Progressive Muscle Relaxation Techniques
Are you looking for a progressive muscle relaxation script? Progressive muscle relaxation can help you to relax tense muscles and reduce anxiety.
When it is paired with systematic desensitization, it can also help reduce anxiety about specific situations such as public speaking anxiety.
While systematic desensitization won’t work for free-floating social anxiety or if there is a problem in your life that needs fixing (that is causing your anxiety, for example, financial stress), it is good for things like test anxiety, performance anxiety, and speech anxiety.
It’s good for situations where you know your reaction is out of proportion to the threat in the situation but you still can’t control it.
In other words, if you have a high level of anxiety that interferes with your behavior or performance in a specific situation, this type of therapy can help.
But it’s also something that you can do on your own as a self-help method. It can also be helpful if you have trouble falling asleep at night.
If you have any parts of your body that you should not tense or contract, then it’s best to get medical clearance from your doctor before practicing progressive muscle relaxation.
History of Progressive Muscle Relaxation
This procedure was first developed by Jacobson in the 1930s. It involves learning how to tense and relax different muscles in your body while paying attention to the feelings related to doing that.
It requires you to participate and practice if you want to reduce tension and anxiety.
While you might think that you should be able to just relax your muscles on command, it’s actually easier to practice tensing and then relaxing.
This way you can really see the difference between the two and enter a deeper state of relaxation.
It’s kind of like swinging a pendulum: it’s easier to swing it to the right if you first pull it back to the left.
A full session of progressive muscle relaxation involves tensing and relaxing 16 different muscle groups.
As you get better at doing it, you can follow instructions using fewer muscle groups.
Creating a Calm Environment
If you are going to practice progressive muscle relaxation, it is important to create a calm environment.
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This means choosing a room with little external noise, closing the drapes, turning off your phone, and dimming the lights.
If you can, turn off any overhead lighting, and use a lamp with a shade to control the amount of light in the room.
You’ll also want to either sit in a comfortable chair or recliner or lie down on a couch or bed.
Make sure to wear loose-fitting clothing and remove your glasses or contact lenses, watch, belt, and shoes.
Use the washroom before you get started since it can take up to 45 minutes to complete this process.
Before You Get Started
The script below goes through the 16 different muscle groups. Make sure that when you are tensing one muscle group, you are leaving the others relaxed.
For example, if you are tensing your right upper arm, make sure that your hand and lower arm are relaxed.
If you’re unsure whether you can isolate any of the muscles, you could start by trying to tense each area on its own before using the script.
Below is a list.
You may find that you need to make some funny faces while you do this.
That’s okay!
The procedure followed in this post is taken from this book about relaxation training.
In the following example, the right hand is the dominant hand.
If you are left-handed, you should start with your left hand and switch everything accordingly.
- Right hand and lower arm: make a fist
- Right upper arm: press elbow into surface
- Left hand and lower arm: make a fist
- Left upper arm: press elbow into surface
- Forehead: raise eyebrows or knit your brow
- Mid-face (cheeks): squint eyes, wrinkle nose
- Lower face (jaw and mouth): clench teeth and pull corners of mouth back
- Neck: pull chin down toward chest but without touching chest, or press head back into surface
- Chest, should, and upper back: take a deep breath, hold it, pull shoulder blades together and try to make them touch, or imagine a string pulling shoulders up
- Abdomen: make stomach hard, or pull in or push out as much as possible
- Right upper leg: tense muscles on top and bottom, or lift the leg
- Right calf (lower leg): pull toes up toward head, or point away from head
- Right foot: point toes, turn foot inward, curl toes, don’t tense too hard
- Left upper leg: tense muscles on top and bottom, or lift the leg
- Left calf: pull toes up toward head, or point away from head
- Left foot: point toes, turn foot inward, curl toes, don’t tense too hard
As you go through the procedure, you will be trying to relax each muscle group to the same extent as the previous one.
It’s also important to abruptly let the tension go when the script says to do this, rather than to let it go gradually.
After you’ve relaxed a group of muscles, it’s best not to move that group again.
As much as possible, try to stay comfortable but without moving too much.
