Educational reference
Treatment overview
Applied relaxation is a structured psychological approach that treats the physical component of anxiety directly.
It is more systematic than general advice to relax. A person is taught to recognise the earliest bodily signs of tension, then trained through progressive stages: initially tensing and releasing muscle groups over an extended period, then shortening the process, then applying it rapidly in ordinary situations as tension begins to rise. The aim is a skill usable in seconds, in the situations where it is needed.
It is recognised in clinical guidance for generalised anxiety, and is a reasonable option for people whose anxiety is prominently physical, or who prefer a practical skills-based approach to one involving detailed examination of thoughts.
It requires regular practice between sessions, which is part of how it works. It is usually taught by a trained practitioner rather than learned from written material alone.