When we mindfully tense and then release our muscles, our bodies are telling our brains to relax. Try this practice that's proven to help with depression, anxiety, and stress.

Link to episode transcript: https://tinyurl.com/477t6uhv

How to Do This Practice:

1. Find a comfortable space to complete this practice, ideally lying down.

2. Soften your gaze and turn your attention towards your feet. When inhaling, tense your feet as much as you can for no more than 10 seconds. Then exhale and release your feet and toes, noticing the feelings of relaxation as you untense.

3. Repeat this process of tensing and releasing different parts of your body, working upwards from your legs to your torso, all the way to your upper body, arms and face. Remember to inhale when you are tensing your body, and exhale when you release.

Today’s Happiness Break host:

Jo Qina’au is meditation guide and clinical psychology fellow from Harvard University.

Learn more about Jo Qina’au’s work: https://tinyurl.com/bdfyw3ar

Follow Jo on Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/yc846waw

More resources from The Greater Good Science Center:

How to Use Your Body to Relax Your Mind (The Science of Happiness Podcast): https://tinyurl.com/mueeubr7

Five Ways Mindfulness Meditation Is Good for Your Health: https://tinyurl.com/3f79nsav

Why You Should Take a Relaxing Lunch Break: https://tinyurl.com/2p8axdba

Four Ways to Calm Your Mind in Stressful Times: https://tinyurl.com/6apdf52p

We love hearing from you! What was your experience like with this progressive muscle relaxation exercise? Email us at [email protected] or use the hashtag #happinesspod.

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We're living through a mental health crisis. Between the stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, burnout — we all could use a break to feel better. That's where Happiness Break comes in. In each biweekly podcast episode, instructors guide you through research-backed practices and meditations that you can do in real-time. These relaxing and uplifting practices have been shown in a lab to help you cultivate calm, compassion, connection, mindfulness, and more — what the latest science says will directly support your well-being. All in less than ten minutes. A little break in your day.