Learn about health related topics

• Strategies To Reduce Stress

• Progressive Muscle Relaxation Exercise

• Stress-reducing Techniques

• Deep-breathing Exercises

1. Start by raising your eyebrows as high as possible, feeling the tension build. Hold that tension for a moment. Now relax, and feel the tension flow out.
    
2. Now squeeze your eyes shut as tight as you can. Hold that tension. Let it build. Now, relax your eyelids. Feel the relief from the tension.
   
    
3. Now, clench your teeth together tightly. Let the tension build. Hold it. Now release your jaw, letting it go loose.
   
    
4. Now, squeeze your whole face up into a knot and hold it there. Hold it. Let the tension build as you squeeze your eyes, mouth, and nose together hard. And now relax. Notice how loose and relaxed your whole face feels.
   
    
5. Now, bring your chin slowly down toward your chest, feeling the tension building in your neck and shoulders. Hold it. Now relax, letting your arm fall slowly to your side.

1. Now make your right hand into a tight first and raise your right arm to shoulder height, stretching it way out. Feel the tension build as you clench your fist and keep your arm stretched. Now relax, letting your arm fall slowly to your side.
   
    
2. Now, with your left hand, make a hard fist. Raise your left arm to shoulder height, stretching it out as far as you can, straight ahead. Feel the tension build in your clenched fist and arm. Hold it. Now relax, letting your arm fall back to your side.
   
    
3. Now, make fists with both hands and raise both arms to shoulder height, stretching straight ahead as far as you can. Let the tension build. Hold it. Now, let your arms fall back to your sides and relax. Feel the relief in these muscles.
   
    
4. Now to your stomach. Pull these muscles in tight, as tight as you can. Hold it. Let the tension build. And now relax.

1. Now raise your right leg, tensing your thigh and calf muscles and pulling your toes back toward you. Hold it. Feel the tension build. Now, let your leg back down and relax.
   
    
2. Now, raise both legs together and tighten your calf and thigh muscles as you extend your toes and point them straight forward as far as you can. Let the tension build… hold it… now let your legs back and relax. Feel the sense of relief.

1. Now, take a few moments to think about how the muscles feel throughout your body. Check your head, neck, shoulders, arms, chest, stomach, legs, and feet. If you still feel tension anywhere, stop here and repeat the tensing and relaxing exercises with those muscles until they too, are relaxed. Then, when your whole body feels deeply relaxed, continue with the exercise.
   
    
2. Now, close your eyes and take a few moments to experience the restful feeling throughout your body. Sense the quiet and restfulness which comes from releasing the tension in your muscles.
   
    
3. Now, take a full deep breath, hold it a moment, and then, as you let out the air, let any remaining anxieties and tensions just flow away. You are now very deeply relaxed and at ease. Now, open your eyes, stretch out your arms and legs, and move them about. Get up when you feel ready to do so.

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