Tension often builds in the body when we feel stressed or overwhelmed. This exercise helps you notice the difference between tension and relaxation by gently tightening and releasing different muscle groups.
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Dr Harriet Mellotte
Clinical Psychologist & CBT Therapist, BABCP
“Offload is a fantastic resource for both clients and therapists. The world of CBT has been lacking an app which enables the sharing of CBT worksheets and homework tasks between clients and therapists, but Offload completely does this, making the service we offer more professional and the benefits to clients greater.”
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Jacobson, E. (1938). Progressive Relaxation. University of Chicago Press. - The foundational work introducing progressive muscle relaxation and demonstrating how tensing and releasing muscles reduces stress and anxiety. Conrad, A., & Roth, W. T. (2007). Muscle relaxation therapy for anxiety disorders: It works but how? Journal of Anxiety Disorders. - Reviews evidence showing progressive muscle relaxation reduces anxiety and physiological arousal. Torales, J., O’Higgins, M., Barrios, I., et al. (2020). An overview of Jacobson’s progressive muscle relaxation in managing anxiety. Revista Argentina de Clínica Psicológica. - Summarises clinical evidence that PMR improves anxiety, stress regulation, and emotional control.
