Progressive Muscle Relaxation to Relieve Your Stress

Progressive Muscle Relaxation or PMR is a technique done by alternating the tension and relaxation of different muscle groups to reduce stress and anxiety. PMR is often used with other standard treatments by physicians to relieve symptoms of various conditions, including headaches, cancer pain, hypertension, insomnia, and digestive discomfort. By practicing this technique, people can learn about how tensed and relaxed muscles feel differently. When practiced correctly, you may gain better control over your body’s anxiety response.

Let’s take a look at the benefits of this relaxation technique that are supported by research. A study published in the European Journal of Oral Sciences showed that PMR is effective in relieving tension and worry in dental patients. A 2020 study found that it can aid patients with COVID-19 staying in an isolation ward to improve their poor sleep quality and lessen their anxiety. University of California, Berkeley’s law school in the US, encourages its students to practice PMR to take care of their mental well-being.

We will now give you some tips on practicing the techniques of progressive muscle relaxation. Practicing PMR daily can be helpful for unwinding. The key point of this technique is to tense each muscle group and hold it for a few seconds. Then, relax your muscles completely for 10 to 20 seconds while exhaling at the same time. Now, take a few breaths slowly. You may spend a few minutes working on diaphragmatic breathing to calm yourself.

We will now start to work on one area of the body at a time while leaving the other parts relaxed. Squeeze the muscles in your forehead, holding them for 15 seconds. Slowly relax them and count for 30 seconds. We will now move to the jaw. After relaxing muscles in the head area, we now work our way down to the neck and shoulders. Let’s now work on our arms and hands. We will now work on the muscles from the waist down. The next muscle group to work on are those in the legs. Enjoy the calmness and relaxation that PMR has brought you.