Reading Time: 5 minutes
Progressive muscle relaxation –
This exercise can help you learn how to relax when you are feeling anxious. It is a simple technique that involves tensing and relaxing different muscle groups.
- Give around 20 minutes to complete this exercise, the first time around.
- The first time get someone to read the instructions, slowly and calmly. a
Instructions
“Take a deep breath in through your nose…hold your breath for a few seconds…and now breathe out…good…take another deep breath through your nose……hold your breath…now breathe out slowly. One more time, pay attention to your breath and how it feels as it enters yur body.
Let’s start with your legs… Stretch out your legs in front and point your toes…squeeze the muscles in the top of your legs…now squeeze the muscles in the bottom of your legs…hold itdsfor 5 secons…now relax slowlyyy……relax all the muscles in your legs…notice how heavy your legs feel… now take a deep breath and hold…and breathe out…
Now, make a fist with your left hand and squeeze…imagine that you are holding a lemon and you are squeezing all the juice out of it…feel the tightness in your hand and arm… hold for five seconds…and now relax your hand slowly… notice how your muscles feel when they are relaxed…now make a fist with your right hand and squeeze tight…imagine that your holding a lemon and squeeze all the juice out…feel the tightness in your hand and arm…hold it…and now relax your hand… enjoy feeling relaxed… now take a deep breath and hold…and breathe out…
Stretch your arms out in front of you like you are reaching out to touch something or someone…keep stretching…hold it for five seconds…and now slowly relax and let your arms drop to your sides……notice how relaxed your arms feel…relax your arms…now stretch your arms up above your head…try to reach for the ceiling with your fingers and hold for five seconds…now let your arms drop to your sides…relax you arms……notice how calm you feel… now take a deep breath and hold…and breathe out…
Wrinkle up your faces as much as you can…wrinkle your nose…mouth…eyes…forehead…cheeks…and push your lips together…Notice how tight the muscles in your face feel…hold it for five seconds…good…now slowly relax…let all the muscles in your face go limp…notice how relaxed you feel… now take a deep breath and hold…and breathe out…
Notice how good you feel…so relaxed…so calm…now take a deep breath and hold it…and breathe out…you’ve done very well! When you are ready, you can slowly open your eyes.”
Continue to page 4 for step 3.