Progressive Muscle Relaxation Strategy

Speaker: Liana Zannis, Clinical Social Worker, CHC's Catherine T. Harvey Center for Clinical Services

Liana Zannis: Hi, I'm Liana Zannis, Hi, I'm Liana Zannis, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at Children's Health Council (CHC). a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at Children's Health Council (CHC). The question today is, "How do I support my child to use the coping strategy of progressive muscle relaxation?" Progressive muscle relaxation is a really nice tool to relax your body. This technique involves the tensing and relaxing of various muscle groups, working from your head to your toes or from your toes to your head. Start by tensing your toes for 10 seconds and then relaxing the same muscles for 10 seconds. Work your way to your legs, then your core and your chest, your hands and your arms, and finally your shoulders, neck and face. This skill teaches your body what it feels like to be relaxed because we often hold a lot of tension in our bodies without even realizing it. You can practice this skill in a calm moment first so that it's easier to use when you're feeling stressed. This tool can also be really helpful to aid with sleep.