Here are the top 5 ways to reduce the tension associated with your neck and shoulders

The areas where you’re likely to feel stress or anxiety-related tension are in your neck and shoulders. Over time, this will cause chronic pain also as other health issues.

Fortunately, muscle tension in your neck and shoulders responds well to stretching, yoga, relaxation, and other stress management methods.

Let’s explore several simple techniques you'll use to assist release tension in your neck and shoulders, also as some stress management strategies to assist calm your mind and body.

How do stress and anxiety cause tension in your neck and shoulders?
When you experience a stressful event or a bout of hysteria, your muscles contract, sometimes forcefully. this is often an automatic or reflex reaction. It’s referred to as a stress response or “fight or flight” response.

It’s your body’s way of gearing up to face a perceived physical threat that you’ll get to repel or run far away from. along with side muscle tension, you'll also notice other physical symptoms when you’re stressed or anxious, such as:

a fast pulse 
quick, shallow breathing
cold skin
sweating
Although your body’s stress response is meant to assist you to affect physical threats, your body responds within the same way when the threat isn’t physical. Your muscles may stiffen when you’re stuck in traffic, handling pressure at work, or watching the news.

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), your muscles and other organs may only relax again once the perceived threat has passed.

If stress is ongoing — meaning the stressful situation doesn’t seem to possess a transparent end — your body may stay during a heightened state of readiness to face a threat. As a result, your muscles may stay tense and tight for much longer than they have to.

According to the APA, ongoing muscle tension in your neck and shoulders can cause more serious issues like back and shoulder pain, body aches, and migraine and tension headaches.

What are you able to do to ease stress-related neck and shoulder pain?
Preventing stress-related neck and shoulder tension isn’t always easy to try to do, especially in today’s busy world. But, there are techniques and methods which will help relieve muscle tension and ease pain and discomfort.

Here are five stretches and poses you'll do on a day to day to assist relieve tension and tightness in your neck and shoulders.

1. Neck stretch



The neck stretch maybe a deep stretch that eases tension in your neck and helps improve your range of motion.

  • Stand tall together with your left arm at your side.
  • Place your right on your head together with your fingers pointing to the left side.
  • Gently pull your head toward the proper side until you are feeling a stretch within the left side of your neck.
  • Hold for 20 to 30 seconds and return to the center.
  • Repeat on the left side.
  • Do 2 to three times on all sides.

2. Neck release



The neck release maybe a gentle thanks to loosening tension in both your shoulders and neck.

  • Stand tall with both arms at your sides.
  • Lower your head and convey your chin toward your chest.
  • Gently tilt your head towards the proper side and pause for 30 seconds. you ought to feel a stretch within the left side of your neck.
  • Bring your head back to the middle and lift to the starting position.
  • Repeat before changing sides.
  • Do 3 to five times on all sides.

3. Child’s Pose



Child’s Pose or Balasana may be a well-known yoga pose that will help relieve neck and back pain. It’s also a mild stretch that helps you relax.

  • Get on your hands and knees together with your palms flat on the ground, wrists under your shoulders, and knees under your hips.
  • Sit back on your heels, lengthen your spine, and walk your hands ahead of you. confirm to hinge at your hips.
  • Fold forward and keep your arms extended ahead of you.
  • Hold this position for 60 to 90 seconds. specialize in your breath while you release tension in your neck and shoulders.
  • Return to the starting position and repeat.
  • Do 2 to three times.
4. Cat-Cow Pose



The Cat-Cow or Chakravakasana maybe a yoga pose that permits you to stretch your back, torso, and neck, helping to release tension in these areas.

  • Get on your hands and knees together with your palms flat on the ground, wrists under your shoulders, and knees under your hips.
  • Inhale and enter Cow Pose. Drop your belly towards the mat and lift your chin and chest. search at the ceiling. Open your chest and shoulders. Pause for a couple of seconds.
  • Exhale and enter Cat Pose. Pull your belly toward your spine and round your back toward the ceiling. you ought to be looking down at the mat. Pause for a couple of seconds.
  • Inhale and are available back to Cow Pose and repeat the sequence.
  • Do 10 to 12 times.
5. Thread the needle



Thread the needle may be a stretch that helps release tension in your back, neck, and shoulders.