Keep your eyes closed as much as possible the whole time.
The period of tensing a muscle should last about 5 to 7 seconds (shorter for the feet). If you have any muscles that cramp easily, shorten these as well.
And, the period of relaxing should last about 30 to 40 seconds the first time and about 45 to 60 seconds the second time.
For the chest muscles onward, you should also focus on your breathing.
Practicing Relaxation
You should practice progressive muscle relaxation regularly.
The ideal scenario is to practice twice per day for 15 to 20 minutes each time, separated by at least three hours.
This is after doing your initial full 45 minute session.
With practice, it won’t take as long and you can also focus on your own body sensations.
Make sure that you practice at times when you are not under time pressure such as having an appointment within 15 or 20 minutes of the end of the session.
After work, after dinner, or in bed before sleep might be good times.
You should also practice trying to identify when your body is tense and using the relaxation procedures to relax yourself.
Be sure to practice in a quiet room without interruptions and sit in a recliner or lie on a bed or couch.
Go through all the same muscle groups that will be outlined in this script.
Reading the Script
If you are reading this script for someone else or to record it for yourself, you should speak in a calm voice but not one that is hypnotic.
Your voice should get slower and quieter as the session goes on.
When you talk about tensing muscles, it’s best to make a fist at the same time.
This will cause you to increase the volume, speed, and tension in your own voice. Release your first when you give the command to relax.
This will create a noticeable change between the tensing period and the relaxation. The change in your voice makes it clearer to follow the instructions.
Shorter Relaxation Sessions
The script in this post includes all 16 muscle groups. However, you can also do shorter sessions.
Below is a list of the different variations and how many sessions of each you would do.
Recall refers to relaxing without tensing beforehand.
Counting refers to inducing relaxation only with counting.
- Sixteen muscle groups: 3 sessions
- Seven muscle groups: 2 sessions
- Four muscle groups: 2 sessions
- Four muscle groups, recall only: 1 session
- Four muscle groups, recall and counting: 1 session
- Counting alone: 1 session
Progressive Muscle Relaxation Script
Take a moment to notice any sounds that you hear around you.
Bring your attention to your breath.
Notice the feeling of the air moving in through your nose…. And out.
Notice the difference in the temperature of the air as it moves in… and how it’s warmer when it moves out.
Now I’m going to ask you to tense different areas of your body.
We’re going to start with your right hand and lower arm.
Go ahead and make a fist, tensing your forearm, tense those muscles now, notice where the tension’s coming from, focusing on how it feels, and releasing.
Letting go of those muscles, feeling the tension draining into the couch.
As blood flows into those muscles, allowing them to unwind, loosen, and smooth out.
Noticing the difference between how those muscles feel now as compared to before.
Making no effort to relax.
Instead, just focusing your attention on how those muscles feel and the differences
Now go ahead and tense those muscles one more time, holding it, focusing on the tension, and releasing.
Letting go of those muscles, feeling the tension draining into the couch, noticing that your hand is feeling heavier and warmer.
Noticing the more you pay attention to these muscles, they begin sinking into the surface with heaviness.
As blood flows into these muscles warming them, noticing the difference between how those muscles feel now as compared to before.
And now moving on to your upper right arm, go ahead and press your elbow down into the surface and against you, feeling the tension, noticing the tightness, holding it, and releasing.
Letting go of those muscles.
Feeling the tension draining into the couch.
As blood flows into those muscles allowing them to unwind, loosen, and smooth out.
Noticing the difference between how those muscles feel now as compared to before.
Making no effort to relax.
Instead just focusing your attention on how the muscles feel and on the differences.
And how they feel now as compared with before. Softer, looser, smoother.
Go ahead and tense those muscles one more time.
Notice where the tension is coming from, focusing on how it feels, holding it, and releasing.
Letting go of those muscles.
Feeling any tension draining into the couch.
Noticing the difference between how those muscles feel now as compared to before.
Noticing that your arm is feeling heavier and warmer.
Noticing the more you pay attention to these muscles, the more they begin sinking into the surfaces with heaviness.
Deeper, heavier, warmer.
