Progressive Relaxation Technique

Learning to manage your stress levels is one of the smartest things you can do to guard against illness and loss of job productivity. An effective way of managing stress is to practice a progressive relaxation technique that is derived from traditional meditation practices.

It involves consciously relaxing your muscles from you feet and all the way up to your head. To start, find a quiet and comfortable place to sit or lie down. Don’t choose to do this while lying in your bed as you may fall asleep during the process. However, if you suffer from insomnia, this may be a technique for you to try. Take a few deep breaths while focusing on expanding your lungs and allowing your abdomen to rise and fall. Beginning at your feet, tense all of the muscles in your feet and toes as much as you can for 15 to 20 seconds and then let them relax completely for another 5 or 10 seconds. Next, tense up the muscles in your calves for 15 or 20 seconds and allow them to relax. From there, move on to your thighs, buttocks, abdomen, arms, shoulders, neck and face. Focus on your breathing again and notice how much more relaxed you feel.

The whole process should only take about 5 to 10 minutes but will allow you to carry on with your workday in a more relaxed manner or this technique can be used to help you settle down at the end of your day. The physical act of tensing your muscles and releasing them again not only helps you to relax your body but also you mind and thoughts. So, next time you are feeling stressed, give it a try.