yup===when I am stressed I clench my jaw---particularly on the left...I will even clench while I sleep!

Omg me too the other night I fell asleep with my pinkie in my mouth had the bite marks in my finger for half the day after it jumped me up out of my sleep.

I strongly suspect I would if I had bottom teeth to grind by top teeth against. The aches I develop from clenching my neck muscles can be fierce.

Exercises to help me unclench muscle groups are among my most used anxiety management tools. When I'm not clenching my neck, I'm clenching my gut or my shoulders or one of the other muscle groups in my body. When I can get myself to relax the clenched muscles, my anxiety eases, as well. When I am clenching neck and/or throat muscles, singing is my most effective exercises. As a bonus, singing also serves as a breathing exercise. Let the art critics jabber as they will. This is therapy.

Singing sure is therapy. I too sing on 2 different choirs

Yes. I chew gum to help with anxiety...but that causes my TMJ to be worst. However I feel it's good to have something when I'm clenching my jaw too. It's a double edge sword!
My massage therapist taught me some massage techniques to help with the pain. I think you can find similar videos on youtube.

Sending you some light and love!

I was doing tmj exercises off of YouTube this morning they really helped. I need a good old fashioned chiropractor lol

Am I the only one who loves going down the YouTube worm hole lol?

Does anyone wake up in the middle of the night with their heart racing? It doesn't happen every night but their are times that I hate going to sleep thanking its going to happen which causes anxiety. I hate it because when it happens it gives me more anxiety which makes it worse. But once I can get my mind calmed down it goes away but that's not always easy to do...ugh!!!

Yup Crystalclear when it happens I hate it then its hard to go back to sleep. For me it happens when I start to fall asleep I never know when it's gonna start

I can feel my checking behavior trying to flare up. I forgot that your tmj can aggravate your sinus the same side of my flared up tmj the sinus on that side is draining so of course I am thinking covid. Which is making me double check my taste.

omg-Trudy--I suffer the same exact thing--my sinuses on the left side are realllllly bad...and now it seems to be causing vertigo--I need a chiropractor too....not sure how to fit that in my schedule...but i think i have too---because vertigo is horrendous.

sleeping with a heating pad helps loosen muscles on whatever side of your face.

I have to wear a night guard to keep from damaging my teeth. When my TMJ acts up I do exercises. One is to open my mouth as wide as I can and hold it then release. It really hurts to do this exercise when TMJ is flared but it does help relieve the tension and pain. The other is to move my jaw back and forth. Sorry you suffer TMJ.

Ty for the info secouya

Im a clencher, too. I tend to clench my whole body and hold my breath when I am triggered. My jaw its the left side...had to get one of my molars fixed and now wear a night guard because I was grinding my teeth down.