Relaxation Videos

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When recovery is delayed, the facial nerve does not simply go back to normal. It is very sensitive and excitable. It can fatigue very easily, especially in the early stages of recovery when signs of movement can fluctuate. One main problem is that the nerve is poor at monitoring its output and finds it difficult to know when it should activate (send electrical impulses) and when it should rest. The result is that it activates even when you are not using your face and so sends electrical signals to the facial muscles all the time. This overactivity tones up the muscles, which makes them tight, short, thick, and eventually held in a contracted position.

It is difficult to appreciate that this is happening because most people are completely unaware of how excitable the recovering facial nerve has become. One of the best ways of minimising this overactivity is to teach the facial nerve how to rest when you are not moving your face.

The videos and audio below show you ways of learning how to relax your face. However, people respond differently when trying to relax, so you may find one more beneficial than another.

Relaxing meditation for synkinesis (10 minutes)

Led by Facial Physical Therapist Mara Robinson. Focuses on relaxing individual facial muscles of expression one at a time. Particularly useful for synkinesis.

Diagram of Facial Muscles

Breath and Meditation Practice (20 minutes)

A breathing and meditation practice to help calm the nervous system, ground and centre you.

Calming Practice Audio (14 minutes)

An audio track for the face and neck. Subtitles are available: click the cog icon on the YouTube player and select Subtitles / English (United Kingdom).

Build Relaxation Little and Often

You can take some of the principles from the videos and practise them in shorter bursts if the full-length versions feel too long. For example, in the relaxation and meditation for synkinesis video, you might notice that certain facial muscles are especially difficult to relax, such as the muscles around the eyes. In that case, you could focus on just that area. You could also choose one area of the face to work on each week until you feel more able to relax all the main areas. The more often you practise, the easier it will become.

Below is a shorter practice that includes some of the techniques introduced in the resources above.

Why is little and often a good strategy?

A little-and-often approach can help teach the nerve to relax through short periods of practice across the day. Even two minutes at a time can be helpful. You can practise for longer if you want to and have the time, and you can combine these short exercises with longer periods of meditation or facial relaxation practice.

It is important to:

• Practice little and often throughout the day, for example for two to three minutes, five times a day
• Think of this as teaching the nerve something it finds difficult to do so lots of short lessons can be helpful and less daunting.
• Choose times that fit easily into your daily routine
• Try to relax your face before and after longer periods of talking

How?

• Sit down with your feet flat on the floor and your hands resting in your lap.
• Look down at your thighs, but avoid closing your eyes altogether, just in case closing your eyes makes other muscles contract involuntarily (synkinesis).
• Alternatively, if you are able to sit at a table or desk, some people find it beneficial to prop their elbows on the table, cup their palms together, and rest their chin into their hands, thereby taking the weight of the head. This may not always be possible, especially if you are out and about.
• Whichever way works best, the aim is to ‘let go’ of your face, so find some vocabulary that helps you do this. Words/phrases like allowing the energy to drain away, escape, or melt. Phrases like ‘hang dog’, ‘zoning out’, ‘going into neutral’ may help.
• Make sure you stay looking down, lower your shoulders, your teeth should be slightly apart (not clenched), lips slightly apart, tongue resting gently on the floor of your mouth.
• Now work on a steady rhythm with your breathing and try and let all the tension and effort leave your face. Zone out and let your face go.
• Perhaps start the breathing with a breath in to the count of 4 and a breath out to the count of 10, just a couple of times to get you into a rhythm.
• Keep checking that you are not clenching your teeth, that your lips are slightly apart, and your tongue is resting gently on the floor of your mouth.
• On your first attempts, it may take longer for you to get the feeling of letting go, so persist and allow more time initially. Once you get the hang of it, this will be a handy part of your rehabilitation.

Looking for other types of psychological support? Visit our Psychological Interventions page.