain on joints, soft tissues and internal organs. Make sure you can breath easily by avoiding a slouched position and that blood can circulate easily so avoid crossed legs and folded arms.
3. Deal with any pressing issues or plan when they will be attended to. Then put them out of your thoughts. Neutralise the telephone by switching off (radical thought! ) or switch to silent. Give yourself permission to take time for yourself without feeling guilty
4. Ideally relax between meals not immediately before or after
5. Relaxation skills improve with time and practice. They become old friends and then it becomes less important to have ideal surroundings. So you can use you techniques to help you whatever the situation
6. Use your Play Pause Unwind track or CD to guide you

Precautions with relaxation

1. Relaxation training should never be considered as a substitute for medical treatment. It should always be complementary to it.
2. Relaxation visualisation is not recommended for people suffering from hallucinations, delusions or other psychotic symptoms as the exercises could lead to out of body sensations. Tension release or a physical exercise approach to relaxation during a non-active period of psychotic illness can be useful but is not covered by Play Pause Unwind 1 or 2
3. Variations in blood pressure may occur during relaxation.During relaxation visualisation blood pressure can fall when you are deeply relaxed.
   To counteract the fall in blood pressure it is important to allow time to adjust to activity at the end of the session. It can be helpful to sretch gently before getting up. The fall in blood pressure will reverse as you move about again.
4. Phobias and fears should be taken into consideration when using visualisation techniques. Always choose a track which you think you will enjoy. Fear of relaxation itself occurs in some people- possibly associated with a fear that “letting go” may lead to loss of control. Only relax as much as you feel comfortable to.
5. During any kind of relaxation when we let down the barriers of physical tension, psychological defenses can also be let down. Hidden feelings may rise to the surface. It is important to be aware of this and be ready to deal with them. If you are at all worried by this speak to your GP about what professional support is available.

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