We all want to relax after a stressful day, especially when our job relates to physical labor. Unfortunately, some of us are unfortunate enough that we can’t relax our bodies at all, no matter what we do.
Yes, you might not believe it, but some of us think that relaxing is only something you can do during vacations, which is why our minds won’t let our bodies relax, waking up the next morning still tired and stressed. Stress is bad for your health as it is one of the major culprits of many chronic illnesses and a silent killer per se.
You might not believe it, but countless people just collapse and die on the spot every year just because of too much stress. If you’re one of those people suffering from stress, we have something for you today that can help you relax more efficiently after a day’s work: progressive muscle relaxation.
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What is Progressive Muscle Relaxation?
Progressive muscle relaxation or PMR is a type of relaxation that involves contracting and relaxing the muscles in your body, starting from feet to head or vice versa.
The goal of this relaxation technique is to let your body activate its relaxation response as it’s a way to intentionally influence your body’s inner workings to relieve tension, stress, pain, etc. Not only that, but it also has other benefits for your body. Here are some of them.
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Anxiety Release
Anxiety has symptoms like tension, stress, shortness of breath, etc. It can be quite uncomfortable, but luckily, progressive muscle relaxation, or PMR, can help us alleviate these symptoms immediately, especially when combined with cognitive behavioral therapy.
You can also use PMR when you feel like an onslaught of anxiety is coming up. Before it hits you like a truck, you can start PMR immediately to reduce symptoms.
It Helps You Sleep Better
Most of us want to relax our bodies before we sleep. It makes sense, of course, as the more relaxed you are, the faster you’ll fall asleep and the better sleep quality you’ll have during the night. However, some of us can’t sleep well during the night, especially those who like to work late at night.
This is because sometimes, our sympathetic nervous system gets activated very late at night, which can be caused by too much stress or stimulation like drinking coffee, watching TV, browsing our phones, etc. You can turn off your sympathetic nervous system to help you fall asleep faster through PMR.
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Helps With Stress and Pain
Work can be very tiring both mentally and physically. Of course, this can cause a lot of different types of pain, like muscle pain, headaches, joint pains, etc. However, PMR can reverse all these pains to help you relax better.
Experts say that PMR is an approved technique for relieving stress and pain daily, so it’s often the most recommended relaxation technique by doctors.
Usually, it’s also accompanied by medication like cyclobenzaprine, which you can get at less cost when you get coupons at BuzzRx.com. If you do it properly, PMR can be a good alternative to sleeping pills and other relaxation medications.
Enhances Public Performance
Are you an athlete? Or do you have an event requiring you to go on a stage?
No matter what kind of performance you’ll be doing the next day, it’s normal for anyone to be stressed and very nervous the day before the event. However, one thing that can reduce this tension is PMR.
As PMR helps you relax better and helps you sleep faster and better, it can improve your performance the next day, whether it’s singing or running.
It can also be used to hype yourself up, especially when you’re an athlete who must give it your all regarding physicality. You usually see bodybuilders slap themselves in the face to hype themselves up. Thankfully, you don’t have to do that anymore with PMR, as you’ll be as focused as ever after a relaxing day.
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Decreases Instances of Migraine
When we’re stressed out and anxious, migraine usually occurs. Migraine symptoms include severe pain in the face, head, or neck, which can often hinder us from doing our daily tasks. From complex activities like writing a document to simple chores like washing the dishes, all the things you do regularly become much more uncomfortable and difficult if you suffer from a migraine.
Luckily, progressive muscle relaxation can be a solution to relax your muscles and relieve stress. Do you know why people usually rub their temples and forehead whenever they have a migraine? It’s usually to help relax the muscles in those areas, which is one of the causes of pain during a migraine. But with PMR, your whole body is involved, so you are relieving yourself from migraine pain and relaxing your body as a whole.
PMR gives you a greater sense of relaxation and a pain-free night. Also, practicing PMR can help you balance the serotonin in your body, which also reduces the chances of you getting migraine attacks. So not only are you relieving yourself from migraine pain, but you’re also reducing the chances of it occurring again.
Improves Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is usually caused by our diet, as well as having intense emotions. No matter the cause of your high blood pressure, you can reduce it by using PMR when you want to relax.
As it relieves stress, pain, and tension, your body becomes more relaxed as your heart rate slows down, leading to improved circulation. This way, you won’t have to suffer from constant high blood pressure anymore if you use this relaxation technique.
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Final Words
If you’re usually stressed and tired constantly, one thing that can help you feel more relaxed is progressive muscle relaxation. It’s a recommended technique by doctors, which means it’s proven effective. And it’s all-natural, too, meaning you don’t have to take any type of medication to do this technique, and best of all, it’s very easy to do. You might want to use it next time you feel tired and stressed after a day’s work.
