A Body Scan
If you do the exercises we talked about on Sunday, you’re going to be feeling more relaxed. However, what you want to do at this point is to scan your body for places that might still be tense. So, starting at your toes, work your way up your body. If you feel tension somewhere, for example, in your neck and shoulders, tense and relax that area one or two more times.
That’s all there is to progressive muscle relaxation!
If you had trouble the first time, try it again. It sometimes takes a while for people to get comfortable with Progressive Muscle Relaxation. Some people like to do it lying down while others enjoy listening to relaxing music. Other people get a more complete relaxation experience by going straight from progressive muscle relaxation into five minutes of box breathing. Whatever works for you is fine.
Now would be a great time to take a short break. Try the above exercise before continuing. Imagine that all of the muscles in your body are relaxed. Try some deep breathing.
Does this strategy work for you?
Samantha, Health Educator
