Slow breathing with a longer exhale is the best-supported way to engage the calming side of your nervous system. This reset pairs it with a gentle ear massage.
Gently rub the hollow inner cartilage of your ear (concha) in slow, small circular motions using your index finger.
The vagus nerve carries signals between the brain and the heart, lungs and gut, and is a major part of the parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) nervous system. Slow breathing at around six breaths a minute, especially with a longer exhale, is linked with higher heart rate variability and feeling calmer.
Research on the ear mostly uses electrical devices (transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation). There is little evidence that massaging the ear with a finger has the same effect, so treat it as a pleasant, grounding extra — the slow breathing is the main ingredient. Claims online that you can “reset” your vagus nerve are often overstated.
If you feel dizzy or light-headed, go back to normal breathing. If you have a heart condition or a history of fainting, check with your doctor before practising regularly. A racing heart with chest pain, severe breathlessness or fainting needs urgent medical help.
A long nerve running from the brainstem to the heart, lungs and gut. It helps slow the heart and supports rest and digestion.
No single exercise “resets” it. Practising slow breathing regularly can help you feel calmer and may improve heart rate variability over time.
Many people feel calmer within a few minutes of slow breathing, though it varies from person to person.
Slow breathing has the best support. Humming, gentle exercise and cold water on the face — the TIPP skill — are other common options.