Progressive Muscle Relaxation: A Step-by-Step Guide for Anxiety, Stress & Emotional Regulation
Physical tension and anxiety feed each other: the more tension your body holds onto, the more that tension keeps signalling to your nervous system that something is wrong. Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) works by deliberately tensing a muscle and then releasing it, which releases some of that built-up tension instead of letting it keep feeding your stress response.
What it is
PMR involves tensing one muscle group at a time for a few seconds, then releasing it completely and noticing the difference. Moving through the major muscle groups in sequence — usually from feet to face, or the reverse — tends to leave the whole body noticeably calmer by the end.
How to do it
- Sit or lie down somewhere comfortable where you have a few uninterrupted minutes.
- Start with your feet: curl your toes tightly for about 5 seconds, then release completely and notice the difference for 10–15 seconds.
- Move to your calves: tense them, hold, release, and notice.
- Continue through your major muscle groups: thighs, glutes, stomach, hands (make a fist), arms, shoulders (shrug them up), neck, and face (scrunch it up).
- With each group: tense firmly but not to the point of pain, hold about 5 seconds, then let go all at once and pay attention to the feeling of release.
- When you finish all the muscle groups, sit for a moment and notice your body as a whole.
If tensing a particular area isn't advisable for you physically (an injury, for example), simply skip that group and move on to the next one.
When it helps
PMR works particularly well for anxiety or stress that shows up as physical tension — a tight chest, clenched jaw, or a body that feels like it can't settle — and as a wind-down practice before sleep. Like the other techniques here, it tends to work best with some regular practice rather than only when anxiety or stress is already at its peak.