Stress won’t go away after bariatric surgery in Fisco, Denton or Lubbock. Though your weight loss surgeon can help you change many aspects of your lifestyle, stress is a natural and inevitable part of life, and one that you’ll need to learn to deal with as you continue on the path to a healthy weight.
When it culminates in bad habits like emotional eating, stress can stand between you and your weight loss goals, but there are countless things you can do to reduce the impact that stress has on your daily life. One of the most effective stress management techniques is called progressive muscle relaxation, which uses your own muscles to release tension and quell anxieties.
Anyone can do progressive muscle relaxation. The concept is simple: find a quiet, calm area and sit or lie down, then flex and relax each of your muscles in succession from head to toe. You’ll want to hold each muscle flexed for about 20 seconds, and then release it for 10 seconds, focusing intently on the sensation of stress ebbing away.
Walk through your muscles in this order:
- Forehead. Wrinkle it by raising your eyebrows.
- Eyes. Clench them shut tightly.
- Nose. Flare your nostrils.
- Tongue. Hold it against the roof of your mouth.
- Jaw. Grit your teeth.
- Neck. Pull your chin down towards your chest.
- Chest. Hold a deep breath.
- Arms. Flex your biceps.
- Hands. Ball them into tight fists.
- Back. Arch it.
- Stomach. Flex your abdominal muscles.
- Calves. Push down on the ground with your feet.
- Feet. Point your toes up to the sky.
Don’t rush it—a good session of progressive muscle relaxation should take about 15 minutes from start to finish. Though you may notice little difference the first time you do this activity, you’ll continue to get more benefits by turning it into a habit. You’ll also get more out of combining this technique with others like deep breathing. Find several relaxation techniques you enjoy and you’ll soon have a stress-reduction arsenal capable of tackling any anxiety after bariatric surgery.
What other relaxation techniques have helped you put an end to stress after bariatric surgery in Plano, Denton, Frisco or Lubbock? Share your favorites with us in the comments below!