A simple technique to reduce your stress level: Jacobson’s progressive relaxation

Of all the strategies that seek to reduce the physical impact of stress, Jacobson’s progressive muscle relaxation technique is one of the most effective. If we practice it repeatedly, it will be a great tool to progressively eliminate all muscular tensions.

Something that is curious about this technique, created by Edmund Jacobson in 1920, is that once we learn to apply it Instantly becomes a wonderful “pocket” resourcein a tool that we can all use at any given moment to find calm in a stressful situation.

Situations as common as facing an exam, a conference or a job interview almost always occur with that feeling of alarm on the part of our brain. This leads to muscle tension, abdominal pain, tremors, dry mouth and those intrusive thoughts that can take away our power and effectiveness when executing any task.

Jacobson’s progressive relaxation allows us to focus all our attention on a series of muscle exercises where, little by little, tensions are relieved and, above all, those disruptive ideas that generate discomfort and helplessness. Below, we explain how to apply it in your daily life.

Jacobson’s progressive relaxation and its relationship with therapy

We have all experienced a situation of specific stress Or, even more so, we may currently be living in a time of continuous and persistent anxiety. The good news is that you will be able to get rid of that anxiety, the less good news is that you will have to be constant in applying the technique. Before we get into it, we leave you three points that you can take into account:

People who suffer from intense stress are characterized by having a hyperactive mind. These thoughts cannot always be controlled and, consequently, neither can one’s behavior. Little by little, and almost without realizing it, we enter a vicious circle characterized by exhaustion. physical and mental, emotional blockage, bad mood, anxiety and inability to solve problems.

Jacobson’s progressive muscle relaxation technique as a pretherapeutic strategy

Let’s take an example to understand the usefulness of Jacobson’s progressive relaxation. Miguel is a neurologist, an excellent professional who suffers anxiety attacks every time he goes to conventions, congresses or conferences where he is forced to speak in public. That leads to the following:

The therapist he goes to has taught him to put into practice Jacobson’s progressive muscle relaxation to deal with this paralysis, those situations of high emotional intensity where he remains completely blocked. This technique is nothing more than a pre-therapeutic strategy, because Once the person manages to reach an adequate state of calm, subsequent psychological therapy can begin with the patient to offer appropriate strategies for fear management, personal safety, public speaking, among others.

Thus, as we can deduce, the strategy created by Edmund Jacobson allows us to achieve a state of mental calm through muscle relaxation. Once we manage to achieve that internal balance, It is time to restructure thoughts, change approaches and sanitize our fears..

How to apply Jacobson’s progressive muscle relaxation

In addition to being a fabulous strategy to channel anxiety and reduce stress, Jacobson’s progressive muscle relaxation has multiple health benefits:

Reduces blood pressure. Reduces seizures in epileptic people. Promotes a deeper and more restful rest.

Now, there is one aspect that should be clear: This technique requires a few trials before you can get the most out of it.. Its benefits will become increasingly faster and more effective as we put it into practice. Below we explain how to do it.

Relaxation sequence

The first thing we will do isFind a comfortable position. Therefore, take off your shoes and also make sure that your clothing does not constrict you. Extend your arms over your knees and begin this simple relaxation sequence:

Hands: Close your hands tightly until you feel the tension. Maintain this position for 10 seconds and, little by little, release each of the fingers one by one, feeling the relaxation.Shoulders: It is very simple, what we will do in this case is shrug our shoulders gently upwards, towards the ears. Feel the tension for a few moments, hold for 5 seconds, then release and feel the rest. Repeat 5 times.Neck: Then, we will bring the chin towards the chest for a few seconds, then relax.Mouth: Now, we will open our mouth and extend our tongue as much as possible for 10 seconds. Afterwards, relax. Then, instead of sticking our tongue out, we will bring it against our palate. Feel the tension and relax.Breathing: We continue our relaxation exercise with a simple breathing exercise. Breathe in for 5 seconds, hold it for 6 seconds, and exhale for 7 seconds. Too easy.Back: With our shoulders resting against the back of the chair, we lean our body forward a little, so that our back is arched; We maintain that position for 10 seconds and then relax.Feet: We finish our sequence by focusing our attention on the feet. Stretch your fingers as if you were trying to stand on tiptoe. Notice the tension for 10 seconds, then release and feel relaxation.

Adequate conditions

Whenever we begin with the practice of relaxation techniques is ideal create a space for this purpose. Until we have a good handle on a technique, it will be necessary to be silent, in the least stressful environment. If possible, we will try not to be interrupted. Mindfulness in practice is important to feel its full effects.

Dedicating a specific room or space at home to practice can have several benefits. For example, if we associate a room in the house with the practice of relaxation, every time we enter it we will automatically relax. Likewise, when we begin to relax, we will also more quickly enter a deeper state of relaxation.

In conclusion, you need to practice this simple sequence daily, looking for a moment of calm and solitude to promote adequate muscle relaxation. In this way, it connects with the mind to calm it, relax it and become aware of our here and now. Thus, progressive muscle relaxation works and becomes your best strategy to deal with any stressful situation.

You might be interested…