Many people feel job-related stress and anxiety. And in the fast-paced world in which we live, it is sometimes hard to stop, take a break, and really relax the body. On the other hand, some people probably do stop and take a break but don’t seem to lose the tension that they’ve been carrying around because they don’t know how to relax their bodies. Until recently, I was a victim of this. I had no idea how to lose the stress and tension that I was carrying around. So in an attempt to live a healthier lifestyle, one of the things I had to do was learn once again how to relax.

Being able to really relax obviously begins with setting aside time for you. Although these small breaks may seem like a waste of time and there are probably a million other things you can be doing instead, they actually do have a profound impact in helping people deal with stress and even anxiety. So set aside 20 minutes during your day and designate this as “you” time.

All right, you have the 20 minutes. So now what do you do with it? If you’re carrying around a lot of tension, this is the time to get rid of it. One of the ways in which you can learn to relax again is through deep muscle relaxation. The technique I use was developed by Edmund Jacobson. It simply involves tensing a muscle group, starting with the feet and working up to the head, and then relaxing it. You can even do it while you’re sitting at your desk.

Start in a seated position, both feet on the floor, and your hands on your lap. Next, start tensing a muscle group. I usually begin with the muscles in my feet and work my way up from there. What you want to do is tense a specific muscle, hold it for around 5 seconds, slowly release, and then repeat it again. Once you’ve done one muscle group, move on to the next (if you started with your feet, move on to the calf muscles).

The whole process should take around 15 minutes, but don’t rush it. The point is to do it slowly and really concentrate on tensing and relaxing the muscles. I use this technique at least twice a day and I’ve noticed a considerable change in the amount of tension I’m carrying around.