Progressive muscle relaxation involves briefly tensing and releasing muscle groups. This original short script offers an optional gentle version, with permission to skip tightening entirely. It is not a test of whether you can relax correctly.
Work through these questions: Choose a supported position
Completed fictional example — SAMPLE DATA
This example shows how to fill in the form. It is not a real person’s record, a diagnosis, a validated assessment or a promised outcome. Use your own observations and appropriate professional advice for actual health concerns.
| Question or field | Your entry |
|---|---|
| Before starting? | Check suitability and choose not to continue if uncertain |
| Hands? | No forced tension in this fictional record |
| Shoulders? | Leave shoulders comfortable; stop if discomfort appears |
| Face? | No clenching or forced movement |
| Finish? | Return to an ordinary activity; no benefit is assumed |
Blank worksheet — copy or print
Copy the form into your own private document or print this page. Replace each “Your entry” cell with your own note; leave anything uncertain clearly marked as unknown. This page does not save or submit your entries.
| Question or field | Your entry |
|---|---|
| Before starting? | Your entry |
| Hands? | Your entry |
| Shoulders? | Your entry |
| Face? | Your entry |
| Finish? | Your entry |
Completed example
| Question or field | Fictional completed example |
|---|---|
| Before starting? | Choose a supported position |
| Hands? | Gently tighten only if comfortable, then release |
| Shoulders? | Notice and let unnecessary effort soften without lifting forcefully |
| Face? | Let the teeth remain apart without stretching |
| Finish? | Return attention to the room |
A worked situation: Choose a supported position
Fictional example. A reader notices that tightening her hands increases discomfort. She skips that step and uses a release-only observation; the exercise has no requirement to complete every body area.
Read-aloud transition and closing
Pause between the lines. Let the hands rest. Notice support without tightening the body to prove anything. Let ordinary breathing continue. If inward attention feels uncomfortable, open your eyes, notice the room, and stop. Finish by choosing an ordinary next activity. This closing is original optional wording, not a prescribed clinical dose.
Original optional read-aloud script
Read the stop option before the practice. Leave pauses that the participant finds comfortable; no duration or repetition count is prescribed.
Choose support you already tolerate. You may keep your eyes open and end whenever you want.
Let your hands rest. If a gentle tightening is comfortable and welcome, you may briefly try it and then stop that effort. You may skip tightening entirely.
Notice the support around your shoulders. Do not force a lift or a stretch.
Let ordinary breathing continue. You do not need a deeper breath or a hold.
Return attention to the room. End the practice without needing to achieve a particular feeling.
This original short wording is not a complete clinical PMR protocol or a tested treatment. Follow individualized advice where needed; skip a painful or distressing step.