Muscle relaxation techniques for stress

Relaxation techniques: Try these steps to reduce stress

Relaxation techniques can reduce stress symptoms and help you enjoy a better quality of life, especially if you have an illness. Explore relaxation techniques you can do by yourself.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

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Relaxation techniques are a great way to help with stress management. Relaxation isn’t only about peace of mind or enjoying a hobby. It’s a process that decreases the stress effects on your mind and body. Relaxation techniques can help you cope with everyday stress. And these techniques can help with long-term stress or stress related to various health problems, such as heart disease and pain.

Whether your stress is spiraling out of control or you’ve already got it tamed, you can benefit from learning relaxation techniques. Learning basic relaxation techniques is easy. Relaxation techniques are often free or low cost, pose little risk, and can be done nearly anywhere.

Explore simple relaxation techniques and get started on de-stressing your life and improving your health and overall well-being.

The benefits of relaxation techniques

When faced with many responsibilities and tasks or the demands of an illness, relaxation techniques may not be a priority in your life. But that means you might miss out on the health benefits of relaxation.

Practicing relaxation techniques can have many benefits, such as:

Slowing heart rate
Lowering blood pressure
Slowing breathing rate
Improving digestion
Controlling blood sugar levels
Reducing activity of stress hormones
Increasing blood flow to major muscles
Reducing muscle tension and chronic pain
Improving focus and mood
Improving sleep quality
Lowering fatigue
Reducing anger and frustration
Boosting confidence to handle problems

To get the most benefit, use relaxation techniques along with other positive coping methods, such as:

Thinking positively
Finding humor
Problem-solving
Managing time and priorities
Exercising regularly
Eating a healthy diet
Getting enough sleep
Spending time outside
Reaching out to supportive family and friends

Types of relaxation techniques

Health care providers such as complementary and integrative health specialists and mental health providers can teach many relaxation techniques. But you can also learn some relaxation techniques on your own.

In general, relaxation techniques involve refocusing your attention on something calming and increasing awareness of your body. It doesn’t matter which relaxation technique you choose. What matters is that you try to practice relaxation regularly to reap its benefits.

Types of relaxation techniques include:

Autogenic relaxation. Autogenic means something that comes from within you. In this relaxation technique, you use both visual imagery and body awareness to reduce stress.

You repeat words or suggestions in your mind that may help you relax and reduce muscle tension. For example, you may imagine a peaceful setting. Then you can focus on relaxing your breathing, slowing your heart rate, or feeling different physical sensations, such as relaxing each arm or leg one by one.
Progressive muscle relaxation. In this relaxation technique, you focus on slowly tensing and then relaxing each muscle group.

This can help you focus on the difference between muscle tension and relaxation. You can become more aware of physical sensations.

In one method of progressive muscle relaxation, you start by tensing and relaxing the muscles in your toes and progressively working your way up to your neck and head. This is best done in a quiet area without interruptions. You can also start with your head and neck and work down to your toes. Tense your muscles for about five seconds and then relax for 30 seconds, and repeat.
Visualization. In this relaxation technique, you may form mental images to take a visual journey to a peaceful, calming place or situation.

To relax using visualization, try to include as many senses as you can, such as smell, sight, sound and touch. If you imagine relaxing at the ocean, for instance, think about the smell of salt water, the sound of crashing waves and the warmth of the sun on your body.

You may want to close your eyes, sit in a quiet spot, loosen any tight clothing, and focus on your breathing. Aim to focus on the present and think positive thoughts.

Other relaxation techniques may include:

Deep breathing
Massage
Meditation
Tai chi
Yoga
Biofeedback
Music and art therapy
Aromatherapy
Hydrotherapy

Relaxation techniques take practice

As you learn relaxation techniques, you can become more aware of muscle tension and other physical sensations of stress. Once you know what the stress response feels like, you can make a conscious effort to practice a relaxation technique the moment you start to feel stress symptoms. This can prevent stress from spiraling out of control and decreasing your quality of life.

Remember that relaxation techniques are skills. As with any skill, your ability to relax improves with practice. Be patient with yourself. Don’t let your effort to practice relaxation techniques become yet another stressor.

