Progressive Relaxation

If you were able to attend the Cultivating Your way to Burnout? webinar in June, it was interesting to find the audience perceived themselves to be quite fatigued when asked to rate themselves on a scale of 0-11.  When they completed the fatigue calculator, it was surprising to note that the perceived fatigue was higher than the calculated fatigue.

As we learned, fatigue can be caused from lack of sleep but can also be caused by medical conditions or stress.  With the onset of COVID-19, it is reasonable that even though we are getting 7-9 hours of sleep, that the stress related to this pandemic can cause us to feel more fatigued.  Stress can create tension and physical pain in our bodies as well.  Dr. Bill Howatt of Howatt HR says one of the ways we can release the tension and stress is through progressive relaxation.  It was interesting to note that Dr. Howatt says that 29% of adults attribute neck and back pain to stress.

What is Progressive Relaxation?

It is a process where you intentionally relax specific muscles one at a time.   This will release the stress that is being held in that particular area of your body.  This will have an impact on your daily stress load, lessen anxiety and release muscle and joint tension and pain.  This creates a state of mindfulness as you intentionally focus on the movement and allow your brain to get rid of the “noise.”

 

 

Below is a chart on how to focus on each muscle groups:

Progressive relaxation is another great tool to add to your toolbox for Tactics in Maintaining Mental Fitness in the COVID-19 Pandemic.  Visit the Farm Safety Nova Scotia Website to view the tools highlighted this far or visit the Maintaining Mental Fitness website to view the full webinar series.