There are many options for coping skills shared in the world today. I even saw NPR recently post a Reel on Instagram about coping strategies for their followers. One coping concept that has been around for a long time is called Progressive Muscle Relaxation. This is something you may have done in a yoga class or your teacher might have guided you through it for a class activity. It involves tightening muscles and relaxing them as you gradually move through the muscle groups of your body.
Many of my teen clients have found this helpful when they are facing anxiety in their classroom. It is something they can use that doesn't attract attention (a social fail in middle or high school) but helps them to focus their thoughts on something in a mindful act while actually releasing some of the stress in their bodies. Other students would use it to help prior to going to bed at night to relax the body and focus the mind when anxious thoughts would try to take over. They find it one of the best ways to find mindful relaxation by connecting to the strong sensations in their bodies.
When it comes to my clients who struggle with body awareness, this can be challenging and difficult to accomplish. Children or those with disabilities may go through the motions but struggle to tighten the muscle groups and get the release. In these cases, I find ways to creatively guide them to use those muscles in more concrete ways. Some do well squeezing pretend oranges to get a glass of juice. Others may actually need something they can hold onto like a stress or foam ball. Other ideas can include hiding in a turtle shell or doing a silly dance that rotates movements between being a stiff robot to wiggling like a worm. If you're interested in getting more pre-written scripts of progressive muscle relaxation, click here.
However you approach it, the goal is to focus the mind on the pose (or tightening of the muscles) and releasing them. Thoughts and feelings may come that are distracting. The idea is to acknowledge them but not hold tight to those thoughts and feelings. After thoughts and feelings are noted, it's best to just return attention to the muscle tensing and relaxation either in the middle of the progression or even start again. Either way it doesn't really matter. So go ahead and give it a try. Flex those muscles and find the relaxation in the mindful practice of Progressive Muscle Relaxation.
Counseling with Leigh Anne - a Teachers Pay Teacher store offering materials for mindfulness practice, expressive arts, and therapeutic approaches like ACT/CBT.
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