Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is an anxiety-reduction technique that involves alternating tension and relaxation in all the body's major muscle groups. If you experience frequent anxiety, panic, or stress, chances are that the majority of the time your muscles are tense. By practicing PMR, you will learn how a relaxed muscle feels different from a tense muscle. Practicing the technique will give you a greater sense of control over your body's anxiety response. If you practice this technique correctly, you just may end up falling asleep. If so, congratulate yourself on obtaining such a deep level of relaxation, and for the work that you did up until that point. **NOTE: If you feel pain or have an injury in any part of your body described in this exercise, omit the tensing step and focus only on relaxing the muscles.