Progressive muscle relaxation to reduce your stress

How often do you hear someone say to “Just Relax” - it could be the dentist as the drill starts up, or the suggestion from a colleague or family member as you express your work or home frustrations? Many people tell us to relax but never tell us how to do so.

Progressive muscle relaxation is a technique for muscle relaxation that was developed by Dr Jacobson in the 1920’s.

Progressive muscle relaxation induces relaxation by tensing up and letting go of various muscle groups (while keeping the rest of the body relaxed). The idea is that by tensing the muscle group first, you are able to relax the muscle group more than if you tried to relax your muscle directly.

The technique works by tensing a muscle group for 5-10 seconds and then letting the muscle group go completely limp for 20-30s. Try to concentrate on tensing and then relaxing the muscle group completely.

Review the directions below to guide yourself through the progressive muscle relaxation exercise. One of the most common mistakes that beginners make is that they go too quick. The entire process should take 20 -25 minutes a day. Try to do twice a day.

Overview of the basic technique

1. Sit in a comfortable recliner chair or lie down.
2. Separately tense each muscle group for about 5 seconds. A good way to do this is to say to yourself “Tense, Tense, Tense” when tensing your muscles.
3. Release the tension slowly for about 20 seconds. A good way to do this is to say to yourself slowly “Relax and let go, Relax and let go, Relax and let go”.
The advantage of using this cue word to relax is that when progressive muscle relaxation is mastered, simply by thinking of this cue word can trigger a relaxation response.
4. When tensing your muscles breath in; and when relaxing your muscles breathe out.

Muscle groups and exercises

1. Face squeeze. Scrunch up your face by wrinkling your forehead, clenching your jaw, squinting your eyes tightly for 5 seconds. Relax and let go completely for 20 seconds, allowing your facial muscles to smoothen out. (Do twice).
2. Front of neck squeeze. Gently push your head forward, slightly squeezing the front of your neck. Relax and let go completely limp for 20 seconds. (Do twice)
3. Shoulder squeeze. Shrug your shoulders towards your ears. Relax and let go completely limp for 20 seconds. (Do twice)
4. Arm squeeze. Curl your right arm up so that your hand approaches your shoulder. Flex your bicep for 5 seconds. Relax your right arm and let it go completely limp for 20 seconds. The arm should rest on your leg or lap. (Do twice for the right arm and do twice for the left arm)
5. Arm side squeeze. Squeeze your right arm into the side of your body, as though squeezing a ball under your arm pit. Tense your right arm for 5 seconds. Relax your right arm and let it go completely limp for 20 seconds. (Do twice for the right arm and do twice for the left arm)
6. Hand squeeze. Make a tight fist with your right hand for 5 seconds. Relax your right hand and let it go completely limp for 20 seconds. (Do twice for the right hand and do twice for the left hand)
7. Chest and stomach squeeze. Gently tighten the chest and stomach in a way that is comfortable for you. Relax and go completely limp for 20 seconds. (Do twice)
8. Back squeeze. Tighten the muscles in your back by either squeezing your shoulders together – as though you are scratching an itch, or by pushing your lower back into the chair. Tense for 5 seconds and then relax and go completely limp for 20 seconds. (Do twice)
9. Buttock squeeze. Tighten the muscles in your buttocks for 5 seconds and then relax and go completely limp for 20 seconds. (Do twice)
10. Upper leg squeeze. Tighten the muscles in your upper leg for 5 seconds and then relax and go completely limp for 20 seconds. (Do twice for each leg)
11. Lower leg squeeze. Tighten the muscles in your lower leg for 5 seconds and then relax and go completely limp for 20 seconds. (Do twice for each leg)
12. Foot squeeze. Tighten the muscles in your foot by either bringing your toes up as if to touch your knees, or by curling your toes under as if to touch the sole of your foot. Tense for 5 seconds and then relax and go completely limp for 20 seconds. (Do twice for each foot)