Progressive muscle relaxation
The Jacobson method: tense and release muscle groups in turn. Release bodily tension — and the mind calms after it.
Anxiety lives in the body as tension — often chronic and habitual, which we've stopped noticing: clenched jaws, raised shoulders, a tight belly. Edmund Jacobson's progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) teaches the body contrast: we tense a muscle group for a few seconds, then release sharply. It's not the tension itself that heals but the sense of difference — after tension, relaxation feels more vivid, and the muscle lets go deeper than if we simply "asked" it to relax. The mind calms following the body: the nervous system reads bodily tone as a "danger/safe" signal. PMR is especially good before sleep and after a tense day. Don't aim for perfection — if tensing hurts or feels uncomfortable, do it more gently.
The timer walks through the steps automatically. You can switch manually and pause.