With each breath, feeling the muscles unwind and loosen.
Now you’re going to go ahead and tense the muscles of your left hand and lower arm.
Tense those muscles now.
Notice where the tension is coming from.
Focusing on how it feels.
And releasing.
Letting go of those muscles, feeling the tension draining into the couch, as blood flows into those muscles, allowing them to unwind, loosen, and smooth out.
Noticing the difference in how those muscles feel now as compared to before.
Making no effort to relax.
Instead just focusing your attention on those muscles feel and the differences.
And how they feel now as compared with before.
Go ahead and tense those muscles one more time.
Notice where the tension is coming from, focusing on how it feels, holding it, and releasing.
Letting go of those muscles, feeling the tension draining into the couch.
Noticing that your hand is feeling heavier and warmer.
Noticing that the more you pay attention to these muscles, they begin sinking into the surface with heaviness.
As blood flows into these muscles, warming them, noticing the difference between how those muscles feel now as compared to before.
Enjoying how the relaxation feels.
Now moving on to your upper left arm, go ahead and tense those muscles now.
Notice where the tension is coming from, focusing on how it feels, holding it, and releasing.
Letting go of those muscles.
Feeling any tension draining into the couch.
Noticing that your arm is feeling heavier and warmer.
Noticing the more you pay attention to these muscles they begin sinking into the surface with heaviness.
As blood flows into these muscles warming them, notice the difference in how those muscles feel now compared to before.
Now we’re going to go head and tense them one more time, notice where the tension is coming from, focusing on how it feels, holding it, and releasing.
Letting go of those muscles,
Feeling any tension draining into the couch.
As if the couch were a sponge beneath you.
Feeling the absorbing power of this spongy surface draining any tension from these muscles.
Allowing gravity to help.
Allowing your breathing to help.
As you breathe in, allowing the tension to loosen.
And as you breathe out, you feel a little more relaxed.
Now we’re going to move on to the muscles in your forehead.
Go ahead and raise your eyebrows as if you are surprised.
Tense those muscles now. Notice where the tension is coming from. Focusing on how it feels. And releasing.
Letting go of those muscles in your forehead.
Feeling any tension draining into the couch.
As blood flows into those muscles, allowing them to unwind, loosen, and smooth out.
Noticing the difference between how those muscles feel now as compared to before.
Making no effort to relax.
Instead, just focusing your attention on how the muscles feel now and the differences.
And how they feel now as compared with before. Softer, looser, smoother, more relaxed.
Now go ahead and tense the muscles in your forehead one more time.
Notice where the tension is coming from, focusing on how it feels, holding it, and releasing.
Letting go of those muscles.
Feeling them draining into the couch.
Noticing the difference in how those muscles feel now as compared to before.
Noticing that your forehead is feeling heavier and warmer.
Noticing that the more you pay attention to them, the more they begin sinking into the surface with heaviness.
Deeper, heavier, warmer.
Now we’re going to move on to the muscles of your midface.
Go ahead and scrunch your eyes and nose and cheeks, tensing those muscles, focusing on how it feels, holding it, and releasing.
Letting go of those muscles, feeling the tension draining into the couch.
As blood flows into those muscles allowing them to unwind, loosen, and smooth out.
Noticing the difference in how those muscles feel now as compared with before.
Softer, looser, smoother, and relaxed.
Let’s tense those muscles in your face one more time.
Notice where the tension is coming from.
Focusing on how it feels.
Holding it.
And releasing.
Letting go of those muscles in your face.
Feeling them draining into the couch.
Noticing the difference between how those muscles feel now as compared to before.
Noticing the more you pay attention to them, the more they begin sinking into the surface with heaviness.
Deeper, heavier, warmer.
With each breath, feeling the muscles unwind and loosen.
With each exhalation, noticing the difference.
Now we’re going to move on to the muscles in your jaw and mouth.
Go ahead and make a big fake smile, drawing the corners of your mouth far apart, and pressing your tongue to the roof of your mouth.
Holding those muscles, focusing on how it feels, and releasing.
Letting go of those muscles in your face.
Feeling the tension draining beneath you.
