EXERCISE - TRAUMA IMPACTED
PMR
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is a relaxation technique developed by physician Edmund Jacobson in the early 20th century. It involves systematically tensing and then relaxing different muscle groups in the body to promote physical and mental relaxation. Here’s a basic guide to practicing PMR.
Find a comfortable position
- Sit or lie down in a comfortable position. Loosen any tight clothing and take a few deep breaths to help you relax.
Systematic tensing and relaxing
- Start with your toes. Curl them tightly for a few seconds, then release and focus on the sensation of relaxation.
- Move on to your feet, tensing and then relaxing the muscles.
- Progressively move up through each muscle group, including calves, thighs, buttocks, abdomen, back, chest, arms, and hands.
Breathe
- As you tense each muscle group, inhale deeply.
- As you release and relax the muscles, exhale slowly.
Focus on sensations
- Pay attention to the contrast between tension and relaxation. Notice the sensations associated with each state.
Repeat if necessary
- If time allows, you can go through the entire sequence twice, focusing on deep relaxation.
PMR is effective in reducing overall muscle tension, promoting a sense of calmness, and helping you become more aware of the connection between physical and mental states. It’s often used as a self-help technique for managing stress, anxiety, and even insomnia. Regular practice can enhance one’s ability to recognize and release tension in daily life.
Here’s a video explaining the technique. Through settings you can get subtitles of the required language. It’s a video from John Hopkins (Rheumatology devision). In addition, if you are interested, she explains two more techniques that you can find from the same series (number 1 and 2). If you require sources or more info regarding this technique and its benefits than simply have a look online. E.g via Healthline.
MORNING GLORY
The start of the day is like the first step of a long journey. A good start lays the foundation for the direction, for every moment that follows. On a single day it is no different. You start well, you start consciously, you start taking control from the beginning and build your own routine. This exercise is important for those who are in a camp just waiting and wating without anything to do. This waiting (more on that later) can mess up your biohryhtm which can totally confuse and decline your energy levels. One of the purposes of this exercise is to deregulate the constant wave of unconscious and robot like thinking on one hand and to start the day with a better mood then normally,
You wake up early and start the day on a normal hour. Don’t stay in bed too long because you went to bed late! Be careful when you enter the reverse cycle of going to bed late playing cards and smoking cigarettes and waking up somewhere in the afternoon. We know it’s hard but when we talk energy levels that help you to combat trauma and uplift your mood then keeping pace with nature (sunlight) is crucial. For example the act alone of picking up sunlight in the morning already feeds your brain with neurochemicals that last the whole day.
STEP 1
When you wake up, keep your eyes closed for a moment. Become aware of your breathing first. Whether you had a good or bad night’s sleep, start calm, do not get into thinking mode yet. Your phone might be there, you might have even slept with it on your pillow. Don’t even think about starting the day with your phone. That is probably the worst start of the day ever. You wake up, be cool and breathe consciously with your eyes closed. That’s all.
STEP 2
Continue to breathe calmly and now direct your attention inward. Don’t focus your energy outward, but feel the energy within your body. Pay attention to areas where you feel something. Can be anything. Maybe the heart, gut, maybe the genitals, maybe the feet rubbing the blankets, maybe your big smile as you think “what the hell am I doing now”. Just feel the body and the inner feeling. Don’t start making plans, rushing, or thinking. Just be there, in the bed, with your breathing. And don’t make it too serious, you’re being light, hopefully with a smile. Just stay a few minutes in your body and on your breathing, then get out of bed.
STEP 3
Once the bed is free, make it. This alone provides psychological benefits (you activate the reward pathway in your brain which helps your mood). In this exercise take a few conscious breaths while making the bed so you don’t do it on autopilot. Train yourself to keep your full attention on making the bed. You will see that within 2 seconds the mind start wandering off again, not to worry, go back breathing and making the bed.
If your partner is still sleeping, choose another task. Personally, I made a small ritual of emptying the dishwasher. Every plate I took out consciously and it totally changed the way I started the day. I started without the mind taking over control, which by default means that you start with higher levels of energy. You can use daily chores as reminders to train your mindfulness by the way. You don’t need a coach or breathing training if you don’t have the time or resources. Consciously choose a few daily tasks that you intentionally perform with exaggerated alertness. Exaggerate because otherwise, you’ll revert to autopilot within seconds. Try it out, you can do it right now by getting a coffee at the machine, within 3 seconds your mind goes wandering.
STEP 4
The last step is important. Thank the bed or the house or the camp for a good and safe night’s sleep. You don’t need to pray, but take a moment with a conscious breath to appreciate being good, being safe and having a nice bed and a good sleep. This closes the first action of the day. The foundation is laid.