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Tense and release: loosen your body, one part at a time

Worry, anger and long days get held in the body: a tight jaw, shoulders up by the ears, hands that will not unclench. This page walks you through the body one part at a time. Tense a part gently for a few seconds, then let it go and rest. The page keeps the time and tells you what comes next, so you do not have to count or remember. It takes about five minutes, and there is a way to do it with no tensing at all.

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Before you start. Tense gently, about half as hard as you could, and never into pain. Leave out any part that is hurt, sore or healing, or choose Let go only. Keep breathing while you hold. If a doctor has told you not to strain, or you are not sure tensing is safe for you, ask them first, or use Let go only. Stop if you feel pain, a cramp, dizzy or worse. Do not use this page while driving.

If you are thinking about ending your life or hurting yourself, call or text 988 (in the U.S.) now, or open Get help now. For chest pain, trouble breathing or any emergency, call 911.

This tool needs JavaScript to keep the time. You can do the same thing without it: starting with your hands, tense one part of the body gently while you count slowly to five, let it go while you count slowly to fifteen, then move to the next part: arms, shoulders, face, upper back, belly, thighs, lower legs, feet.

Good to know

How it works

Set it up, or leave it as it is: the whole body or a short round, a longer rest, each part once or twice.
Leave out any part. The session goes past it.
Let go only does the same walk with no tensing: you notice each part, then let it soften.
Press Start. For each part the page says what to do, counts about 5 seconds, then counts the rest. A small figure shows the part.
Read aloud and a soft tone are there so you can close your eyes. Both are off until you turn them on.
Pause, skip, go back or stop at any point.
Print the sheet to do it away from a screen.

What this page can’t do

It is not treatment or therapy, and it is not medical advice. It does not diagnose anything.
It cannot promise you will feel calmer, sleep, or hurt less. For some people this does little, and that is not a failing on your part.
It cannot see or feel your body. It measures nothing. It cannot tell whether a part is safe for you to tense. You decide.
It cannot tell a tight chest from a medical emergency. If you are not sure, call 911.
The voice depends on your device. Some phones and browsers have no voice for it, or stop the voice when the screen locks.
The page tries to keep the screen awake while a session runs. Not every browser allows that.

If it feels worse, not better

Paying close attention to the body, or closing your eyes, makes some people more tense or uneasy, not less. That can be more likely after frightening things have happened to you.
You can stop at any point. Open your eyes, look around the room, and move.
You could try it with your eyes open, sitting up, with the short round.
Something that keeps you looking outward may suit you better: Breathe and ground has a five-senses exercise.
If panic is building right now, When panic hits is the page for that.

These are everyday ideas in our own words. They are not advice from a clinician, and they do not suit everyone.

Where the idea comes from

Tensing and then letting go of one group of muscles at a time is usually called progressive muscle relaxation. An American doctor, Edmund Jacobson, described it in the last century, and many therapists and clinics teach shorter versions of it today. This page borrows that plain idea in our own words. It is not that training, and nobody trained in it has looked at this page. If tension, pain or bad sleep has gone on for weeks, a doctor is the person to ask.

Tools that go with this

Breathe and ground: a breathing pacer and a five-senses exercise.
Can’t sleep?: for the nights the body will not settle.
When panic hits: what to do in the next few minutes.
When anger takes over: get through the heat first.
Worry time: give the worries a place to wait.
When the worry won’t switch off: what anxiety is, and where to get help.
All the free tools, and how to save them on your phone.

A timer and some words, not a fix. This page keeps time while you tense and let go. It does not know your body, and it does not replace a doctor, a physical therapist or anyone who does.

The tool and its wording were written with AI (Claude) for Scarlet Beast (our AI policy). It was not reviewed by a clinician. Also in Spanish: Tensar y soltar; both pages share the same settings on this device. To see or erase what is kept, use My data on this device. Found a mistake? Email [email protected].