If one relaxation technique doesn’t work for you, try another technique. If none of your efforts at stress reduction seems to work, talk to your health care provider about other options.

Also, keep in mind that some people, especially those with serious mental health issues and a history of abuse, may experience feelings of emotional discomfort during some relaxation techniques. Although this is rare, if you experience emotional discomfort during relaxation techniques, stop what you’re doing. Consider talking to your health care provider or mental health provider.

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Complementary, alternative, or integrative health: What’s in a name? National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. https://nccih.nih.gov/health/integrative-health. Accessed Dec. 22, 2021.
Relaxation techniques for health. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. https://nccih.nih.gov/health/stress/relaxation.htm. Accessed Dec. 22, 2021.
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See more In-depth

For some people, learning to control their anxiety is all they can hope for if they can’t overcome it completely. To help with this, there are various relaxation techniques you can use to calm the mind and reduce the muscle tension anxiety can cause.

If you’ve any medical conditions – such as problems with your breathing – speak to your GP before trying any relaxation exercises.

How often?

You should try to set aside 30 minutes, 2 or 3 times each day to practice these techniques. The more you practice, the better you will get and the more effective they will be.

It’s important to keep using these techniques, even if you don’t feel better straight away. It will take time and regular practice before you start to feel the benefits.

Relaxation preparation

Before you start relaxing, make sure your mind, body and surroundings are just right. To prepare yourself:

find a cool and quiet room where you’ll not be disturbed
lie down or sit comfortably with your legs uncrossed
put on comfortable clothes and take off your shoes
lightly close your eyes, or focus on a spot in front of you
clear your thoughts and focus on your breath

Don’t worry if you can’t relax immediately. Thoughts might pop into your mind. Don’t focus on them just let them pass through.

Make a note of how relaxed you were before, and after, the exercises to see if it’s helped.

Breathing to relax

Breathing too quickly, and deeply, can make you feel dizzy, faint or even more anxious. Taking slow, regular breaths can help you to control anxious thoughts and feelings, and make you feel calmer.

To control your breathing:

Place one hand on your chest and the other over your stomach. You want your stomach to move more than your chest as you breathe.
Take a slow, regular breath in (through your nose if you can). Watch your hands as you breathe in. The hand on your stomach should move and your chest should not.
Breathe out slowly through pursed lips.
Repeat this 10 times, twice a day.

It might take time to master this technique. Once you have, you won’t need to watch your hands or put them on your stomach.

Simple visualisation exercise

This exercise involves using an image as a way to focus the mind.

Create in your mind an ideal spot to relax. It can be:

real or imaginary
somewhere you will find restful, calming, safe and happy
a place you would want to return to whenever you feel the need to relax

Imagine it in as much detail as you can – use your senses to make it as real as possible – and see yourself comfortably enjoying this place.

Now close your eyes and take a slow, regular breath in through your nose. Become aware of your breathing. Focus on your relaxation place in all its detail and breathe out through your mouth.

Do this exercise for 10 to 20 minutes.

Quick muscle relaxation

This exercise will teach you to recognise and reduce muscle tension. You can relieve tension in any part of your body just by tensing and relaxing each muscle in turn.

Sitting in a comfortable chair:

Close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing. Slowly breath in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Make a fist, squeezing your hand tightly.
Hold this for a few seconds, noticing the tension.
Slowly open your fingers and feel the difference – notice the tension leaving. Your hand is much lighter and relaxed. Enjoy this feeling.

If you have any physical injuries or conditions that may cause muscle pain, don’t tense the muscle in that area.

Cued relaxation

Once you’ve mastered some relaxation exercises you can use them whenever, and wherever, you need to throughout the day.

To do this you can use a ‘cue’, something that’ll catch your eye and remind you to:

drop your shoulders
check your breathing
relax the muscles in your body

An example of a ‘cue’ could be a small coloured dot on your watch, or a room in your home, which will act as your reminder.

After relaxation

Don’t rush to get up after relaxation exercises. Sit with your eyes closed for a few minutes to avoid the possibility of feeling dizzy. Open your eyes and make sure you feel all right before standing up.