  • Get on your hands and knees together with your palms flat on the ground, wrists under your shoulders, and knees under your hips.
  • Slide your right (palm up) on the ground to the left side of your body. Your body will rotate with the movement, and your right shoulder will touch the ground as you look to the left side. Use your left to support your weight.
  • Hold this position for 20 to 30 seconds and return to the starting position.
  • Repeat on the left side.
  • Do 2 to three times on all sides.
Other options for neck and shoulder tension
Yoga is a superb activity to assist release stress-related tension in your neck and shoulders. One study found that 9 weeks of yoga resulted in pain relief and functional improvements in people with neck pain.

There also are other strategies you'll use to assist relieve or prevent tension in your neck. as an example you can:

Apply a warm compress to the tight area.
Spend a couple of minutes doing a self-massage.
Soak during a warm tub, and add a couple of drops of aromatherapy oil for extra relaxation.
Adjust your workstation, so your computer is at eye level to avoid neck strain.
Check your posture while you’re at your work desk — keep your hips, shoulders, and ears during a line.
Get up and move far away from your workstation for a couple of minutes every hour.
At night, use a pillow that gives good support for your neck, and is meant to stay your head and neck aligned.
Tips for managing stress and anxiety
We all experience stress. It’s almost impossible to not feel anxious or stressed at some point or another. But, even as your body has an automatic response to worry, it also features a built-in system to calm you down.

Known as the relief response, it helps you get over the “fight or flight” response. It brings all of your systems back to normal and returns your body to a relaxed, resting state. the relief response also helps protect your body from health issues associated with the strain response.

There is a spread of skills and methods you'll use to assist the relief response kick in. Here are a number of them:

Stress management skills
Exercise and physical activity. Moving your body, even for 20 minutes each day, may help lower your overall stress levels and reduce tension in your muscles. If you'll, get outdoors and take a brisk enter nature.
Breathing exercises. Belly breathing also referred to as diaphragmatic breathing, is one of the only ways to relax. Voluntarily controlling your breathing can signal your entire body to relax. With belly breathing, you inhale deeply through your nose, allowing your belly to expand, and exhale through your mouth. Once you recognize the way to breathe in this manner, you'll use this skill often to assist you to relax.
Yoga. consistent with the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, mind and body practices like yoga can help relieve stress, reduce anxiety, and boost your overall well-being. If you’re new to yoga, you'll want to start with a 10-minute restorative yoga session.
Meditation. ResearchTrusted Source has shown that practicing meditation may help reduce the inflammation response caused by stress and also decrease anxiety. Start with 5 minutes of meditation at a time, and increase by a couple of minutes hebdomadally.
Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR). consistent with a 2013 study trusted Source, PMR can help reduce symptoms of chronic neck pain. To do PMR, simply tense each muscle group in your body one at a time, and hold for five seconds. On the exhale, relax the muscles for 10 to twenty seconds before moving to the subsequent muscle group.
Keep in mind that like any new skill, regular practice is that the key. These practices might not work for you directly and that’s OK. But, as you employ them over time, you’ll likely find that they assist return your body to a calmer, more restful state.

The bottom line
Tension and tightness in your neck and shoulders may be a common symptom of stress and anxiety. It’s a part of your body’s way of gearing up to survive a perceived physical threat. In other words, it’s a part of the “fight or flight” stress response.

Fortunately, muscle tension in your neck and shoulders responds well to many different techniques, including targeted stretching, yoga, and other relaxation methods.

However, if the pain in your neck or shoulders
1. Neck stretch
The neck stretch maybe a deep stretch that eases tension in your neck and helps improve your range of motion.

Stand tall together with your left arm at your side.
Place your right on your head together with your fingers pointing to the left side.
Gently pull your head toward the proper side until you are feeling a stretch within the left side of your neck.
Hold for 20 to 30 seconds and return to the center.
Repeat on the left side.
Do 2 to three times on all sides.

2. Neck release
The neck release maybe a gentle thanks to loosening tension in both your shoulders and neck.

Stand tall with both arms at your sides.
Lower your head and convey your chin toward your chest.
Gently tilt your head towards the proper side and pause for 30 seconds. you ought to feel a stretch within the left side of your neck.
Bring your head back to the middle and lift to the starting position.
Repeat before changing sides.
Do 3 to five times on all sides.

3. Child’s Pose
Get on your hands and knees together with your palms flat on the ground, wrists under your shoulders, and knees under your hips.
Sit back on your heels, lengthen your spine, and walk your hands ahead of you. confirm to hinge at your hips.
Fold forward and keep your arms extended ahead of you.
Hold this position for 60 to 90 seconds. specialize in your breath while you release tension in your neck and shoulders.
Return to the starting position and repeat.
Do 2 to three times.

