Complete Idiot's Guide to Conquering Fear and Anxiety

Page 8319. Calves: Squeeze your calf muscles as tightly as you can. Hold...hold...hold... Let go and relax. Breathe deeply.20. Feet: Clench your feet, pulling your toes in as if grasping something with your foot. Hold...hold...hold... Let go and relax your feet as your feel your toes gentlyopen out. Breathe deeply.Lie still and comfortable for a few minutes, focusing on your breathing, which is now regular and smooth. Free your mind of any thoughts. Feel your body becomeheavy, sinking into the ground. Imagine a white, warm light traveling up your body, from your toes to the top of your head. Stay in this state of calm for at least fiveminutes. When you're ready, open your eyes slowly. Your heart rate and blood pressure have probably dropped so you will want to avoid sitting up abruptly.From Tense to RelaxedIf you have been in a chronic state of stress, you probably still feel some anxiety following progressive relaxation. Or you may feel initially relaxed but find yourselfsoon tense again. This is because your baseline state is dominated by sympathetic nervous system activity, or overarousal, thus you continually feel keyed up oragitated. As you repeat the protocol and make it a daily ritual, and as you learn to breathe diaphragmatically, you will feel greater and longer lasting relief fromimmediate tension.Over time, you should experience a reduction of panic attacks and decreased anxiety, including the anticipatory anxiety related to phobias. You will be less botheredby tension headaches, backaches, tightness in the jaw, tightness around the eyes, muscle spasms, and insomnia. Since a relaxed body makes for a relaxed mind, yourthoughts won't race as much and your concentration should improve.