If you do the exercises we talked about earlier this week, 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?