There is a kind of tension that doesn't go away when you decide to let it go. Shoulders up, neck stiff, belly hard, and "just relax" helps precisely nothing. Often you only notice in the evening how tightly your body held on all day.
This exercise takes the detour. Instead of letting go, you first tense harder: and then release. In the app, Muscle relaxation takes you through seven muscle groups. Here is the same exercise to read up on.
Why it works
The detour is the trick. After a strong contraction the muscle drops back below its starting level, deeper than it would get through willpower alone. Your body does that by itself; you only have to supply the contrast.
Plus the part that pays off in the long run: you learn the difference. Many people with permanently high baseline tension no longer notice being tense at all. It is the normal state. Only the direct comparison between "tight" and "loose" makes tension perceptible again. Over time you notice earlier in the day where the stress sits.
And one more thing: the exercise brings you back into your body. That is what helps when thoughts are spinning: a firm hold in the here and now that has nothing to do with thinking.
What it gives you
Five minutes that work through the whole body. Afterwards the baseline tension is noticeably lower, and many people fall asleep more easily. As a fixed evening ritual it reliably tells the body: the day is done.
What it is not: fast and inconspicuous. Tensing is visible. In the middle of a meeting, Firmly grounded is the right choice: same idea, but invisible and in one minute.
How to do it
1. Sit or lie down
The full text is in the app
In bloomnow you get the whole article, together with the tools that belong to it.
Get the app