As blood flows into those muscles, allowing them to unwind, loosen, and smooth out.
Noticing the difference in how those muscles feel.
Softer, looser, smoother, and more relaxed.
Now go ahead and tense the muscles of your mouth one more time.
Notice where the tension is coming from.
Focusing on how it feels.
Holding it.
And releasing.
Letting go of those muscles.
Feeling them drain into the couch.
Noticing the difference in how those muscles feel now as compared to before.
Noticing that your face is feeling heavier and warmer.
With each breath feeling the muscles unwind and loosen.
With each exhalation noticing a difference.
Allowing the relaxation to deepen with each breath.
Now moving on to the muscles of your neck, go ahead and tense your neck by pushing it into the pillow beneath you.
Notice where the tension is coming from, focusing on how it feels, holding it, and releasing.
Letting go of those muscles in your neck.
Feeling the tension draining into the couch.
As blood flows into those muscles allowing them to unwind and loosen and smooth out.
Noticing the difference in how those muscles feel now as compared to before.
Making no effort to relax.
Instead just focusing your attention on how those muscles feel now and the differences.
And how they feel now as compared with before.
Softer, looser, smoother.
Now go ahead and tense the muscles of your neck one more time.
Notice where the tension is coming from.
Focusing on how it feels.
Holding it, and releasing.
Letting go of those muscles.
Feeling them drain into the couch beneath you.
Visualizing the vertebrae in your neck like cotton balls.
Softer, lighter, relaxed.
With each breath, noticing the difference.
Allowing the relaxation to deepen with each exhalation.
Now we’re going to move on to the muscles of your upper torso.
So take a deep breath high into the lungs while pulling your shoulder blades together.
And shrugging your shoulders.
Notice where the tension is coming from.
Focusing on how it feels.
Holding it, and releasing.
Letting go of those muscles in your shoulders and chest.
Feeling the tension draining into the couch.
Noticing that you’re feeling heavier and warmer.
Noticing the more you pay attention to these muscles, they begin sinking into the surface with heaviness.
As blood flows into those muscles.
Warming them, you notice the difference between how those muscles feel now as compared with before.
Softer, looser, and smoother.
Now go ahead and tense those muscles one more time.
Notice where the tension is coming from.
Focusing on how it feels.
Hold it, and releasing.
Letting go of the muscles in your torso.
Feeling them drain into the couch as if the couch were a sponge beneath you.
Feeling the absorbing power of this spongy surface draining the tension from these muscles.
Allowing gravity to help.
Allowing your breathing to help.
As you breathe in, allowing the tension to loosen, and as you breathe out, allowing it to drain into the sponges beneath you with gravity.
Notice with each time you breathe out you feel a little more relaxed.
Now we’re going to move on to the muscles of your abdomen.
So go ahead and make your stomach hard.
Notice where the tension is coming from.
Focusing on how it feels.
Holding it tight, and releasing.
Letting go of those muscles.
Feeling the tension draining into the couch.
As blood flows into those muscles.
Allowing them to unwind, and loosen and smooth out.
Noticing a difference in how those muscles feel now as compared to before.
Making no effort to relax.
Instead just focusing your attention on how those muscles feel and on the differences.
Softer, looser, smoother.
Go ahead and tense your stomach one more time.
Notice where the tension is coming from.
Focusing on how it feels, holding it, and releasing.
Letting go of those muscles.
Feeling any tension left draining away into the couch.
Noticing a difference between how those muscles feel now as compared to before.
Noticing that your stomach is feeling heavier and warmer.
Noticing the more you pay attention to these muscles, the more they begin sinking into the surface with heaviness.
Deeper, heavier, warmer.
Allowing the relaxation to deepen with each breath.
Now we’re going to move on to the muscles of your right upper leg.
So go ahead and lift your leg and pull it up toward yourself.
Notice where the tension is coming from.
Focusing on how it feels.
Holding it.
And releasing.
Letting go of those muscles.
Feeling the tension draining into the couch.
As blood flows into those muscles.
Allowing them to unwind, loosen, and smooth out.
Noticing the difference between how those muscles feel now as compared to before.
