How often should I practice progressive muscle relaxation?

Daily for 10 to 15 minutes works well at the start, for about two to four weeks. After that, the short version is often enough whenever you need it.

Can I do progressive muscle relaxation in bed?

Yes, many people use it to fall asleep. Just skip the wake-up at the end and stay lying down.

What if I get a cramp while tensing?

Release right away and stretch the area gently. Next time, tense that group only lightly or skip it. If it keeps happening, check with a doctor.

Is PMR the same as autogenic training?

No. In PMR you actively tense and release muscles. Autogenic training uses repeated phrases like my arm is heavy. Both are well-known relaxation methods.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation Script: Short Guide to Read

Most of us are more tense than we realize. Shoulders creep up and stay there for hours, the jaw clenches, the hands curl into loose fists. You often only notice when someone asks, "Why are you so tight?" Progressive muscle relaxation works right at that level. Instead of trying to talk your mind into calming down, you go through the body.

What is progressive muscle relaxation?

American physician Edmund Jacobson developed the method in the 1920s and 1930s. His observation was simple: when people feel tense inside, their muscles are almost always tense too. And when the muscles let go, the inner restlessness often eases with them.

The technique is just as simple. You deliberately tighten a muscle group, hold briefly, then release. The contrast makes relaxation easier to feel. After the release, the muscle often feels warmer, heavier and softer than before. Jacobson's original program was very long. Today, shorter versions with 16, 7 or 4 muscle groups are standard, and many therapists and health programs teach them.

What does the research say?

PMR is among the most studied relaxation methods. A meta-analysis by Manzoni and colleagues (2008) pooled 27 studies of relaxation training, many of them using PMR, and found a moderate effect on anxiety. A 2024 systematic review covering 46 publications likewise concluded that PMR can lower stress and anxiety, though effect sizes varied a lot from study to study.

It also works in the short term. In a head-to-head study by Toussaint and colleagues (2021), students who listened to 20 minutes of recorded PMR were clearly more relaxed than a control group, and their bodies showed a steady trend toward calm as well. As with any relaxation skill, it improves with practice. The first few rounds often feel a bit mechanical.

Before you start

Don't max out: Tense to about 70 percent of your strength. It should be clearly noticeable, never painful.
Skip injured areas: If a body part hurts, is injured or tends to cramp, skip that group or tense it very gently. If you have health concerns, check with your doctor first.
Keep breathing: Do not hold your breath while tensing. Breathe normally, and let a long exhale come with each release.
Release longer than you tense: The relaxing phase should be three to four times as long as the tensing phase. That is where the real work happens.

Progressive muscle relaxation script: 7 muscle groups

This version takes about 12 to 15 minutes, sitting or lying down. Read it slowly or record it. Each "..." is a pause of about three seconds.

"Get comfortable and close your eyes ... Take a few calm breaths in and out ... Let the day wait outside for a few minutes ...

Hands and arms. Make fists with both hands and bend your arms slightly, so your forearms and upper arms tighten ... Hold the tension ... notice it ... five ... six ... seven ... And let go. Open your hands, let your arms rest ... Notice how your arms feel now ... Maybe warm ... maybe heavy ... Let them soften a little more ...

Face. Raise your eyebrows, squeeze your eyes shut, scrunch your nose and press your lips together ... Hold ... feel the tension across your whole face ... And release ... Your forehead smooths out ... your eyes soften ... your jaw can open slightly ...

Neck and shoulders. Pull your shoulders up toward your ears ... higher ... hold ... feel how tight your neck gets ... And let your shoulders drop ... Feel them sink down ... feel your neck lengthen ...

Chest and back. Take a deep breath in and gently squeeze your shoulder blades together, so your chest opens a little ... hold ... And as you breathe out, let go ... Feel your back settle against the surface ... feel your breath slow down ...

Belly. Tighten your stomach muscles, as if bracing for a light push ... hold ... And release ... Your belly softens ... rising and falling with your breath ...

Thighs and glutes. Press your thighs together and tighten your glutes ... hold ... And let go ... Feel the heaviness in your legs ... sinking into the surface ...

Calves and feet. Pull your toes up toward your face so your calves tighten ... hold ... And let go ... Your feet grow warm ... your calves soften ...

Now scan once more through your whole body ... hands ... face ... shoulders ... back ... belly ... legs ... feet ... Wherever something is still holding on, breathe into it and let it soften ... Enjoy this calm for a few breaths ...

To finish: make fists, stretch your arms ... take a deep breath in ... and open your eyes."

At bedtime, skip the wake-up at the end and simply stay where you are. For more nighttime ideas, see visualization for sleep.

The mini version

After a few weeks with the full script, a four-group version often does the job: arms, face and neck, torso, legs. That takes about five minutes. For a quick reset, even one group helps. Pull your shoulders up for ten seconds, then let them drop. You can do it at your desk without anyone noticing.

Pairing PMR with visualization

Muscle relaxation and mental imagery fit together well. PMR settles the body, and in that settled state many people find it easier to sink into a scene. Here is one way to combine them:

Body first: the seven or four group script.
Then a picture: a calm place, your safe place, or a scene from the life you want.
Finish with a step: one small intention for the day, ideally as an if-then plan.

A single muscle group can also work as an anchor during visualization. If you are nervous before a talk or a conversation, drop your shoulders once on purpose, then step into the scene you rehearsed. For how a full guided visualization is structured, see the dedicated guide.

PMR or body scan?

Both move through the body, but differently. In PMR you actively do something: tense, release. In a body scan you only notice, without changing anything. If you find it hard to sit still or feel very restless, PMR is often the easier way in, because it gives you something to do.

The takeaway

Progressive muscle relaxation is down to earth, well researched and learnable in a few weeks. Tense, hold, release, and take your time noticing. Use the script daily for two weeks and you will notice how much faster your body finds its way to calm.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation Script: Tense, Release, Settle