Progressive Muscle Relaxation: A Step-by-Step Guide (With Script)

What is progressive muscle relaxation?

PMR grew out of Edmund Jacobson’s work on “progressive relaxation”. The idea is that you can’t easily tell a muscle to relax, but you can tense it on purpose and then let go. The contrast teaches you what real release feels like, so over time you spot tension (a clenched jaw, raised shoulders) and drop it sooner.

It sits alongside other body-based calming tools such as box breathing, yoga nidra and mindfulness. Many people find it easier than meditation because it gives the mind something physical to do.

How to do progressive muscle relaxation

• Get comfortable. Lie on your back or sit in a chair with your feet flat. Loosen tight clothing. Close your eyes if you like.
• Tense at about half effort. Firm, not straining. It should never hurt.
• Hold for about 5 seconds. Keep breathing; don’t hold your breath.
• Release all at once and rest for 10 to 20 seconds. Notice the warmth and heaviness.
• Move on in order, feet to face. Skip any area that is injured or sore.

Progressive muscle relaxation script (about 12 minutes)

Read this slowly, or record it on your phone in a calm voice and play it back. Each step is: tense for a count of five, then let go and rest for three or four slow breaths.

“Settle into your position. Breathe in through your nose and slowly out through your mouth. Let the floor or the chair take your weight. Now we’ll work through the body, one area at a time.”

1. Feet. Gently curl your toes under. Hold, two, three, four, five. And let go. Feel your feet soften and spread.
2. Calves. Draw your toes up towards your knees (not pointed away, which can trigger cramp). Hold. Release, and notice the backs of your legs grow heavy.
3. Thighs. Press your knees together and tighten the fronts of your thighs. Hold. Let go completely.
4. Buttocks and hips. Squeeze. Hold. Release, and let your hips sink down.
5. Stomach. Gently draw your tummy in. Hold. Let it go and let your breath fill your belly.
6. Hands. Make two fists. Hold. Open your hands and let your fingers fall loose.
7. Arms. Bend your elbows and tighten your upper arms. Hold. Lower them and let them rest by your sides.
8. Shoulders. Lift them up towards your ears. Hold. Let them drop. Feel the space between your shoulders and ears.
9. Neck. Gently press the back of your head into the pillow or tip your chin slightly down. Hold. Release.
10. Jaw. Bite your back teeth together lightly. Hold. Let your jaw hang slack, lips just apart, tongue resting.
11. Eyes and forehead. Screw up your eyes and raise your eyebrows. Hold. Let your whole face smooth out.
12. Whole body. Take one slow breath in and, as you breathe out, let your entire body go heavy.

“Stay here for a minute. If you notice tension anywhere, breathe towards it and let it go. When you’re ready, wriggle your fingers and toes, and open your eyes. Or, if you’re in bed, just let yourself drift.”

Progressive muscle relaxation for sleep

Do the script lying in bed with the lights out, and skip the closing “open your eyes” line. If you’re still awake at the end, start again from your feet. Keep the tension light at night so you don’t wake yourself up.

The sleep research is encouraging. A 2026 meta-analysis of 31 randomised trials (2,277 people) found PMR improved sleep quality scores by about 3.8 points on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. A second 2026 review of 14 trials (957 adults) also found a large effect, though the benefit was only clear in adults under 55. Both reviews flagged very mixed results between studies, many of them small and in hospital patients.

iPMR works best as part of a wider routine: see sleep hygiene habits and how to fall asleep fast. If poor sleep has lasted months, read our insomnia guide and speak to your GP.

Progressive muscle relaxation for anxiety

Anxiety shows up in the body as tight shoulders, a clenched jaw and shallow breathing. PMR gives you a way to turn that down on purpose, which is why it suits anxiety at night and racing thoughts before sleep.

The same 31-trial review found a large drop in anxiety scores, and an older meta-analysis of relaxation training found a medium effect overall. NICE guidance lists applied relaxation, a structured therapy built on these skills, as one option for generalised anxiety disorder, usually 12 to 15 weekly one-hour sessions with a trained therapist.

iSo it is a genuinely useful skill, but not a replacement for treatment. If anxiety affects daily life, see our guide on how to deal with anxiety and talk to your GP. For a calmer body more generally, nervous system regulation and the vagus nerve guides cover other tools.

How long and how often?

You’ll often feel calmer after one session: in a small trial, a single 20-minute recorded session raised relaxation compared with a control group. The bigger payoff comes from practice, as noticing and dropping tension becomes automatic. For more quick wins, see how to relieve stress.

Who should take care

• Injuries or pain: skip that area, or just do the “release” part. Check with a physio if you’ve had recent surgery or a back or neck injury.
• Cramps: if your calves cramp, pull your toes up rather than pointing them, and use less effort. See leg cramps at night.
• Pregnancy: skip the stomach step, do it sitting or lying on your side if lying flat is uncomfortable, and ask your midwife or GP if unsure.
• Jaw or headache trouble: go gently on the jaw and neck steps. Our guides to teeth grinding and tension headaches have more.
• Heart or blood pressure conditions: keep the tension light and keep breathing, and check with your GP first.

Building it into your evening routine

Pair PMR with a fixed wind-down: screens off, lights low, then the script in bed. Some people also take our Magnesium Glycinate Sleep Complex as part of that routine. It provides 290mg of magnesium per serving, as bisglycinate and citrate, with L-theanine and chamomile.

Magnesium contributes to normal muscle function and the normal functioning of the nervous system. Read more in magnesium for cramps. We don’t recommend our products during pregnancy or breastfeeding, and they are for adults only.

The FSA’s 10mg a day figure for CBD is precautionary advice rather than a legal limit, set while longer-term safety research continues. At Evopure we think it is a very cautious figure, and many adults use more. If you go above it, increase slowly, and check with your GP or pharmacist first if you take any medication.

Related guides

• Somatic exercises for beginners.
• 4-7-8 breathing, which pairs well with muscle relaxation in bed.
• Prefer to relax without tensing? Try a body scan sleep meditation instead.
• Prefer to notice tension without tensing? Try a body scan meditation instead.
• If your neck and shoulders are always tight, our stiff neck guide has more ideas.
• If you hold tension in your face, pair this with the 5-minute routine in our jaw pain guide.
• If you like a guided wind-down, see how the Dodow light breathing device compares with free techniques like this one.