How to Sign "Relax" in American Sign Language

The short answer

In American Sign Language (ASL), the sign commonly used for "relax" is the same sign used for "rest." Cross your forearms over your chest with your hands open and your palms facing your body, then let them settle there briefly, as though you are resting. Pair it with a calm, relaxed facial expression.

This guide assumes you mean ASL because the search comes from the US. Other sign languages, such as British Sign Language, are separate languages with their own vocabulary, so the sign for "relax" may look different in them.

What changes the meaning

English uses "relax" in several ways, and ASL often uses different signs for those meanings:

• Relax as in rest, unwind or take it easy: the crossed-arms sign described here is the usual choice.
• Relax as an instruction to someone who is upset, closer to "calm down": signers often use a different sign. It is typically made with flat hands, palms down, moving slowly downward. Confirm this with a fluent signer before relying on it.
• Relax as in loosening a rule or a muscle: these meanings are usually expressed with other signs or by describing the situation, not with the rest sign.

Step by step: forming the sign

Every sign is built from a few parts: handshape (the shape of your hands), location (where on or near the body the sign happens), movement, palm orientation (which way your palms face) and non-manual markers (facial expression and body posture). Check each part as you go.

• 1. Handshape: open both hands with your fingers together and relaxed. A slight natural curve is fine; avoid fists or spread fingers.
• 2. Location: bring your hands up to your upper chest.
• 3. Orientation and position: cross your forearms at the wrists so each hand rests near the opposite shoulder or upper chest. Your palms face your body.
• 4. Movement: settle your crossed arms gently against your chest and hold for a moment. The movement is small and unhurried, not a sharp tap.
• 5. Expression: relax your face and shoulders. A tense face while making a calm sign sends a mixed message, because facial expression carries grammatical and emotional meaning in ASL.

How to check that you did it correctly

Watch yourself in a mirror, or in a camera preview if you plan to sign on a video call. Check for these signs of success:

• Both forearms are visibly crossed, with open hands resting on the chest.
• Your palms face inward toward you, not outward toward the viewer.
• The whole sign, including both hands and your face, is visible at once.
• The motion looks slow and settled rather than abrupt.
• Your expression matches the meaning: calm and unhurried.

A mirror check only confirms that the sign looks the way you intended. It cannot confirm that you have picked the right sign for your context or region, or that a Deaf signer would read it naturally. For that, ask a fluent signer, an ASL instructor, or a member of the local Deaf community to watch you sign it.

Limitations of this guide

No sign-language dictionary entries, videos or other source material were supplied for this article, so the description above relies on widely taught general knowledge of ASL, not a cited reference. Signs vary by region, age group and community, and written descriptions cannot fully show movement. Before using the sign in an important conversation, compare it against a video from a reputable ASL dictionary or confirm it with a fluent signer.