Softer, looser, smoother, more relaxed.
And go ahead and tense those same muscles one more time.
Notice where the tension’s coming from.
Focusing on how it feels.
Holding it, and releasing.
Letting go of those muscles.
Feeling the tension draining into the couch.
Noticing that your leg is feeling heavier and warmer.
Noticing the more you pay attention to these muscles, they begin sinking.
Into the surface with heaviness.
Noticing the difference between how those muscles feel now as compared to before.
Enjoying how the relaxation feels.
Now moving into your lower right leg.
Go ahead and pull your toes toward your head like a pigeon toe.
Notice where the tension is coming from.
Focusing on how it feels.
Holding it, and releasing.
Letting go of those muscles.
Feeling the tension draining into the couch.
As blood flows into those muscles allowing them to unwind, and loosen and smooth out.
Noticing the difference between how those muscles feel now as compared to before.
Making no effort to relax.
Instead just focusing your attention on how the muscles feel and the differences.
And how they feel now as compared with before.
Softer, looser, smoother.
Now go ahead and tense the muscles in your right calf one more time.
Notice where the tension is coming from.
Focusing on how it feels, holding it tight, and releasing.
Letting go of the muscles in your leg.
Feeling any remaining tension draining into the couch.
Noticing the difference between how those muscles feel now as compared to before.
Noticing that your leg is feeling heavier and warmer.
With each breath feeling the muscles unwind and loosen.
Making no effort to relax,
Just noticing the difference and how the relaxation feels.
Now we’re going to move on to your right foot.
You can point the toes, or curl them under, turn them inward.
Notice where the tension is coming from.
Focusing on how it feels.
Hold it, and releasing.
Letting go of those muscles.
Feeling the tension draining into the couch.
Noticing the difference between how those muscles feel now as compared to before.
As blood flows into those muscles, allowing them to unwind and loosen and smooth out.
You notice that they feel softer, looser, smoother, and more relaxed.
Go ahead and tense the muscles in your foot one more time.
Noticing where the tension is coming from.
Focusing on how it feels.
Holding it, and releasing.
Letting go of those muscles.
Feeling the tension draining into the couch as if the couch were a sponge beneath you.
Feeling the absorbing power of this spongy surface draining the tension away from these muscles.
Allowing gravity to help, allowing your breathing to help.
As you breathe in, allowing the tension to loosen, and as you breathe out, allowing it to drain into the sponges beneath you with gravity.
Noticing that each time you breathe out you feel a little more relaxed.
Now moving on to your left upper leg.
Go ahead and pull your leg up and back and tense it.
Notice where the tension is coming from,
Focusing on how it feels,
Holding it, and releasing,
Letting go of those muscles,
Feeling tension draining into the couch,
As blood flows into those muscles, allowing them to unwind and loosen and smooth out,
Noticing the difference between how those muscles feel now as compared to before,
Making no effort to relax,
Instead, just focusing your attention on how the muscles feel, and on the differences,
And how they feel now as compared with before,
Softer, looser, smoother, more relaxed,
Now go ahead and tense those muscles one more time,
Notice where the tension is coming from,
Focusing on how it feels,
Holding it, and releasing.
Letting go of those muscles.
Feeling any remaining tension draining into the couch as if the couch was a sponge beneath you.
Feeling the absorbing power of the spongy surface.
Draining the tension from these muscles.
Notice that each time you breathe out you feel a little more relaxed.
Visualizing the muscles draining, softening, loosening and unwinding.
Now moving on to your left lower leg.
Go ahead and pull your toes toward your head and pigeon toe them.
Notice where the tension is coming from.
Focusing on how it feels.
Holding it, and releasing.
Letting go of those muscles.
Feeling the tension draining into the couch.
As blood flows into those muscles, allowing them to unwind, loosen and smooth out.
Noticing the difference between how those muscles feel now as compared to before.
Making no effort to relax.
Instead, just focusing your attention on how those muscles feel now as compared to before.
Softer, looser and smoother.
Now go ahead and tense those muscles one more time.
Noticing where the tension is coming from.
