Do you ever feel overwhelmed by stress? If so, you’re not alone. A growing number of millennials are struggling to manage stress in their daily lives. While there are many different techniques that can help relieve stress, one of the most effective is progressive muscle relaxation.
This easy-to-learn technique can be done in just a few minutes and can provide long-lasting relief from tension and anxiety. In this blog post, we’ll teach you how to do progressive muscle relaxation and discuss some of the benefits it has to offer. So if you’re looking for a simple way to get relief from your stressors, read on!
Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is a technique that helps you relax your muscles and thereby reduce overall stress, anxiety, and tension. It’s similar to guided meditation in that it helps calm your mind by teaching you to focus on your body instead of intrusive thoughts.
Unlike meditation, it also has the added benefit of helping with physical pain. Even if you have no experience meditating or practicing “being present,” PMR is incredibly easy to learn and practice.
If you’re curious about how PMR works, how to do a successful PMR session, and how it can help you relax both physically and mentally, read on for a comprehensive beginner’s guide:
HOW PROGRESSIVE MUSCLE RELAXATION WORKS
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is a simple, systematic way to relax your body and mind by tensing and then relaxing your muscles.
Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is an exercise that helps build awareness about how our bodies feel when we tense up or contract muscles unnecessarily.
The goal is to learn how to release tension from these areas so we can feel less physical stress in everyday situations (like sitting in traffic).
This relaxation exercise involves focusing on each part of your body one at a time—from the top of your head to the tips of your toes—and tensing and relaxing each one slowly.
It is by far my favorite relaxation technique, especially if you’re someone like me who can only sit and meditate for so long until you begin fidgeting and wondering what you should eat for dinner.
A restless mind typically invites a restless body and this is the perfect way to take that physical tension and turn it up to the Max, and then feel it gradually melt away with each muscle group you tense and then relax.
Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is a technique that involves tensing specific muscles and then relaxing them.
PMR can be done sitting, standing or lying down, in any comfortable position.
PMR involves tensing specific groups of muscles for 10 seconds, then relaxing them for 10 seconds. You repeat this process for each group of muscles.
The whole exercise typically takes about 15 minutes, but it can be shortened to 5 minutes if you have less time or are starting out with little experience at PMR.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation Benefits?
If you’re struggling with headaches, backaches or another type of physical pain; if you have trouble sleepingwell at night; or if you have any other kind of discomfort in your body that makes it difficult for you to relax during the day—then progressive muscle relaxation will help reduce these discomforts so that they don’t interfere with your life.
THE HEALTH BENEFITS Of PMR
Stress can cause very real physical symptoms on a daily basis. PMR helps
- relieves tension
- lower blood pressure
- reduces headaches
- reduces backaches
- helps improve sleep
- and eases other symptoms caused by stress.
It’s a good way to help you relax your body and mind, lower your stress level and improve your overall health.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation Script
So how exactly do you complete a PMR exercise?
You’ll want to find a quiet place where you can be alone for 5-15 minutes, uninterrupted by phones or other distractions.
You can dim the lights or light a candle if you prefer.
Sit back in a chair or lay on a couch or a bed during the exercise.
You may also want to put on soft music or play white noise to increase your sensory focus.
When you’re ready to begin your PMR session, focus on breathing in through the nose for 3 seconds and out through the mouth for 3 seconds. Repeat this two more times.
Try your best to relax your mind and think about little to nothing.
If you find your mind wandering, gently guide yourself back and focus your mind and body in the present moment.
With this exercise, you will gradually tense and relax each muscle group in the body. Usually, it’s best to start from your head down to your feet.
Tense the muscles in each muscle group for 10 seconds.
It’s important that you really concentrate on feeling the tension in those muscles until you are ideally shaking from exerting so much effort.
Relax those same muscles completely for another 10 seconds before moving on to another group of tensed-and-relaxed muscles.
1) To begin, take three deep abdominal breaths , then exhale for 5 seconds. As you exhale, imagine that tension throughout your body beginning to fade away. Repeat this two more times.
