How Are We Supposed to Calm Down Now? Vagus Nerve & Stress

Vagus Nerve Tips, Stress & Still Face Parenting

This week I force you to join in with whatever the mad reels tell us to do - so concentrate.

My algorithm is obsessed with vagus nerve regulation: calm your nervous system, soothe your vagal tone, stop being on edge, stop snapping, stop doom-scrolling and just… relax.

So naturally, I decided to look into it.

In this episode I unpack why modern life feels so dysregulating, why scrolling feels calming but actually isn’t, and whether humming, cold water, jaw unclenching and breathing like an ancient human might help — or whether we’ve officially lost the plot.

You may need to unclench your teeth while listening.

🧠 What We Cover

• Why “just calm down” doesn’t work • The Still Face experiment — and why blank-facing kids backfires • What the vagus nerve actually does (without wellness nonsense) • Why your body has to feel safe before your brain can think • The most common vagus nerve tips from Instagram • Which ones felt useful, which felt weird, and which I’ll actually keep

🧪 The Internet Advice I Tested

Including: • Humming & singing • Breathing out longer than in • Jaw and tongue relaxation • Cold water on the face • Slow movement instead of checking out

No ice baths. No candles. No pretending we live in a monastery.

🏺 Have We Lost the Plot?

Probably not.

Humans have always regulated themselves through: • movement • rhythm • cold exposure • shared calm

We just used to do it naturally — now we have to remember.

🔁 Field Report Coming Friday

I’ll report back on whether any of this helped in real life, or whether it joined the long list of things that sounded promising and didn’t survive a weekday.

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This month’s book: Atomic Habits – James Clear

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