Enrichment · Wellbeing

Tense for five seconds.
Let go for thirty.

Progressive muscle relaxation teaches your body the difference between tense and loose, one muscle group at a time. Follow the sequence, rate your tension before and after, and watch the log show what each session does. It works best practiced when you are calm, so it is there when you are not.

Log a sessionWhat you get

Practice log

The worked example is made up: four sessions over two weeks, including one where the neck was skipped for soreness and one in a noisy library where tension went up. Sessions save on this device only.

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What you get

Enrichment · WellbeingFree

What you finish with
A record per session with date, time of day, version, place, tension before and after on a 0 to 10 scale, each of nine muscle groups marked done, skipped for pain or not in this version, and what you noticed; the change in each session and the average across sessions; a printable script; flags for groups skipped for pain and a session where tension went up.
Who it is for
Middle school, high school and college students, adults, and teachers, coaches and counselors who teach the skill.
Format
Browser guide and practice log with a saved record per session. Prints the step-by-step script, a session, the whole log or a blank log; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Wellbeing space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Pick a quiet time and a comfortable place to sit or lie down.
  2. Rate your tension from 0 to 10.
  3. Work through each muscle group: tense for about 5 seconds, then let go and notice for about 30.
  4. Rate your tension again and note what you noticed.
  5. Practice most days for two weeks, then try the shorter versions.

Log a session

How a session works

One muscle group, about 35 secondsTenseabout 5 sLet go all at onceNotice the difference, about 30 sVersions9 groups15 minutes, learn it4 groups7 minutes, after a week or twoRelease only3 minutes, once letting go is easyOne muscle group, about 35 secondsTenseabout 5 sLet go all at onceNotice the difference, about 30 sVersions9 groups · 15 minutes · learn it4 groups · 7 minutes · after a week or twoRelease only · 3 minutes · once letting go is easy
The timing follows the standard training sequence, which shortens as the skill becomes familiar. Practice when calm first, so it is ready when you are stressed.

Where it comes from

Edmund Jacobson developed progressive relaxation in the 1920s and 1930s. Douglas Bernstein and Thomas Borkovec later wrote the shorter training sequence most programs use, which starts with many muscle groups and combines them as the skill becomes familiar. Reviews find it reduces stress and anxiety symptoms for many people.

Take care

Tense firmly, not as hard as you can, and skip any muscle that is injured, sore or painful. If you have a medical condition that affects your muscles, joints or blood pressure, ask your doctor first. This is a relaxation skill; it is not a diagnosis or treatment, and if stress or worry is getting in the way of daily life, talk to a counselor or doctor.

Sources

  1. Jacobson, E. (1938). Progressive Relaxation (2nd ed.). University of Chicago Press.
  2. Bernstein, D. A., and Borkovec, T. D. (1973). Progressive Relaxation Training: A Manual for the Helping Professions. Research Press.
  3. Toussaint, L., and others (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.
  4. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Relaxation Techniques: What You Need To Know (nccih.nih.gov).

The worked example is made up. This is a relaxation skill, not therapy, diagnosis or treatment. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.