Practice Progressive Muscle Relaxation
The regular practice of progressive muscle relaxation can go a long way toward helping you to better manage your anxiety, face your fears, overcome panic, and feel better all round.
Benefits will be obtained by practicing at least once a day, for 15-20 minutes. Twice a day is ideal, but once is better than not at all.
Assume a comfortable position either lying down or sitting in a reclining chair, in a quiet room where you won’t be disturbed.
The idea is to tense each muscle group hard for 8 seconds (not so hard that you strain though), and then let go of it suddenly. Notice the difference between the feeling of tension and the feeling of relaxation. Relax the muscle group for about 20 seconds before moving on to the next muscle group.
Step-by-step guide on how to do Progressive Muscle Relaxation:
You may wish to tape this onto a cassette for yourself to help you, or try to memorise the sequence before you start. In time, it will come naturally.
- Begin by taking three deep abdominal breaths, exhaling slowly each time.
- Clench your fists. Hold for 8 seconds, then release for 20 seconds. Feel the relaxation as you let go.
- Tighten your biceps by drawing your forearms up toward your shoulders and “making a muscle” with both arms. Hold….. then relax.
- Tighten your triceps (the muscles on the undersides of your upper arms) by extending your arms straight out and locking your elbows. Hold…. Then relax.
- Tense the muscles in your forehead by raising your eyebrows as far as you can. Hold….. then relax. Imagine your forehead becoming smooth and relaxed.
- Tense the muscles around your eyes by clenching your eyelids tightly shut. Hold… then relax.
- Tighten your jaw by opening your mouth so widely that you stretch the muscles around the hinges of your jaw. Hold….. then relax.
- Tighten the muscles in the back of your neck by pulling your head way back, as if you were going to touch your head to your back (be gentle with this muscle group to avoid injury). Hold…. Then relax. Do several times if this area is particularly tense.
- Take a few deep abdominal breaths and focus on your head sinking into whatever surface it is resting on.
- Tighten your shoulders by raising them up as if you were going to touch your ears. Hold…. Then relax.
- Tighten the muscles around your shoulder blades by pushing your shoulder blades back as if you were going to touch them together. Hold…. Then relax. Do this again if the area is particularly tight.
- Tighten the muscles of your chest by taking in a deep breath which you hold for up to 10 seconds…. Then slowly release.
- Tighten your stomach muscles by sucking your stomach in. Hold…. Then relax. Imagine a wave of relaxation spreading through your abdomen.
- Tighten your lower back by arching it up (omit this exercise if you have lower back pain). Hold…. Then relax.
- Tighten your buttocks by pulling them together. Hold… then relax. Imagine the muscles in your hips going loose and limp.
- Squeeze the muscles in your thighs and hips all the way down to your knees. Hold ….. then relax.
- Tighten your calf muscles by pulling your toes toward you (flex carefully to avoid cramps). Hold …. Then relax.
- Tighten your feet by curling your toes downward. Hold… then relax.
Reference: Bourne, E (2005) The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook. New Harbinger Publications, USA.
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