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Any stressful situation and the emotions associated with it — anxiety, fear, panic, anger, anger — cause us muscle tension. You can get rid of it in many ways — including following the recommendations of the American scientist and physician Edmund Jacobson. The psychologist tells more about his methodology.
Everything is provided for in our survival system to the smallest detail: for example, during a threat, the body’s work is activated so that we are ready to fight. Moreover, this tension arises regardless of whether the threat is real or not. It can even arise from disturbing thoughts.
Muscle tension is not only a consequence of the restlessness of our mind, but also an integral element of the stress response: if we can quickly release muscle tension, then we will not feel negative emotion, which means we will achieve calmness.
This relationship was discovered in the first half of the XNUMXth century by the American scientist and physician Edmund Jacobson — he noticed that muscle relaxation helps to reduce the excitation of the nervous system. Based on this conclusion, the scientist developed and implemented a simple but effective technique — «Progressive Muscle Relaxation».
This method is based on the peculiarities of the work of the nervous system: in cases of excessive tension and stretching of the muscles, it includes a conditional protective mechanism in the form of their complete relaxation.
What is the essence of the exercise?
To date, there are many options for relaxation by the Jacobson method, but the essence is the same: the maximum tension of the muscle leads to its complete relaxation. To begin with, fix which muscle groups you have the most tense in a stressful situation: it is them that will need to be worked out first. Over time, for deeper relaxation, other muscles of the body can be involved in the work.
In the classic version, the exercise involves three stages:
tension of a certain muscle group;
feeling this tension, «feeling»;
relaxation.
Our task is to learn to feel the difference between tension and relaxation. And learn to enjoy it.
Stand up or sit down and slowly begin to strain all the muscles of the arms (hand, forearm, shoulder), counting from zero to nine and gradually increasing the tension. On the count of nine, the voltage should be as high as possible. Feel how strongly all the muscles of the hands are compressed. Relax completely on the count of ten. Enjoy a moment of relaxation for 2-3 minutes. The same can be done with the muscles of the legs, back, chest and abdomen, as well as with the muscles of the face and neck.
The sequence in this case is not so important. The main thing is to understand the principle: in order to relax the muscles, they must first be strained as much as possible. The scheme is simple: «Tension of muscles — Relaxation of muscles — Reduction of emotional tension (stress reaction)».
In modern interpretations of the Jacobson method, there are also variants with simultaneous tension of all muscle groups. With it, the maximum muscle tension of the whole body is achieved, which means that relaxation (decrease in the activity of the nervous system) becomes more noticeable.
How long does it take to complete them?
The advantage of the method is that it does not require any special equipment or conditions and, with a certain skill, it does not take more than 15 minutes a day.
How often should you exercise?
At the initial stage, the exercise should be repeated about 5-7 times a day for 1-2 weeks — until muscle memory is formed and you learn how to quickly relax. When the appropriate skill is formed, you can do it as needed: if you feel excessive tension or for prevention.
Does the method have contraindications?
The exercise has limitations for people who are not recommended for physical exertion — during pregnancy, vascular diseases, in the postoperative period … It is worth considering the age, state of your health and the recommendations of doctors.
Muscle relaxation technique according to Jacobson does not have a therapeutic effect in the fight against anxiety, fears and stress, as it fights the effect (muscle tension), and not the cause (wrong thinking, erroneous assessment of the situation).
However, once you get the hang of it, you can feel safe knowing that you have a quick, easy, and effective way to get yourself in order, and therefore a way to control the situation.