Progressive muscle relaxation is a technique where you focus your attention on your body, starting at the toes or the top of the head, and you work your focus through the rest of your body one body part at a time. As you focus on each body part you notice there is any tension, and you let it go. Then you move on to the next body part, notice if there is tension, and move on until you have moved through the whole body. It can be helpful for some people to imagine that the warming glow of the sun is slowly moving through their body helping relax each body part. Or you can tighten the muscles in each body part, and then when you release the tension you have created you will also release the tension that was already present in your body.

To teach children this technique I like to call it hard spaghetti cooked spaghetti. This activity works well when an adult does the activity together with the child. I make each body part tight and point at the body part as I say it, pausing to give the child time to follow along after each body part I add.

I start by saying tighten up all the muscles in your feet, scrunching them up. Then tighten all the muscles in your legs, then tighten the muscles in your stomach, tighten the muscles in your back, tighten the muscles in your chest, tighten the muscles in your shoulders, tighten the muscles in your arms and hands, tighten the muscles in your neck, tighten the muscles in your face (the sillier you can make your face look, the better), and then you turn into… cooked spaghetti (let it all go wiggling your arms and body)!