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

EPISODE · Feb 9, 2026 · 13 MIN

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

from Field Notes

Vagus Nerve Tips, Stress & Still Face ParentingThis 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 TestedIncluding:• Humming & singing• Breathing out longer than in• Jaw and tongue relaxation• Cold water on the face• Slow movement instead of checking outNo 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 calmWe just used to do it naturally — now we have to remember.🔁 Field Report Coming FridayI’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.📚 JOIN “ACTUALLY TRYING”If you want help actually applying this stuff (without becoming insufferable):👉 https://rosehoneymorgan.substack.com/subscribeThis month’s book:Atomic Habits – James ClearYou’ll get:• Weekly breakdowns you can actually use• Private podcast episodes• Cheat sheets & summaries• Anti-brain-rot knowledge topicsYou can also join free for the notes via email.📲 STAY IN THE GROUP CHATFollow along on Instagram:• @rosehoneymorgan• @field.notes.podAnd come back Friday for the field report.Follow along to see me desperately trying in real time on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosehoneymorgan/For podcast clips and BTS stories: https://www.instagram.com/actuallytryingpodYoutube: www.youtube.com/@rose.honey.morganFor brand enquiries: [email protected]***DM me with your Guru & Granny questions on Instagram*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Feb 9, 2026

Embed this episode

Ready to play

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

0:00 13:34

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

Crush Anxiety Dr. Aly Wood The Crush Anxiety Podcast is the ultimate destination for high achievers battling anxiety, offering a powerful mix of science-backed strategies and insights from the top thought leaders in the field.  Join Dr. Aly Wood (psychiatrist and life coach) as we dive into practical strategies for tackling stress, mastering your mindset, embracing discomfort, and optimizing your time.  Get ready to crush anxiety, reach new heights, and unlock your full potential! Explicit Functional Idiots Podcast Stupid Productions The Functional Idiots Podcast is hosted by Colton and Dillon, both of whom are idiots who somehow function in everyday life. Think of it as a functional drunk, except we could fail a sobriety field test sober. They discuss the bigger news offbeat news stories of the week, but also the hard hitting stuff like, “When someone has multiple children at once, twins, triplets, etc., who is the planned child, and who is the accident child?”. They also make fun of people who can’t seem to get out of their own way in life, and bust each other’s balls along the way. If you yourself feel like a functional idiot waltzing through life, then this is the perfect podcast for you! The Functional Idiots Podcast, the dumbest two hours in podcasting! Explicit Hops and Notes The Horrorble People's Network From punk to funk and bringing you brews and grooves; Hops and Notes is a weekly music podcast dedicated to music reviews, craft beer, with a splash of dumb drunk comedy. Explicit Vera's Van☆ Verona Videira Hey, it's Vera, but you can call me anything my dears! Abt me! 💮I'm 16! (I sound 14, ik, ik)💮 🎀She/They bi-asexual!🎀 💋I was born in Hong Kong, but I'm in America!💋 ☀️OFFICIALLY ADOPTED!☀️ 🥀Happily single hehe🥀 👟I do cross country and track & field!👟 🐝A part of the amazing HunniBee asmr group🐝 🪄I am a witch and hellenist🪄 If you would like to request an episode, REQUESTS ARE OPEN Posting! Until the end of September, I can only do weekends, maybe a short episode on weekdays, because of cross country. Yours truly, -Vera Explicit

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Field Notes?

This episode is 13 minutes long.

When was this Field Notes episode published?

This episode was published on February 9, 2026.

Can I download this Field Notes episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!