Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Release tension from your body — in 5 minutes

When your body suddenly tightens…
When your chest feels heavy
Your breath gets shallow
Your heart speeds up
Or your whole system feels buzzy and on edge… it can feel like something is wrong with you.

But nothing is wrong with you.

Your nervous system is doing the only thing it knows how to do: protect you.

It reacts to stress, pressure, uncertainty, and emotional overload the same way it would react to real danger.

So it tenses your muscles to brace you.
It shortens your breath to keep you alert.
It speeds up your heart to give you energy.
It shifts your whole body into “just in case” mode. Even when you don’t actually need protection.

That’s why this tool exists.

When you tense and release your muscles on purpose, you’re speaking the nervous system’s language.
You’re showing it there’s no danger right now.
You’re giving it a way to calm down.

And when your body calms, your mind finally gets to breathe again.

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Rate
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Session
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Reflect

How tense does your body feel?

Notice without judging. Use the slider below.

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0 · calm 5 10 · extreme
tight jawraised shouldersracing heart clenched fistsshallow breathingstomach knots sweaty palms

Follow the colour: tense, then release

Get ready
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Get comfortable
0 / 7
Sit comfortably and take a slow breath.

How do you feel now?

Move the slider to see your reflection

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0 · calm 0 10 · extreme
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Why this tool works

Tensing and releasing your muscles tells your brain, “we’re safe now.” Your body softens. Your heart slows. Your breath deepens. Your whole system begins to calm down.

What it helps with

  • Panic
  • Stress
  • Anxiety
  • Insomnia
  • OCD urges
  • Overthinking
  • Emotional overwhelm
  • Jaw tension, chest tightness, stomach knots

When to use it

  • Before bed
  • After a stressful interaction
  • During recovery from burnout
  • When the urge to check spikes
  • When your mind won’t stop looping
  • When your body feels tight or buzzy
P.S. It’s one of the best tools in psychology for panic, anxiety, and insomnia. It calms your body, so your mind can breathe again.