The Best Ways to Stimulate the Parasympathetic Nervous System

Tricks to help you relax is stressful situations

Co-authored by Tracy Carver, PhD and Danielle Blinka, MA, MPA

Last Updated: July 9, 2024 Fact Checked

Dealing with stress is a normal part of life, but too much stress and anxiety can be harmful. When you feel really stressed, your body naturally releases hormones that trigger your fight, flight, or freeze response. Once the threat is over, your parasympathetic nervous system activates to calm and relax you. Sometimes this system can become out-of-balance, which puts you on constant high alert.^{[1]
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Research source} Fortunately, you may be able to activate your parasympathetic nervous system to help you feel calm by doing relaxation exercises, making lifestyle changes, and exercising. If you do these things consistently, you should feel more relaxed.

1

Touch

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Run your fingers over your lips to instantly feel calmer. Your lips are connected to parasympathetic fibers, which are stimulated when you touch your lips. Gently slide 1 or 2 fingers over your lips to activate these nerve fibers. You should instantly feel more calm.^{[2]
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- Make sure your hands are clean so you don’t get germs in your mouth.
- Apply lip balm first to help your fingers slide over your lips more easily, if you prefer.
- While you'll likely feel a bit more relaxed, this won't cure your anxiety or get rid of your stress.

2

Deep breathing

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Do deep abdominal breathing exercises to calm yourself. Breathing through your diaphragm can quickly relax you because it stimulates your parasympathetic nervous system. Put your hand on your stomach, then slowly draw air into your lungs. You should feel your stomach rising as you take a deep breath. When your lungs are full, hold your breath for 1-2 seconds, then slowly exhale.^{[3]
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- Take 5 slow deep breaths to activate your calming response.
- You should feel a lot more relaxed after you do deep breathing. However, you might need to do it several times a day to help you deal with chronic stress.
- Try simple "box breathing." Inhale for four counts, hold your breath at the "top" for four counts, exhale for four counts, hold your breath at the "bottom" for four counts.^{[4]
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  Tracy Carver, PhD
  Licensed Psychologist
  
  Expert Interview. 12 January 2021.}

3

Visualization

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Visualize yourself in a relaxing situation. Pick an image that feels comfortable to you, such as a peaceful beach, a sunny hillside, or a trickling mountain stream. When you’re feeling stressed, picture yourself in this calming place. Imagine the sights, sounds, sensations, smells, and tastes you’d experience there.^{[5]
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- For instance, you might imagine yourself on a beach watching the blue water come ashore in calm waves. Remember the sounds of ocean waves and seabirds, as well as the scent of the ocean. Additionally, imagine a gentle sea breeze caressing your skin and the taste of salty air on your tongue.
- Visualization can be really effective, but it doesn't work for everyone. If you have trouble picturing yourself somewhere else, this technique might not work well for you.

4

Meditation

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Meditate on a calming word for 10 to 30 minutes daily. Meditating daily helps you naturally calm down, and focusing on a calming word provides even more benefits. Choose a word that helps you feel relaxed, like “Calm,” “Breathe,” or “Peace.” Then, sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes, and focus on your breath. Breathe in, then say your calming word to yourself as you exhale. Do this for 10 to 30 minutes every day to help you stay calm.^{[6]
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- Do a quick 5-minute meditation in a crisis moment when you’re feeling really stressed or anxious.

5

Muscle relaxation

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Do progressive muscle relaxation to trigger your calming response. Lie down in a comfortable position and take several deep breaths to calm yourself. Start at your toes and tense your muscles for 1-2 seconds before releasing. Move to the next muscle group, then tense and release. Continue tensing and releasing your muscles until you reach your head.^{[7]
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- After you tense and release all of your muscles, your body should feel calm.
- You can do this when you’re feeling really stressed or as a relaxation technique before bed.
- Pay attention to the minute areas of tension in your body (your jaw, your forehead).^{[8]
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  Expert Source
  
  Tracy Carver, PhD
  Licensed Psychologist
  
  Expert Interview. 12 January 2021.}

6

Massage

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Get a massage for full body relaxation. Visit a massage therapist for a therapeutic massage. They can work out the tightness in your muscles and help trigger your relaxation response.^{[9]
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- Look for a massage therapist in your area by searching online.
- A massage can help you calm down quickly after a stressful event. However, you might prefer to get them regularly to help yourself stay calm.
Variation: Try massaging yourself to get the benefits of massage. Apply a body oil to your skin, then rub yourself using a flat hand.

