Regular body scans a few times per day have become one of my favorite self-care tools in recent months. Often we don’t realize how much muscle tension and associated pain we carry with us constantly!
Our body stores our stress, and in turn the physical manifestations of stress affects our mood and interactions with others. It’s a downward spiraling cycle—but one that can easily be broken by consciously releasing tension.
There are probably many guides out there for a longer and more thorough body scan technique to release tension, but this is the one I use on a daily basis after an emotionally demanding moment. And rest assured that with a strong-willed toddler and high-needs baby in the house, there are plenty of demanding moments in our lives.
Necessary disclaimer that I am not a medical professional and this is not medical advice! If your muscle tension/pain is debilitating please seek help from your doctor or specialist to treat it.
A Quick Body Scan to Release Tension
- Are you sitting or standing in an uncomfortable position? If you’re sitting all twisted up like a pretzel or standing in a way that hurts your back, shift to a more sustainable position.
- Unclench your jaw and unfurrow your brow. Often we hold a lot of tension in our jaws and brow/scalp area, which can also cause neck and shoulder pain. I actually have TMD (temporal muscular disorder) as the result of dodgy orthodontic work, so sometimes I have to physically massage my jaw to help the muscles release.
- Do a few neck circles.
- Roll out your shoulders and stretch your arms over your head. Fix your posture when you’re done! Many times I don’t realize I’m hunched over and limiting my breathing until I do this.
- Stretch out your legs and shake your feet. Often we’re fidgeting or dancing away, especially if sitting, and creating unnecessary tension in our lower bodies as a result. My massage therapist also reminded me at my last session that tight hamstrings can cause lower back pain!
- Take a few long, deep breaths. Box breathing is a good technique to slow down when we’re feeling stressed. Basically, you breathe in for a few seconds (perhaps 4), hold your breath for the same amount of time, breathe out for the same number of seconds, and rest for the same amount.
Where I Learned This
When I was a senior in college, I became interested in the science of happiness and took a weekly class on it. I went to a few seminars held by the Student Health and Counseling office on topics like mindfulness and breathing, and I fell in love with self-help books.
It all felt very “woo” and indulgent to me to begin with—and it was, in a way, as I took time away from my studies to learn about things that didn’t “count” on my resume. But it filled my cup and kept me sane during a season of extreme burnout.
Ultimately, taking care of ourselves isn’t optional if we want to live contented, fulfilling lives (and set good examples for our kids, if we have them). It’s also not optional if we want to treat others with kindness and empathy and build truly authentic relationships. We have to give to ourselves first, not as a reward for achievement.
What do you to do relax after a stressful moment?
xx Claire
