A person’s everyday life is constantly filled with anxieties and experiences, so it is always essential to maintain a stable psychological state. When people feel stress, their body strains, and they experience fear and arousal but want to eliminate these manifestations. Such body reactions are unpleasant; therefore, psychologists and therapists develop possible ways to relieve tension in the body. One such technique is progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) to stabilize the level of uncertainty in the human body. During the trying PMR, I felt a relaxation of muscles and withdrawal of anxiety, although it may not feel like people with chronic diseases; I find this practice effective before stressful events and more effective than deep breathing.
I have also recently tried the practice of progressive muscle relaxation and can tell you about my experiences with the advantages and disadvantages of this technique. First, it is necessary to note the difficulties that may be faced by an unprepared person who first decides to try PMR. The essence of practice is the maximum tension of all body muscles with subsequent relaxation. Initially, I could not understand to what degree of stress it is necessary to bring all the powers to get relief when they relax. Nevertheless, after several attempts, I felt the advantages of this method, as it is a great way to calm the nerves, reduce anxiety and learn to handle emotions. Among the limitations can be distinguished as it is impossible to say about the same experience among other people; for example, I try PMR for a short time, and people with chronic diseases results may be unsuccessful (Xiao et al., 2020). So, this method has helped me relax, but you can face ambiguity about the results and the effect of practice on others.
Despite possible limitations, I find the practice of progressive muscle valuable relaxation during stress. Not only does this training help relieve stress, but it also helps reduce anxiety and depression if a person suffers from these disorders (Toussaint et al., 2021). Having such a strong effect, the PMR can quickly deal with situations when a person feels ordinary excitement or is experiencing something. For example, a speaker gets excited before delivering a speech to a broad audience. In that case, he can try this method and will very likely be able to perform on stage without difficulty. So, progressive muscle relaxation allows people to get their psychological state in order and focus on essential matters.
Before trying the PMR, I used deep breathing to calm down quickly. The essence is to perform measured inhalations and exhalations, thanks to which the body is saturated with oxygen, and the stress level falls. For example, at the beginning of a workout, deep breathing can have a stimulating effect, suddenly replaced by a state of relaxation (Toussaint et al., 2021). However, this practice is not similar to the PMR, as in the case of the second person intentionally straining the muscles for further ease. At the same time, this purpose is not pursued in deep breathing. I find progressive muscle relaxation more helpful for myself, as my body feels a more significant relaxation effect after intense tension, allowing me to come to a calm state quickly.
In conclusion, the first trial of progressive muscle relaxation successfully helped me reduce stress and tension. However, there are limitations regarding the duration of the practice and the possible diseases in people, which do not allow an accurate assessment of the results. In turn, PMR has proven to help relax the body and is also helpful for calming down before public performances and similar stressful situations. This method is similar to deep breathing but allows me to relax better and concentrate on the things I need, which is more helpful.
References
Toussaint, L., Nguyen, Q. A., Roettger, C., Dixon, K., Offenbächer, M., Kohls, N., Hirsch, J., & Sirois, F. (2021). Effectiveness of progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, and guided imagery in promoting psychological and physiological states of relaxation. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine: ECAM, 2021, 5924040. Web.
Xiao, C.-X., Lin, Y.-J., Lin, R.-Q., Liu, A.-N., Zhong, G.-Q., & Lan, C.-F. (2020). Effects of progressive muscle relaxation training on negative emotions and sleep quality in COVID-19 patients: A clinical observational study: A clinical observational study. Medicine, 99(47), e23185. Web.