7

Nature

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Spend time outside to trigger your body’s calming response. Sit and relax in the sunshine, or go for a short hike. Focus your attention on the trees, plants, and animals around you.^{[10]
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- Even a short amount of time in nature can help you feel more calm, but try to spend 15-30 minutes outdoors every day or when you feel stressed.
- Generally, being in nature is calming. However, it might not work for you if you don't like going outside.
Tip: If you live in a city, visit a local park or community garden to get in touch with nature.

8

Exercise

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Exercise for 30 minutes daily to help you relax. Regular exercise helps you manage your stress, and engaging in exercise right after a stressful event calms you down faster. Choose an exercise that you enjoy so it’s easy to do it. Then, exercise for 30 minutes every day to help you feel more relaxed.^{[11]
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- For instance, go for brisk walks, swim, run, play a team sport, take dance classes, or go to the gym.
Tip: If you’re feeling stressed or anxious, do an exercise that burns off your energy. For instance, run, do kickboxing, or dance. This will activate your parasympathetic nervous system to calm you down.

9

Yoga

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Do yoga to help you relax. Yoga relaxes your whole body and helps you connect with your breath. Take a yoga class, follow along with a video workout, or learn a few poses using online resources. Then, do yoga every day or when you’re feeling overwhelmed.^{[12]
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- A yoga teacher can help you make sure you’re doing the poses correctly, but you can learn a lot from video workouts and online resources.
- Try watching YouTube videos that show you how to do the poses right.
- When you’re first getting started, pick 3-5 poses that are easy for you and do them for 5-10 minutes a day. Then, expand your practice as you get better.

10

Tai Chi

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Perform tai chi to be gently active. Tai Chi is a form of martial arts where you do slow movements in a continuous motion. It’s a very calming exercise that is gentle on your body. Enroll in a tai chi class or follow along with a video.^{[13]
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- Look for tai chi classes in your area by searching online.

11

Socialize

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Spend time with supportive people who make you feel calm. Being around people you love and care about also triggers your calming response. When you’re feeling really stressed, reach out to a friend to vent and get advice. Additionally, schedule time with your friends and family so you maintain strong ties with them.^{[14]
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- For instance, you might call your friend or meet your sister for coffee when you’re dealing with a lot of stress.
- Choose people who make you feel relaxed and calm rather than people who are rowdy or negative.
- Schedule at least 1 activity with your loved ones each week. You might host a game night, enjoy a family dinner, or go bowling with your friends.

12

Hobbies

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Engage in a relaxing hobby to help manage your stress levels. Working on a hobby helps activate your parasympathetic nervous system because it’s a relaxing way to spend your time. Choose a hobby that you lose yourself in, like painting, knitting, doing puzzles, or playing a team sport. Then, schedule time during the week to engage in your hobby.^{[15]
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- Try to pick a hobby that you can do during times of stress. For instance, you could come home from work and draw in your sketchbook or build birdhouses.

13

Mindfulness

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Focus on the present moment instead of multitasking. Being mindful can help activate your parasympathetic nervous system. To be more mindful, do a single task at a time rather than working on several things at once. Additionally, activate your 5 senses to help you root yourself in the moment.^{[16]
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- For instance, don’t do anything during mealtimes except eat and don’t do 2 job tasks at once. Just focus on 1 thing at a time.
- To activate your 5 senses, focus on the things you see, hear, smell, feel, and taste in your environment. You might tell yourself, “I see colorful flowers on the hillside, I smell the scent of honeysuckle, I hear the wind whistling through trees, I feel the warmth of the sun, and I taste my cherry lip balm.”

14

Pray

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Say a repetitive prayer to engage your spirituality. If you’re a spiritual or religious person, prayer may also activate your parasympathetic nervous system. This works best if you repeat a meaningful prayer over and over again. Sit or stand in a position that feels comfortable to you, then recite your prayer until you feel calm.^{[17]
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- For instance, you might say The Lord’s Prayer 10 times or say a Buddhist prayer for peace.

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Tips

Your parasympathetic nervous system should automatically activate after you've gone through a stressful situation. However, your stress hormones may be out of balance if you've been dealing with chronic stress.^{[18]
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While there aren’t any particular foods that will help you activate your parasympathetic nervous system, mindfully eating might help because it allows you to focus on what you’re doing.^{[19]
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Warnings

If you’re feeling very stressed or overwhelmed, it’s best to talk to your doctor or a therapist who can help you get treatment if you need it.^{[20]
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