Relaxation

We’re getting serious about stress relief. When people talk about relaxation, it often seems like something that we aren’t always able to fit into our busy schedules. In reality, relaxation can be one of the healthiest things to incorporate into your everyday life.
Daily stress can take a toll on both physical and mental health. Studies show that various forms of relaxation can help reduce many chronic health concerns as well as restore energy and encourage a more positive sense of self. One of the popular relaxation techniques is Jacobson’s relaxation technique.
Jacobson’s relaxation technique is a type of therapy that focuses on tightening and relaxing specific muscle groups in sequence. It’s also known as progressive relaxation therapy. By concentrating on specific areas and tensing and then relaxing them, you can become more aware of your body and physical sensations. Dr. Edmund Jacobson, a medical doctor who also practiced psychiatry and psychology. invented the technique in the 1920s as a way to help his patients deal with anxiety. Dr. Jacobson felt that relaxing the muscles could relax the mind as well. The technique involves tightening one muscle group while keeping the rest of the body relaxed, and then releasing the tension. Typically used to tame stress, progressive muscle relaxation is said to increase your awareness of the sensations associated with tension (and, in turn, help you identify and deal with the physical effects of everyday stress). Indeed, a number of studies show that regular practice of progressive muscle relaxation may help keep your stress in check (as well as treat stress-related health problems like insomnia and anxiety).