Progressive relaxation methods are super effective in managing stress for living a wholesome and balanced life, while achieving complete control over your time, mental and physical health, along with priorities, work and relationships. The following effective stress management guide will give you fantastic tips and techniques to efficiently combat unwarranted stressful elements.

Introduction

This highly proven and successful scientific technique of beating stress is based on the premise that a lot of our physical discomforts, like an aching back or tense neck, are the direct implications of a stressful life that has taken its toll on our bodies. When you have increased anxiety or excessive stress in your life, it implicitly manifests itself in the form of muscle tension. The Progressive muscle relaxation technique is all about relaxing your muscles, while deep breathing in with controlled ease. The method is also known to cure insomnia and other health related ailments, while awarding you the opportunity of disciplining your body muscles.     

Getting Started

For starters, it is important to know all your body muscle groups in proper order to be able to control them with effective ease. You can conduct research at the local library or on the Internet; there are several audio recordings that will help you gain sufficient insights into the techniques of Progressive relaxation.

To begin with, the focus in the method is on various parts of your body and the ability to let go of any feeling of pain or tightness in them. The approach is to let them relax without experiencing any overpowering sensations. This obviously comes with practice. After several sessions, you will automatically become aware of your body tensions and learn new devises of relieving them. 

The ability to let go of your physical stress fosters a calmer mind and spirit, and helps you lead a more enriching life that successfully balances all its aspects. The actual process goes like this: you start the technique by tensing a group of muscles and holding on for awhile, and then finally releasing it for deep relaxation. The first phase of tensing your muscles serves the purpose of making you conscious of the tension built up in your body and how it feels as a result of the built-up stress.

Benefits

When you breathe deep, relax, and focus on the pain felt through every part of your body, scanning its tightness for a moment before releasing the pain, you promote a relaxation response that slows down your blood pressure, metabolism, heart rate and breathing (thus leading to an anxiety free mind that curtails stress causing hormones).

The unintentional Stress Response we cause our bodies through persistent muscle tension (as a result of worry, stress, anxiety, lack of sleep, improper diet, absence of exercise and a hectic life) can be the cause of a weak immune system, premature aging and an increased susceptibility to diseases. The Relaxation Response in the Progressive relaxation technique helps combat the menacing Stress Response, and helps us live a more elevating, stable and fulfilling life.     

Progressive Relaxation is one of the most popular and effective methods of beating stress, that focuses on the tension in your body through deep breathing, and releases it for instant relaxation.