One of the most common complaints that brings people to see me is tension somewhere — sometimes everywhere — in the body. Tension, often felt in our muscles, can stem from physical exertion, mental and emotional stress, or even uncontrollable weather shifts.
While tension is largely unavoidable, there are several ways to ease the discomfort it causes.
All tension, regardless of where it’s physically felt, is a reaction from our neurological state. The nervous system receives signals from the body as it interprets our internal and external environments — and one response is tightening or tensing our muscles. Generally, the tension response prepares us for a perceived stress, though it sometimes persists longer than needed. Tension helps us get ready to react appropriately and often remains when we haven’t completed the action our nervous system believes we need to take.
Read Also
How U.S. tariffs are changing farm costs in Canada
U.S. tariffs and Canadian counter-tariffs are characterized as bad news for Canada’s farmers and other businesspeople, but against that bad news is unspoken good news as well.
Our breath is one of the simplest ways to directly interact with our nervous system and, consequently, with our reactions, such as tension. An effective breathing technique for tension release is four-second inhales matched with seven- or eight-second exhales. Longer exhales engage the “rest and digest” portion of our nervous system. This helps settle the need to react and releases tension. Practicing this breathing pattern — with longer exhales than inhales — for a few minutes several times daily can relieve tension held anywhere in the body or mind.
You can also employ slow movement, either separately or alongside the breathing practice. I like to start with the shoulders, an area where many people experience tension. On an inhale, slowly shrug your shoulders up toward your ears; on the exhale, release the shrug. This follows the pull of tension on the inhale — consciously creating tension through muscle contraction — and then releasing it on the exhale.
When we’re tense, stretching the affected areas sometimes creates more tension. Instead, slow movement toward and away from the tension helps regulate the nervous system and creates a sustainable release. You can apply this method anywhere in the body; the goal is to contract a muscle group and then reverse that movement. For tension in the back, start with the shoulders and then move to the glute muscles, squeezing with the inhales and releasing with the exhales as described above.
As always, if tension in your body or mind persists, please consult your healthcare provider to identify the root cause. Tension can be a precursor to anxiety, pain, sleep issues and many other health concerns — it’s an important early symptom to acknowledge, and for which to seek support.
