Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Release physical tension systematically to achieve deep mental relaxation.
What is Progressive Muscle Relaxation?
Developed by Dr. Edmund Jacobson in the 1920s, Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is based on a simple insight: your mind cannot be truly relaxed if your body is tense. By deliberately tensing and then releasing each muscle group, you train your nervous system to recognize and release tension on demand.
Anxiety creates chronic muscle tension — especially in the shoulders, jaw, and forehead — often without you noticing. PMR makes you aware of this tension so you can release it. It's one of the most clinically studied and effective relaxation techniques.
The Full Body Sequence
Work from head to toe. For each muscle group: tense for 5 seconds, then release completely for 10-20 seconds. Feel the contrast.
Face: Squint eyes, grit jaw, press tongue to roof
Neck: Push chin to chest, then lift
Shoulders: Shrug up toward ears hard
Arms: Bend elbows, flex biceps
Hands: Make tight fists
Chest: Take deep breath, hold, tense
Stomach: Suck stomach in tightly
Legs: Press heels down, tense thighs
Feet: Curl toes under, tense
Full session takes 15-20 minutes. Best done lying down.
Why It Works
The physical act of tensing muscles triggers the body's natural relaxation response. After deliberately creating tension, the subsequent release signals safety to the nervous system. Over time, PMR trains you to notice subtle tension you normally ignore — and release it before it builds into anxiety.