Do this simple technique for instant stress relief

From 1 to 10, how stressed are you feeling right now? (1 being the most relaxed and10 being the most stressed)

Do you only have a minute or 2, and you could do with a quick technique to let go of that intense stress and move on with your day?

Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) technique is your answer. It's super easy to do and clinically proven to be effective. If you suffer from anxiety, your muscles are probably pretty tense a lot of the time. This technique would help you differentiate a relaxed muscle and a tensed muscle.

You can do this for as long as you prefer. Let's begin.

Step 1: Find somewhere quiet to sit, preferably free from distractions. You can simply sit on a chair or lie on the floor (this helps to feel grounded). Remove glasses if you're wearing any.

Step 2: Close your eyes and take a few deep even breaths.

Step 3: Focus on one area or one set of muscles at a time, from your forehead and go all the way down to your feet. Tense up the focused area for 5 seconds while keeping the rest of your body relaxed, and then slowly release the tension while counting to 10 seconds. You can repeat this process for each area until you notice the difference in tension, and then move on to the next area of your body.

Here's the order you could follow (or think Head Shoulders Knees and Toes if you can't remember!)

Forehead

Jaw

Neck and shoulders

Arms

Hands and fingers (expand your fingers outwards and upwards when tensing up)

Stomach

Buttocks

Thighs

Calves

Feet and toes (expand your toes outwards and upwards when tensing up)

And don't forget to breathe throughout the whole process, it's important.

Enjoy the relaxation this simple technique could bring you.