Focusing on how it feels.
Holding it, and releasing.
Letting go of those muscles in your leg.
Feeling any remaining tension draining into the couch beneath you.
Noticing your leg is feeling heavier and warmer.
Noticing the more you pay attention to these muscles, they begin sinking into the surface with heaviness.
As blood flows into those muscles warming them, noticing the difference between how those muscles feel now as compared to before.
Now moving on to the muscles in your left foot, go ahead and point your toes, pull them under, turn your foot inward.
Notice where the tension is coming from.
Focusing on how it feels.
Holding it, and releasing.
Letting go of those muscles.
Feeling the tension draining into the couch.
As blood flows into those muscles allowing them to unwind, loosen, and smooth out.
Noticing the difference between how those muscles feel now as compared to before.
Making no effort to relax.
Instead, just focus your attention on how the muscles feel and on the differences.
And how they feel now as compared with before.
Softer, looser, smoother.
Now go ahead and tense those muscles one more time.
Notice where the tension is coming from.
Focusing on how it feels.
Holding it tight, and releasing.
Letting go of those muscles in your foot.
Feeling any tension draining into the couch.
Noticing the difference between how those muscles feel now as compared with before.
Noticing that your foot is feeling heavier and warmer.
Noticing the more you pay attention to these muscles, the more they sink into the surface with heaviness.
Deeper, heavier, warmer.
With each breath, feeling the muscles unwind and loosen.
Allowing the relaxation to deepen with each exhalation.
And continuing to breathe.
Feeling your body sinking deeper.
And becoming more relaxed.
I’m going to count from 10 to 1.
And at 1 you will be at your most relaxed state.
10
9
Feeling your body become heavier.
8
7
Noticing your breath rise and fall gently.
6
5
Feeling more and more relaxed.
4
3
Feeling gravity pull you deeper as you sink into the couch.
2
1
Feeling completely relaxed, resting, and calm, enjoying the way your muscles feel.
Staying here for a few more moments.
And now, wiggling your fingers and toes.
Waking up the body slightly.
Envisioning where you are in the space.
Noticing your surroundings.
Noticing what you hear.
And when you feel ready, you can open your eyes.
Additional Scripts
If you are looking for additional relaxation prompts to add to your progressive muscle relaxation script, below are some things that can be added to the parts where you are relaxing your muscles.
- Just let those muscles go
- Noticing the difference between tension and relaxation
- Focusing on the feelings in this muscle group as it becomes more and more
relaxed - Letting all the tension go, focusing on these muscles as they just relax completely, noticing what it feels like as the muscles become more and more relaxed
- Focusing all your attention on the feelings associated with relaxation flowing into these muscles
- Just enjoying the pleasant feelings of relaxation, as the
muscles go on relaxing more and more deeply, more and more
completely. - There is nothing for you to do but focus your attention
on the very pleasant feelings of relaxation flowing into this area. - Just noticing what it’s like as the muscles become more and more
deeply relaxed - Just enjoying the feelings in the muscles as they
loosen up, smooth out, unwind, and relax more and more deeply. - Just experiencing the sensations of deep, complete relaxation
flowing into these muscles; more and more deeply and completely
relaxed. - Just letting them go, thinking about nothing but the very
pleasant feelings of relaxation. - Just let those muscles go and notice how they feel now as compared to before.
- Notice how those muscles feel when so completely relaxed.
- Pay attention only to the sensations of relaxation as the relaxation process takes place.
- Calm, peaceful, and relaxed.
Breathing Instructions
Starting with your chest muscles, breathing cues should be added to the progressive muscle relaxation script. For example:
“Notice your slow and regular breathing.”
You can also include a prompt to take a deep breath and hold it while tensing the muscles. Then, you would release the breath during relaxation. For example:
“O.K., by taking a deep breath and making these muscles hard, I’d like you to
tense the muscles in the abdominal region now.”
Seven Muscle Group Procedure
Below are the muscle groups used in the seven muscle procedure progressive muscle relaxation script:
- Dominant arm (hand, lower arm, bicep): hold arm out in front with elbow bent at 45 degrees and make a fist. Or, lead arm supported, bend at elbow, make a fist, and press elbow down and in.
