Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is a technique used to reduce physical and emotional tension and anxiety. It involves focusing on a certain area, squeezing those muscles really tight, and then relaxing those muscle groups in the body. This is done in a specific order to increase awareness of muscle tension and to release it. It is a simple, yet effective method for reducing tension in the body, which can lead to a reduction in stress and anxiety levels.
The benefits of progressive muscle relaxation include:
- Reducing muscle tension and pain
- Improving sleep
- Lowering blood pressure
- Decreasing symptoms of anxiety and depression
- Increasing relaxation and overall well-being
To perform PMR, follow these steps:
It’s important to note that PMR should be done in a comfortable position, and that it is not recommended to tense muscles to the point of pain. Also, keep in mind that it may take some practice to master the technique and to fully feel the benefits.
Find a quiet and comfortable place where you can sit or lie down. If you are sitting, make sure your feet are flat on the floor and leave the palms of your hands resting on your thighs. Turn your phone on silent, or leave it in another room.
Close your eyes and focus on your breathing, taking slow, deep breaths. Make sure to breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth. To help focus on your breathing, count your breaths. Suck air in for 4-6 seconds, and release the air for longer (5-7 seconds).
Keeping your closed and breathing slow, let’s start with your toes. Tense the muscle group as tightly as you can for a count of 5-10 seconds. Focus on how your muscles feels when they are tense, how you feel something maybe you have not felt before in your toes.
Release the tension and focus on the feeling of relaxation. Feel the toes sink into the ground.
Move through each muscle group in the body, tensing and relaxing each one: feet, calves, thighs, stomach, lower back, hands, arms, shoulders, neck, and face. Repeating the tension and relaxation.
After completing the full body relaxation, spend a few minutes focusing on your breathing again, and the overall feeling of relaxation in your body. Feel how you sink into the chair if you are sitting, or the floor if you are lying down. Feel how parts of your body might feel differently, or you are feeling sensations you have never felt before.
Review
Progressive muscle relaxation is an effective and simple technique for reducing physical and emotional tension and anxiety. By tensing and then relaxing different muscle groups in the body, you can increase awareness of muscle tension and release it. The benefits of PMR include reducing muscle tension and pain, improving sleep, lowering blood pressure, decreasing symptoms of anxiety and depression, and increasing relaxation and overall well-being. Give it a try and see how it can improve your mental and physical well-being.
About Therapist Bethany Winter, MA, LPC Barnum Counseling
Na. (2022, November 29). How to do progressive muscle relaxation for anxiety. Anxiety Canada. Retrieved January 18, 2023, from https://www.anxietycanada.com/articles/how-to-do-progressive-muscle-relaxation/
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