Relaxation techniques Rautaki whakatā

Muscle tension is associated with stress, anxiety and fear. It is part of a process that helps our bodies prepare for potentially dangerous situations.

Even though some of these situations may not be dangerous, our bodies respond in the same way. We may not even notice our muscles becoming tense.

Muscle tension can cause muscle aches and leave you feeling exhausted. Progressive muscle relaxation helps us learn to relax our muscles.

Progressive muscle relaxation techniques

Progressive muscle relaxation is a method of learning to recognise muscle tension and then reduce it. It involves:

• tensing muscles
• recognising the sensation of muscles working
• allowing the muscles to relax.

What to do

Start by sitting or lying comfortably.

Tighten the muscle groups as described below, depending on the area you are concentrating on. Focus on the sensation of tension. Then feel the different sensation as you let those muscles relax.

Breathe in as you tighten your muscles and breathe out as you relax them.

Feel the sensation of your muscles flopping as you relax them.

When you have finished, stay seated or lying down. Slow your breathing for a few minutes before you become fully alert.

Face and head muscles

Close your eyes and push (purse) your lips together as tightly as possible. Then release the tension in the muscles.

Raise your eyebrows towards your hairline, then relax these muscles. Feel the different sensation in those muscles as they relax.

Jaw and tongue muscles

Press your tongue to the roof of your mouth firmly. Then release the tension in your tongue.

Open your mouth as widely as possible. Then relax your mouth.

Say the letter 'nnnnn' to yourself. When you say 'nnnnn', your tongue automatically releases tension and sits at the roof of your mouth.

Neck and shoulder muscles

Tilt your head gently to the left, then roll it forward, and finally roll it to the right.

Bring your head back to the middle and raise your shoulders towards your ears.

Hold your shoulders up and feel the tension in the muscles up through the back of your neck and across your shoulders. Then let those muscles relax.

As your shoulders drop down, feel the different sensation in those muscles as they flop.

Hand and forearm muscles

Bend your fingers into fists. As you bend your fingers towards fists, feel how the muscles in your forearms work to make this movement.

Hold your fingers in tight fists and feel the muscles working. Then let those muscles relax and let your hands loosen their grip.

Bend your elbows to bring your hands towards your shoulders, then relax your arms back to your sides. Feel the different sensation in those muscles as they relax.

Butt muscles

Your glutes are the main muscles in your butt.

Become aware of these muscles. Squeeze the cheeks of your butt together. Notice the sensation of tension in your glutes as they tighten. Then let those muscles relax.

Abdominal and thigh muscles

As you tighten your glutes, your abdominal and thigh muscles also tighten.

Repeat the tensing of your glutes, but focus on the sensation of tension in your abdominal and thigh muscles.

Feel the tension, then let those muscles relax. Feel the different sensation in those muscles as they relax.

Leg and feet muscles

Point your feet downwards (or push your feet into the floor), then pull your feet up as far as possible. Feel the tension in the front and back of your lower legs. Then let those muscles relax.

With your legs relaxed, curl your toes down and then bend the toes up as far as possible. Feel the tension, then let those muscles relax. Feel the different sensation in those muscles as they relax.

Next steps

Through practice, you can become more aware of your muscles and how they respond with tension and how you can relax them.

Training your body to respond differently to stress is like any training. Practising consistently is the key. Then, when you start to feel anxious, you can progressively tense and relax your muscles to help calm yourself.

We breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. To work properly, our bodies need a balance between oxygen and carbon dioxide. We maintain this balance through how fast and how deeply we breathe.

When we are anxious, we take in more air than our body needs — we over-breathe, or hyperventilate. The body responds with chemical changes. These produce symptoms such as:

• dizziness
• light-headedness
• confusion
• breathlessness
• blurred vision
• increased heart rate
• numbness and tingling in our hands and feet
• cold clammy hands
• muscle stiffness.

We can use a calming breathing technique to overcome this.

Many people who over-breathe do not realise they are doing so. Signs you are over-breathing include:

• frequent sighing
• yawning
• audible intakes of air before speech.

Breathing problems can make you feel:

• frightened
• light-headed
• dizzy.

Learning to regain control of your breathing gives you a simple tool to calm yourself and relax when you feel panicky.

Calming breathing technique

Continued over-breathing can leave you feeling exhausted or on edge. This makes it more likely that you will respond to stressful situations with extreme anxiety and panic.

To gain control over your breathing, you need to slow your breathing rate. You also need to change your breathing style.

• Make sure you are sitting or lying comfortably and have uninterrupted time to relax.
• Breathe in gently — preferably through your nose.
• Breathe out gently through your nose.
• After you have breathed out, allow a short pause before you breathe in again.

A natural, relaxed breathing pattern is:

• gently in
• gently out
• a pause.

All your breathing should be through your nose.

Try to practise at least once a day at a time when you can relax relatively free from distraction. Try to set aside some time each day.

This technique can slow your breathing and reduce your general anxiety. It can also help to reduce your anxiety when you are in an anxious situation.