2) Hold your arm out and clench your left fist. Hold for 10 seconds, and then release for 10 seconds. Repeat with the right fist.
3) Shrug your shoulders up towards your ears, tightening the muscles. Hold for 10 seconds and then relax for ten seconds.
4) Squeeze your eyes shut as tightly as you can, feeling the tension in the muscles around the eyes. Hold for 10 seconds and then relax for ten seconds.
5) Pull your head back and look up slightly, feeling the tension in the back of your neck. Hold for 10 seconds and then relax for ten seconds.
6) Allow your head to fall to the left, and feel the tension on the left side of your neck. Hold for 10 seconds, and then release for 10 seconds. Repeat this on the right side of your neck.
7) Arch your back, sticking out your chest, and feel the tension in your upper back. Hold for 10 seconds, and then release for 10 seconds.
8) Lean forward and tighten the muscles in your stomach, squeezing the stomach as hard as you can. Hold for 10 seconds, and then release for 10 seconds.
9) Stretch both of your legs, straight out in front of you, stretching your feet and pointing your toes up toward your head. Hold for 10 seconds, and then release for 10 seconds.
Now, turn your neck left to right 3 times, hold out your arms and wiggle your fingers, raise your chest and pull it forward, hold out your legs and wiggle your toes.
Repeat this exercise 2 more times if you still feel tense until every part of your body has been relaxed, starting with your arms (number 2) and ending with your legs (number 9).
If you’re doing it right and inviting enough tension, you should be slightly out of breath upon completion.
SOME TIPS
With practice, you’ll begin to understand your muscles, their reactions to tension, and how you can relax them. It is important to practice consistently if you wish to train your body to respond differently to stress.
Don’t do it too fast or hard. In order for this technique to be effective, you have to go slowly and deliberately through each step. So, take your time!
If a part of your body feels uncomfortable, skip over it without feeling bad about yourself. Just focus on relaxing elsewhere instead until the discomfort passes.
You may feel lightheaded or dizzy during some exercises. For example, if doing deep breathing makes you feel lightheaded or dizzy—which can happen because deep breathing floods oxygen into areas where there isn’t enough available blood flow right away—then just relax somewhere else until those sensations pass.
Progressive muscle relaxation is not a replacement for medication. If you are experiencing a medical condition, or if you are pregnant or under the influence of alcohol or drugs, please consult your doctor before trying this technique.
When you’re having a stressful day, the last thing you may feel like doing is taking time to relax. But that’s when it’s most important for you to do it.
Give yourself gratitude for taking charge of your mind and body during stressful times. Recite a few positive affirmations and get to sleep or resume your day feeling lighter and more relaxed.
4 PROGRESSIVE MUSCLE VIDEOS
There are many different variations of this exercise in terms of where to start on your body and how long to do the exercise, but ultimately the same goal. Here are 4 Progressive Muscle Videos I Send My Clients Regularly. These are great if you prefer to close your eyes and let a soothing voice guide you. They are what I consider to be the best out of countless PMR videos, but feel free to find and save the videos that resonate the most with you.
1. Progressive Muscle Relaxation Training- Mark Connelly : 14:55 minutes
2. Progressive Muscle Relaxation- Relax For A While : 15:52 minutes
3. Reduce Stress through Progressive Muscle Relaxation-Johns Hopkins Rheumatology: 5:53 minutes
4. Reduce Anxiety & Improve Sleep With Progressive Muscle Relaxation– Bob & Brad: 12:45 minutes
THE TAKEAWAY
Progressive muscle relaxation helps you release tension in your body and mind, so if stress is getting in the way of your work or personal life–it might be just what you need!
Whether you have 5 minutes, 15, or 20, take the time to complete this exercise and feel the tension melt away from your body.
PMR is a great way to unwind, relieve anxiety, and promote good sleep. It is easy to learn and easy to do at home. Once you get the hang of it, you can incorporate PMR into your daily routine so that you’re prepared for anything that comes your way!
What’s your absolute favorite relaxation exercise when you’re feeling stressed? Let me know in the comments section below!
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