Relaxing is a learned skill. Here’s how to correctly master the art
Deliberate muscle relaxation immediately reduces stress, fatigue and anxiety. And the best part: The more you do it, the more effective it is
23.01.2022
Most of us go through life not knowing that there is a particular technique to relaxing — deliberate muscle relaxation — that immediately reduces fatigue, anxiety and and creates a kind of all-over refreshed feeling that can be attained nearly anywhere.
Loosen up
One of the most widely used methods is progressive muscle relaxation, which was developed by Edmund Jacobson, a medical doctor who pioneered research into the connection between physical tension and mental well-being.
Jacobson’s insight was that a moderately tense muscle is indistinct — that is, one often does not notice, in ordinary life, that certain muscles are in a state of tension. His method for relaxation is thus a two-step process. First, learn to recognise what a particular muscle feels like when it is flexed. Then, focusing on that muscle in the f lexed state, do the o pposit e o f f le xi ng : Re l a x.
When you’re starting out wit h muscle r el a xa t io n , i t c an be helpful to set aside time and s p ac e t o d o i t . F i n d 1 0 t o 1 5 m i n utes in the day when you’re unlikely to be disturbed. Look for a quiet spot where you can lie down on a bed or sit on a couch. Close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths.
Now begin: Start at your extremities — say, your hands. Clench them and focus on what that feels like. What is the physical sensation of a clenched fist? Which muscles are activated, and what does their activation feel like? After you have spent a few seconds focusing on the clench, do the opposite. As you exhale, gently unclench your fist. Let go of the tension. Feel your hand loosening, becoming heavy, falling into relaxation.
Repeat this with other parts. Your arms: Flex your biceps, feel the f lex and then let go. Your shoulders: Shrug, then unshrug. Your mouth: Smile wide and feel the pull of your smile muscles, then let your smile go limp.
Quieten the body
Muscle relaxation is related to meditation — quieting thebody is an important part of quieting the mind — but it is much easier to get into and a lot more portable. With practice, you’ll learn to achieve mastery over your tension, to sense how you’re unconsciously tightening parts of your body during the course of a day. Once you begin to recognise that feeling, muscle relaxation can become an all-over, all-the-time activity.
— THE NEW YORK TIMES
