[For those of you spending painful, sleepless nights] Anxiety relief methods you can start tonight - Resting your body with deep sleep

"I'm scared for tomorrow to come."
"Why did I make that mistake?"
"I feel suffocated and can't sleep at all."

When our hearts are full of pressure and anxiety, it is said that our bodies tense up in various places without us even realizing it.

Shoulders hunch, teeth clench, breathing becomes shallow, and the muscles throughout the body enter a state of tension.

Do you know of a gentle, reliable way to loosen such a tense body and mind from the perspectives of neuroscience and psychology?

"Progressive Muscle Relaxation"
(Zenshinteki Kinshikanho)

The name might sound a bit difficult, but the method is so simple that anyone can do it, so why not try practicing it tonight while you're still in bed?

A 3-step practical guide you can do in bed

While lying on your back, please try the following steps.

Step 1. Create "tension" (about 5 seconds)
From a state where your shoulders are relaxed, breathe in smoothly through your nose, and hunch your shoulders up toward your ears, tensing them tightly.
Using about "70-80%" of your maximum strength is enough.
Gradually increase the tension while counting "1, 2, 3, 4, 5" in your mind.

Step 2. "Release" all at once (about 15-20 seconds)
While exhaling with a "haaa" sound, let the tension in your shoulders drop in an instant.
It's the sensation of sinking limply into the bed.

Step 3. Gently savor the "relaxed sensation"
Just quietly feel the sensation of your shoulders becoming warm and tingling, or feeling gradually lighter after the tension has been released.

That's all there is to it. Let's repeat this a few times. This is something you can easily practice whenever you feel anxious, isn't it?

What exactly is "Progressive Muscle Relaxation"?

It is a long-standing relaxation method developed by an American physician in the 1920s.

It is an approach that directly conveys the sensation of "this is what it feels like to be relaxed" to the brain by intentionally creating "tension" and then releasing it all at once.
When the body relaxes, the autonomic nervous system switches to the "parasympathetic nervous system (relaxation mode)," and the brain's heightened excitement naturally calms down.

To you, who did your best today

Thank you for your hard work today. Please tell yourself that you did a good job and treat yourself with kindness.
Even so, after regrets or unpleasant events occur, you might feel anxious, thinking, "I have to change my mood somehow."
In such times, instead of forcing yourself to change your mood, try practicing Progressive Muscle Relaxation to gently approach it from your "body."

Of course, it's okay if you can't do it perfectly.
As you repeat the "squeeze, drop" motion, your breathing will gradually become deeper and quieter.

Tonight, just slowly care for the body that worked so hard for you, and surrender yourself to a comfortable sleep.
Good night.

In this note, I will continue to share ways to deal with feelings of anxiety. Please follow me and wait for updates.

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