Progressive Muscle Relaxation

When you carry stress and anxiety, your muscles will likely tense up. When you tense up, you can store more anxiety in your body. Progressive Muscle Relaxation is a tool to help release the tension, ground your mind and calm anxiety. By tensing and relaxing the muscles throughout your body, you can achieve a feeling of relaxation. Doing this exercise will also help you spot anxiety by teaching you to recognize feelings of muscle tension. Ready to try it?
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The Progressive Muscle Relaxation Exercise
Sit back or lie down in a comfortable position. For each area of the body listed below, you will tense your muscles tightly, but not to the point of strain. Hold the tension for 10 seconds, and pay close attention to how it feels. Then, release the tension, and notice how the feeling of relaxation differs from the feeling of tension.

• Feet: Curl your toes tightly into your feet. Hold that position for 10 seconds. Notice what that tension feels like, then release. Move them around. Let them relax.
  
• Calves: Keep your heals on the ground while you point your toes up towards the ceiling. Hold that position for 10 seconds. Notice what that tension feels like, then release. Move them around.  Let them relax.
  
• Thighs: Squeeze your thighs together tightly. Hold that position for 10 seconds. Notice what that tension feels like, then release. Move them around.  Let them relax.
  
• Torso: Suck in your abdomen, hold it for 10 seconds. Notice what that tension feels like, then release the tension and let it fall.  Let your torso relax.
  
• Back: Squeeze your shoulder blades together. Hold that position for 10 seconds. Notice what that tension feels like, then release. Move them around.  Let your back relax.
  
• Shoulders: Lift and squeeze your shoulders toward your ears. Hold that position for 10 seconds. Notice what that tension feels like, then release. Move them around.  Let them relax.
  
• Arms: Make fists and squeeze them toward your shoulders. Hold that position for 10 seconds. Notice what that tension feels like, then release. Move them around.  Let them relax.
  
• Hands: Make a fist by curling your fingers into your palm. Hold that position for 10 seconds. Notice what that tension feels like, then release. Move them around.  Let them relax.
  
• Face: Scrunch your facial features to the center of your face. Hold that position for 10 seconds. Notice what that tension feels like, then release. Let your face relax.
  
• Full Body: Do all of the steps above at the same time. Hold that position for 10 seconds. Notice what that tension feels like, then release. Shake everything off.  Let everything relax.  Inhale slowly and exhale fully.

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Progressive Muscle Relaxation Guided Video