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PROGRESSIVE MUSCLE RELAXATION
How It Works
Have you ever had an aching back or pain in
your neck when you were anxious or stressed? When you have anxiety or stress in
your life, one of the ways your body responds is with muscle tension.
Progressive muscle relaxation is a method that helps relieve that tension.
·
In progressive muscle
relaxation, you tense a group of muscles as you breathe in, and you relax them
as you breathe out. You work on your muscle groups in a certain order.
·
When your body is
physically relaxed, you cannot feel anxious.
·
When you first start,
it helps to use an audio recording until you learn all the muscle groups in
order.
·
If you have trouble
falling asleep, this method may also help with your sleep problems.
The muscle groups
The following is a list of the muscle groups
in order and how to tense them.
|
Muscle group |
What to do |
|
Hands |
Clench them. |
|
Wrists and forearms |
Extend them, and bend your hands back at the
wrist. |
|
Biceps and upper arms |
Clench your hands into fists, bend your arms
at the elbows, and flex your biceps. |
|
Shoulders |
Shrug them (raise toward your ears). |
|
Forehead |
Wrinkle it into a deep frown. |
|
Around the eyes and bridge of the nose |
Close your eyes as tightly as you can.
(Remove contact lenses before you start the exercise.) |
|
Cheeks and jaws |
Smile as widely as you can. |
|
Around the mouth |
Press your lips together tightly. (Check
your face for tension. You just want to use your lips.) |
|
Back of the neck |
Press the back of your head against the
floor or chair. |
|
Front of the neck |
Touch your chin to your chest. (Try not to
create tension in your neck and head.) |
|
Chest |
Take a deep breath, and hold it for 4 to 10
seconds. |
|
Back |
Arch your back up and away from the floor or
chair. |
|
Stomach |
Suck it into a tight knot. (Check your chest
and stomach for tension.) |
|
Hips and buttocks |
Press your buttocks together tightly. |
|
Thighs |
Clench them hard. |
|
Lower legs |
Point your toes toward your face. Then point
your toes away, and curl them downward at the same time. (Check the area from
your waist down for tension.) |
Background
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
was initially conceived in 1938*. It was designed to induce feelings
of relaxation by way of systematically tensing and relaxing 16 muscle
groups. This systematic process of tensing and relaxing, whilst guided, allows you
to focus on and discriminate between the resulting sensations of tension and
relaxation**.
By becoming aware of how your body reacts to
tension and relaxation can help you become aware of how your ‘physical’
stress contributes to your ‘emotional’ state. These techniques will simultaneously
alleviate your stress.
References
·
Anspaugh DJ, et al.
(2011). Coping with and managing stress. In Wellness: Concepts and
Applications, 8th ed., pp. 307–340. New York: McGraw-Hill.
·
Freeman L (2009).
Meditation. In L Freeman, ed., Mosby’s Complementary and Alternative Medicine:
A Research-Based Approach, 3rd ed., pp. 158–188. St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier.
·
Freeman L (2009).
Relaxation therapy. In Mosby’s Complementary and Alternative Medicine: A
Research-Based Approach, 3rd ed., pp. 129–157. St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier.
·
*Jacobson, E. (1938). Progressive muscle relaxation. J Abnorm Psychol, 75(1),
18.
·
**Bernstein, D. A., & Borkovec, T. D. (1973).
Progressive relaxation training: A manual for the helping professions.
Published:
December 18, 2020
Category:
Intervention