4. Cat-Cow Pose
The Cat-Cow or Chakravakasana maybe a yoga pose that permits you to stretch your back, torso, and neck, helping to release tension in these areas.

Get on your hands and knees together with your palms flat on the ground, wrists under your shoulders, and knees under your hips.
Inhale and enter Cow Pose. Drop your belly towards the mat and lift your chin and chest. search at the ceiling. Open your chest and shoulders. Pause for a couple of seconds.
Exhale and enter Cat Pose. Pull your belly toward your spine and round your back toward the ceiling. you ought to be looking down at the mat. Pause for a couple of seconds.
Inhale and are available back to Cow Pose and repeat the sequence.
Do 10 to 12 times.

5. Thread the needle

Thread the needle may be a stretch that helps release tension in your back, neck, and shoulders.

Get on your hands and knees together with your palms flat on the ground, wrists under your shoulders, and knees under your hips.
Slide your right (palm up) on the ground to the left side of your body. Your body will rotate with the movement, and your right shoulder will touch the ground as you look to the left side. Use your left to support your weight.
Hold this position for 20 to 30 seconds and return to the starting position.
Repeat on the left side.
Do 2 to three times on all sides.
Other options for neck and shoulder tension
Yoga is a superb activity to assist release stress-related tension in your neck and shoulders. One study found that 9 weeks of yoga resulted in pain relief and functional improvements in people with neck pain.

There also are other strategies you'll use to assist relieve or prevent tension in your neck. as an example you can:

Apply a warm compress to the tight area.
Spend a couple of minutes doing a self-massage.
Soak during a warm tub, and add a couple of drops of aromatherapy oil for extra relaxation.
Adjust your workstation, so your computer is at eye level to avoid neck strain.
Check your posture while you’re at your work desk — keep your hips, shoulders, and ears during a line.
Get up and move far away from your workstation for a couple of minutes every hour.
At night, use a pillow that gives good support for your neck, and is meant to stay your head and neck aligned.
Tips for managing stress and anxiety
We all experience stress. It’s almost impossible to not feel anxious or stressed at some point or another. But, even as your body has an automatic response to worry, it also features a built-in system to calm you down.

Known as the relief response, it helps you get over the “fight or flight” response. It brings all of your systems back to normal and returns your body to a relaxed, resting state. the relief response also helps protect your body from health issues associated with the strain response.

There is a spread of skills and methods you'll use to assist the relief response kick in. Here are a number of them:

Stress management skills
Exercise and physical activity. Moving your body, even for 20 minutes each day, may help lower your overall stress levels and reduce tension in your muscles. If you'll, get outdoors and take a brisk enter nature.
Breathing exercises. Belly breathing also referred to as diaphragmatic breathing, is one of the only ways to relax. Voluntarily controlling your breathing can signal your entire body to relax. With belly breathing, you inhale deeply through your nose, allowing your belly to expand, and exhale through your mouth. Once you recognize the way to breathe in this manner, you'll use this skill often to assist you to relax.
Yoga. consistent with the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, mind and body practices like yoga can help relieve stress, reduce anxiety, and boost your overall well-being. If you’re new to yoga, you'll want to start with a 10-minute restorative yoga session.
Meditation. ResearchTrusted Source has shown that practicing meditation may help reduce the inflammation response caused by stress and also decrease anxiety. Start with 5 minutes of meditation at a time, and increase by a couple of minutes hebdomadally.
Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR). consistent with a 2013 study trusted Source, PMR can help reduce symptoms of chronic neck pain. To do PMR, simply tense each muscle group in your body one at a time, and hold for five seconds. On the exhale, relax the muscles for 10 to twenty seconds before moving to the subsequent muscle group.

Keep in mind that like any new skill, regular practice is that the key. These practices might not work for you directly and that’s OK. But, as you employ them over time, you’ll likely find that they assist return your body to a calmer, more restful state.

The bottom line
Tension and tightness in your neck and shoulders may be a common symptom of stress and anxiety. It’s a part of your body’s way of gearing up to survive a perceived physical threat. In other words, it’s a part of the “fight or flight” stress response.

Fortunately, muscle tension in your neck and shoulders responds well to many different techniques, including targeted stretching, yoga, and other relaxation methods.

However, if the pain in your neck or shoulders is severe, or doesn’t improve with stretches or other self-care techniques,