Progressive Muscle Relaxation and Applied Relaxation are well-established techniques used to manage misophonia. These methods focus on learning to relax skeletal muscles deliberately and consistently, which can reduce the intensity of misophonic reactions and improve overall well-being.

Muscle relaxation is a skill. Like any skill, it must be practiced regularly to be effective. While the process takes time, the benefits can be substantial for many people.

Why Muscle Relaxation Helps with Misophonia

Muscle relaxation supports misophonia management in several ways.

First, daily relaxation practice improves general health and well-being. Better sleep, reduced stress, and improved physical comfort can all reduce the severity of misophonia symptoms.

Second, relaxation practice builds the ability to reduce muscle tension after a trigger occurs. Misophonia often includes an immediate physical reflex involving skeletal muscles. Learning to relax those muscles can shorten recovery time and reduce emotional escalation.

Third, relaxing before or during a known trigger situation can lessen both the physical and emotional response. While triggers may still occur, the overall reaction may feel more manageable.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Physician Edmund Jacobson developed Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) in the early 1920s to help patients manage stress and anxiety. The technique involves deliberately tightening and then relaxing groups of muscles in sequence, helping individuals become more aware of muscle tension and learn how to release it.

Early versions of PMR involved many muscle groups, but research has shown that working with approximately 15 to 20 skeletal muscle groups provides the same benefit. Regular practice improves control over muscle tension, especially during stressful events.

Daily PMR has been shown to support relaxation, reduce anxiety, and improve overall well-being. Physiological changes associated with deep relaxation include reduced heart rate, slower breathing, lower blood pressure, decreased muscle tension, and reduced analytical thinking.

Over time, people practicing PMR often report:

  • Reduced general anxiety

  • Less accumulation of stress

  • Improved sleep

  • Better concentration and memory

  • Increased energy

  • Greater awareness of emotional states

Emotional awareness improves because feelings are closely linked to physical sensations. Chronic muscle tension can cause the body to interpret itself as agitated or distressed. Relaxing muscles helps the body—and brain—recognize calmer emotional states more accurately.

Applied Relaxation

Applied Relaxation builds on PMR. Instead of tightening muscles first, the focus is on relaxing muscles directly.

After practicing PMR at least 10 times, Applied Relaxation can be introduced. One method involves moving through the same muscle groups used in PMR and relaxing each group for several seconds without first tensing it. This can be done once daily and usually takes only a few minutes.

A more advanced stage involves relaxing all muscles simultaneously. Sitting or lying comfortably, attention is placed on relaxing the entire body at once. Any remaining tension is identified and released. This fully relaxed state is held briefly.

Learning this skill takes time. Research suggests it may require multiple extended practice sessions. Consistency is the biggest challenge, but also the key to success.

Daily Practice Guidelines

For best results, muscle relaxation should be practiced daily. Practicing twice a day—morning and evening—can speed early progress, especially during the first one to two weeks. Once daily practice is sufficient for most people, though improvement may occur more gradually.

A quiet location without distractions is recommended. Sessions typically take 20 to 30 minutes at first, though experienced users may complete them in 10 minutes.

A comfortable position should be used, such as lying down or sitting in a recliner or on a sofa. Tight clothing should be loosened. The goal is to observe sensations without judgment, maintaining a calm, detached attitude.

A typical PMR session begins with slow, deep breathing, followed by sequential muscle tension and relaxation. Each muscle group is tightened briefly, then released while attention is paid to the contrast between tension and relaxation.

Common muscle groups include the hands, arms, face, neck, shoulders, chest, abdomen, back, legs, and feet. After completing all groups, the body is scanned for remaining tension and additional relaxation is applied as needed.

Using Relaxation in Trigger Situations

Once the skill of muscle relaxation has been developed, it can be used during or before trigger exposure. Relaxing key muscle groups may reduce the intensity of the misophonic reflex and shorten recovery time.

This approach can be especially helpful for individuals whose initial misophonia response involves a strong physical component. Relaxing muscles before a known trigger situation may reduce the reflexive response.

Relaxation techniques are not a quick fix, and they do not eliminate misophonia for everyone. However, many people find them to be a valuable part of a long-term management strategy.

Guided Practice and Learning the Skill

Guided relaxation recordings can be especially helpful when first learning Progressive Muscle Relaxation. These recordings emphasize attention to muscle tension and release, which supports the development of the neural pathways needed to relax muscles on demand.

Several guided PMR recordings are available through the Misophonia Treatment Institute. These include longer sessions, such as a 25-minute guided audio exercise developed at Dartmouth University, as well as shorter options, including a 15-minute guided audio exercise from Arizona State University. Trying at least one longer guided session can be helpful for understanding the full process before moving to shorter versions.

During the first week of practice, guided recordings are often recommended because they reinforce the mental focus required to notice muscle tension and relaxation. This attention is an important part of learning the skill, not just completing the exercise.

For individuals who find spoken instructions triggering or distracting, alternative recordings are available that use timing cues without narration. These versions provide structure while avoiding verbal prompts. A written PMR script is also available for those who prefer to guide themselves through the exercise.

Once the technique is familiar, shorter sessions may be sufficient, and individuals can choose the format that works best for them. Practicing muscle relaxation twice a day may lead to faster improvement, but practicing at least once daily is important for developing and maintaining the skill.

References and Further Reading

This page draws on established research and clinical resources related to progressive muscle relaxation and applied relaxation, including work by Edmund Jacobson and subsequent clinical studies on relaxation-based interventions for anxiety and stress-related conditions.

For readers interested in academic sources and guided practice materials, selected references and resources are available upon request or through linked materials provided by the Misophonia Institute.