Most relaxation advice asks for time, equipment, or a discipline you simply don't have after a busy day. This one asks for twenty minutes and nothing you don't already have at home.
The point isn't to “do it properly”. It's to create a moment where nothing happens.
Why a routine rather than a one-off gesture
The body picks up on repetition. When a sequence comes back every evening in the same order, it becomes a signal: relaxation sets in faster, almost before you've begun.
It's the same mechanism that makes us yawn at the sight of our bed.
The twenty minutes
Minutes 1 to 3 — Prepare the room
Lower the lights. A low lamp rather than the ceiling light. Turn off notifications. If you're sensitive to noise, put on something calm, without lyrics.
Take the mask out of storage — from the fridge if you want it cool, or prepare it as per the guide if you prefer it warm.
Minutes 4 to 6 — Release the shoulders
Sitting or lying down, back supported. Lift your shoulders towards your ears, hold for three seconds, release all at once. Three times.
Then slowly turn your head to the right, back to centre, to the left. Without forcing, without chasing range.
Minutes 7 to 8 — Slow the breathing
Breathe in through the nose counting to four. Hold for two counts. Breathe out through the mouth counting to six.
The out-breath being longer than the in-breath is the key point. Repeat eight times.
Minutes 9 to 25 — The mask
Check the temperature on the inside of your wrist. Settle in, and place the mask over your forehead and eye area.
And now: do nothing. No podcast, no thinking about tomorrow. If your mind wanders — and it will — simply bring it back to your breath.
Fifteen to twenty minutes is plenty.
The last two minutes
Remove the mask gently. Stay still for thirty seconds before getting up, giving the light time to come back gradually.
A few useful adjustments
- Same time every evening. That's what turns a gesture into a reflex.
- One position only. The armchair or the bed, but always the same place.
- Phone out of reach, not merely turned face down.
- Put the mask back in the same place after use. An object you have to look for is an object you won't use.
If you only have five minutes
Keep the breathing and the mask, drop the rest. A short routine kept up every evening beats a long one done once a month.
What this isn't
This routine is a moment of comfort, not a treatment. If you experience repeated pain, persistent sleep problems or discomfort that doesn't pass, speak to a healthcare professional: they are the ones who can identify the cause.
ThéraMask™ is a comfort and relaxation accessory. It is not a medical device and does not replace advice, diagnosis or treatment.