Progressive muscle relaxation
Tense and release each muscle group to let go of physical tension.
Progressive muscle relaxation was developed by the physician Edmund Jacobson in the 1920s and 1930s. You gently tense a group of muscles for about 5 seconds, then release it for 15–20 seconds, noticing the difference between tension and relaxation.
Stress and anxiety keep muscles tight, often without our noticing. Tensing a muscle on purpose and then letting it go teaches you to recognise tension and release it. Practised regularly, it lowers physical tension and anxiety, and can help with sleep.
Progressive muscle relaxation
Ready
find a comfortable position.
Sit or lie down, let your eyes close if you like, and press Start when you are ready.
About 7 minutes
Tense gently, never to the point of pain. Skip any area that is injured or sore.
Step-by-step
Find a quiet place, sit or lie comfortably, and close your eyes if you like. For each muscle group, tense gently for about 5 seconds, then release for 15–20 seconds, noticing the feeling of relaxation. Do each group twice.
Short version (7 groups, about 7 minutes)
- Hands and arms. Make fists and bend your arms to tighten your forearms and upper arms.
- Face. Raise your eyebrows, then squeeze your eyes shut and clench your jaw gently.
- Neck and shoulders. Lift your shoulders up towards your ears.
- Chest and back. Take a deep breath, hold it, and draw your shoulder blades together.
- Stomach. Tighten your stomach muscles as if bracing for a light push.
- Thighs. Press your knees together and tighten the muscles above them.
- Lower legs and feet. Point your toes up towards your face, then curl them down gently.
Full version (16 groups, about 15 minutes)
- Dominant hand and forearm: make a fist.
- Dominant upper arm: push your elbow down into the chair.
- Non-dominant hand and forearm: make a fist.
- Non-dominant upper arm: push your elbow down into the chair.
- Forehead: raise your eyebrows as high as you can.
- Upper cheeks and nose: squint your eyes and wrinkle your nose.
- Lower cheeks and jaw: clench your teeth gently and pull back the corners of your mouth.
- Neck and throat: pull your chin towards your chest, without touching it.
- Chest, shoulders and upper back: take a deep breath, hold it, and pull your shoulder blades together.
- Stomach: tighten your stomach muscles.
- Dominant thigh: tighten the muscles on the top and bottom of the thigh together.
- Dominant calf: pull your toes up towards your head.
- Dominant foot: point your toes and curl them down gently.
- Non-dominant thigh: as for the other thigh.
- Non-dominant calf: as for the other calf.
- Non-dominant foot: as for the other foot.
Finish by sitting quietly for a minute, breathing slowly, before you get up.
When to use it
- At bedtime, if you have trouble falling asleep.
- When you notice tight shoulders, a clenched jaw or headaches from tension.
- As a daily practice, which works better than using it only in difficult moments.
Safety notes
- Tense gently, never to the point of pain.
- Skip any area with an injury, recent surgery or pain.
- If you have high blood pressure, a heart condition or are pregnant, use only light tension, or check with your doctor first.
References
- Jacobson, E. (1938). Progressive relaxation (2nd ed.). University of Chicago Press.
- Bernstein, D. A., & Borkovec, T. D. (1973). Progressive relaxation training: A manual for the helping professions. Research Press.
- McCallie, M. S., Blum, C. M., & Hood, C. J. (2006). Progressive muscle relaxation. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 13(3), 51–66. https://doi.org/10.1300/J137v13n03_04