- Nondominant arm: same way
- All facical muscles: raise eyebrows or frown, squint eyes, wrinkle nose, bite down, and pull corners of mouth back
- Neck and throat: same as before
- Chest, shoulders, upper back and abdomen: take deep breath, hold it, pull shoulder blades back and together, make stomach hard or pull it in or push it out
- Dominant thigh, calf, and foot: lift leg off chair, point toes and turn foot inward.
- Nondominant thigh, calf, and foot: same as above
Four Muscle Group Procedure
Below are the muscle groups used in the four muscle procedure progressive muscle relaxation script. This should take less than 10 minutes.
- Both arms, hands, and biceps: lift both arms or bend elbows and make fists
- Face and neck: tense all face muscles and neck muscles
- Chest, shoulders, back, and abdomen: same as previous procedure
- Left and right upper leg, calf, and foot: combine all previous strategies
Recall Procedure
The recall procedure does not involve creating tension. Instead, you will focus on relaxation only drawing on your previous practice using a progressive muscle relaxation script.
Use the same four muscle groups as in the four groups procedure.
First, focus on any tension in the muscle group.
Then, recall the feelings of releasing that tension.
Here is a sample script:
|O.K., now I’d like you to focus all your attention on the muscles of your arms and hands and very carefully identify any feelings of tightness or tension that might be present there
now. Notice where this tension is and what it feels like.”
“O.K. . . . and relax, just recalling what it was like when you released these muscles, just letting them go and allowing them to become more and more deeply relaxed.”
The relaxation period should last 30 to 45 seconds.
If you have trouble relaxing the muscles, then you might need to go back to the tension procedure.
Recall with Counting Procedure
The counting procedure is something to be used during your own practice.
Below is a script that could be used at the end of a recall procedure using a progressive muscle relaxation script:
“As you remain very deeply and completely relaxed, I’m going to count from one to ten, and, as I count, I’d like you to allow all the muscles throughout your body to become even more deeply and completely relaxed on each count. Just focus your attention on all the muscles in the body. Notice them becoming even more and more deeply relaxed as I
count from one to ten.”
Here is more of the script:
“One, two, notice the arms and hands becoming more and more relaxed now; three, four, focus on the muscles of the face and neck as they become even more deeply relaxed now; five, six, allow the muscles in the chest, shoulders, back, and abdomen to relax even
more deeply now; seven, eight, notice the muscles of the legs and feet becoming more and more completely relaxed; nine, and ten.”
Counting Alone
Once counting has become associated with deep relaxation, counting can be used alone as a progressive muscle relaxation script.
This is mostly used for saving time or during real-life stressful situations.
This uses the same script as the one above for recall and counting.
This should take a minute or less.
Once you can do this, then you may be able to reduce your practice to once per day.
If you find your tension or anxiety returning, then go back up a level!
What did you think of this progressive muscle relaxation script? Let me know in the comments.
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Progressive Muscle Relaxation Script
Here are some of my favorite social anxiety tools
Thanks for reading! I hope you found some helpful tips. Since this site is about social anxiety, I wanted to also share some tools I use that I hope you’ll find helpful. Some of these are affiliate links, so if you decide to try them, I’ll earn a commission. However, I only recommend things I have used myself and would recommend to a friend or family member.
Online Therapy: For online therapy, I have personally used and like the service offered by Betterhelp. It's easy to get started from the comfort of your home. You'll even get a discount on your first month of therapy when you use my link.
Doctor Visits: For doctor visits, Web Doctors offers convenient online appointments.
Audible Subscription: I recommend a lot of self-help books on this site, but I actually prefer an audiobook subscription over print books! My favorite subscription service is Audible because it has all the best-sellers and they stay in your digital library forever (even if you end your subscription). You can sign up for a free trial and listen to your first two books for free.
Social Anxiety Masterclass: The Social Anxiety Masterclass is my signature course where I walk you through everything I know about how to manage social anxiety. If you're not ready to enroll in the course, be sure to subscribe to my email newsletter to hear about special deals!
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