'National Relaxation Day' 🧘🏽‍♂️ 15 August

Simon O'Donovan

Aug 16

4 min read

National Relaxation Day

Relaxation & Mindfulness for People Living with Dementia

This National Relaxation Day CST activity page is a little different from my usual activity programmes.

Rather than providing a series of cognitively stimulating quizzes, reminiscence activities and discussions, this resource is aimed particularly at facilitators who would like to introduce a period of relaxation or mindfulness as part of an activities programme for people living with dementia.

Cognitive stimulation is important, but so too is recognising when it is time to slow down, reduce demands and simply enjoy being in the moment.

Why Include Relaxation and Mindfulness?

People living with dementia can experience busy and sometimes confusing days. Concentrating, remembering, communicating and making sense of what is happening around them can require considerable effort.

A carefully facilitated period of relaxation can provide an opportunity to:

reduce environmental and cognitive demands;
encourage slower, more comfortable breathing;
release physical tension;
create a feeling of calm and security;
focus attention on pleasant sensations, sounds and surroundings;
provide valuable quiet time after a period of activity;
and end a session on a warm, positive and reassuring note.

Mindfulness is slightly different from relaxation. Rather than specifically trying to become relaxed, mindfulness encourages us to gently notice what is happening here and now — our breathing, our body, the sounds around us, and the thoughts that come and go.

For someone living with dementia, this emphasis on the present moment can be particularly valuable because there is no requirement to remember what happened earlier or anticipate what comes next.

There are no questions to answer and no memories that have to be retrieved. We are simply noticing and experiencing the moment together.

How We Used Relaxation in My CST Group

Relaxation became a much-valued part of the afternoons I spent with my CST group.

After approximately two hours of conversation, laughter, reminiscence, quizzes, music and cognitive stimulation, we would deliberately change the pace.

The room became quieter, the lights could be softened, everyone settled comfortably into their chairs and we spent a short period simply winding down together.

Members always seemed to enjoy this part of our afternoon, and it provided a lovely way to bring the session gently to a close. Rather than finishing immediately after a lively activity, people had time to settle and leave the group feeling calm, relaxed and uplifted before going home.

It wasn't about achieving a particular state of relaxation. Some people closed their eyes, others preferred to keep them open. Some listened closely to my voice or the music, while others simply sat quietly.

The important thing was creating a peaceful period in which nothing else was being asked of them.

Guided Relaxation Session

The first sequence in this resource is a guided relaxation session.

Invite everyone to make themselves comfortable and explain that they don't have to do anything other than listen.

The slides and accompanying words gradually encourage participants to:

settle comfortably → slow their breathing → relax different parts of the body → notice feelings of warmth and comfort → enjoy peaceful imagery and music → gradually return their attention to the room.

Speak slowly and gently, leaving plenty of silence between phrases. There is no need to fill every moment with words.

Silence is part of the relaxation.

If someone doesn't wish to close their eyes, reassure them that this is absolutely fine. They can simply soften their gaze or look at the peaceful images on the screen.

Guided Mindfulness Session

The second sequence introduces a short and very accessible mindfulness practice.

Again, participants should be comfortable and there is no expectation that they have ever practised mindfulness before.

We begin by settling into our chairs before gently directing attention towards:

our breathing → our body → the sounds around us → our thoughts → how we feel right now.

Thoughts don't need to be stopped. If the mind wanders, we simply notice that it has wandered and gently bring our attention back to our breathing and to the present moment.

The central message is simple:

For the next few minutes, everything else can wait. This time is for you.

Using Music Differently

Music is normally an important source of cognitive stimulation and reminiscence within my CST activities.

We hear a familiar song and immediately begin thinking:

Who sang this? When was it released? Where was I when I first heard it? What memories does it bring back? Can I remember the words?

For these relaxation and mindfulness sessions, however, I suggest deliberately doing something different.

The accompanying pieces have been chosen because they are gentle, peaceful and unlikely to be familiar to most group members.

That is intentional.

We don't particularly want participants trying to identify the singer, remember the title, anticipate the next line or retrieve memories associated with the music.

Instead, invite them simply to let the music wash over them.

There is nothing to identify and nothing to remember.

Listen to the melody, the rhythm, the spaces between the notes and the feelings the music creates.

After the spoken relaxation or mindfulness exercise has finished, allow the music to continue for a little while. Resist the temptation to immediately begin another conversation.

Give everyone permission to remain quiet, comfortable and in the moment for just a little longer.

Bringing the Session to a Close

When the music finishes, allow a few moments before speaking.

You might gently ask:

“How do you feel now?”

There is no right answer and nobody needs to respond. Some people may want to talk about the experience; others may simply want to enjoy the feeling of calm.

And finally, we close with Namaste — a beautiful expression of recognition, respect and our shared humanity:

My soul honours your soul.I honour the place in you where the entire universe resides.I honour the light, love, truth, beauty and peace within you, because it is also within me.In sharing these things, we are united.We are the same.We are one.