We all have our own feelings about anxiety. Anxiety presents itself in everyone’s life differently. How does anxiety present itself in your life? Has your anxiety ever been so high that you just can’t take it anymore? I have found that progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) has helped people calm down when their anxiety has taken over their body. I personally like to combine imagery and PMR.

Here is how to perform PMR & Imagery:

First: Start by getting comfortable. Lie down or sit however you are the most comfortable. Either have the room quite or something soothing playing in the background. Begin to close your eyes.

Second: Imagine a place where you are most comfortable. It can be a place where you have been before or it can be made up. Picture this place. Look around you. What do you see? Smell? Feel? Once you are picture yourself in this place you can move on to the PMR.

Third: Start PMR by flexing different muscles in your body. Start with your feet and work your way up. Flex the muscle for 4 seconds then slowly release the muscle. Take your time. Breath.

Fourth: Once you feel like you have work all the muscles you wished to work, you can then spend a little more time in your imagination where you are comfortable. Take a few deep breaths. When you are ready you can start to open your eyes.

Evaluate how you feel after this technique. This whole process may feel very strange but if you give it a chance you might recognize that it lessened your anxiety. Maybe this worked for you, and maybe it didn’t and that is okay.

Maybe your anxiety lessened when you were doing the PMR and imagery but once you opened your eyes the anxiety came back. That is okay. You can always refer back to your experiences. You can go back to the place you imaged when you were the most comfortable. When your anxiety takes over, you can snap your fingers and * Snap * you’re back there. Maybe you can’t always take PMR with you everywhere but you imagination will always be with you. You can always escape your anxiety if you let yourself.

If this sounds like something you would like to do, give it a try. You can always come to counseling and we can do it together. Don’t be discouraged if PMR does not work for you. There is always something else we can try. Don’t give up hope. Let us help you.

*Be careful when flexing your muscles. Do not push yourself. Only do what you are comfortable with. Don’t strain your muscles.