Jaw, neck, shoulders: letting go of tension you didn’t know you held

By the SimpleDay team · · 3 min read

Notice where your shoulders are right now. Often they’re a little too high, and your jaw a little too tight. You only notice when you pay attention.

The idea

Progressive muscle relaxation, first described in the 1930s, rests on a simple idea: it’s easier to feel a muscle let go after you’ve tensed it on purpose. You tighten for a few seconds, then release, one area at a time.

How to do it, in three minutes

  1. Jaw. Clench your teeth for five seconds, then let go. Leave a little space between your teeth, tongue resting.
  2. Shoulders. Lift them towards your ears, hold for five seconds, then let them drop.
  3. Neck. Gently tilt your head towards one shoulder, breathe, then towards the other. No sudden moves.
  4. All together. Breathe slowly and notice how you feel now compared with the start.

If a movement hurts, stop. The aim is to release, not to stretch.

What the research says

In a trial published in 2021, students were randomly assigned to a session of progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, guided imagery, or a control group. All three methods increased feelings of relaxation compared with the control group, after a single session. It was a small trial measuring relaxation in the moment, not a lasting effect.

When to use it

After hours at a screen, coming out of a tense meeting, or in bed, just before lights out.

Sources

  1. Toussaint L, Nguyen QA, Roettger C, et al. Effectiveness of Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Deep Breathing, and Guided Imagery in Promoting Psychological and Physiological States of Relaxation. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2021.

This article is general information. It isn’t medical advice and doesn’t replace a health professional.