Jessica Yellin Instagram – GOT ANXIETY? TIPS TO CALM YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM Since I live in the news and on social media I’ve been dealing with news anxiety for a long time. So I’ve learned some tricks and tools to help me calm down and recenter when I feel stress get too intense. These are all science-backed tips. Most of these tips are related to stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the part of the nervous system responsible for regulating relaxation, rest, and digestion. The parasympathetic nervous system translates sensory input into signals that tell your body to relax your muscles, slow your heart rate and breathing, and even reduce inflammation. Touching your lips, yawning, and cold exposure all stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system. As for the other tips here? Studies show making eye contact with your pet boosts your levels of oxytocin, a hormone which supports feelings of trust and love. And numerous studies have shown the benefits of being in or even just looking at nature. One found that participants performing boring tasks made fewer mistakes when they looked at nature during a 40-second break (compared to participants who looked at a concrete rooftop instead). What tricks do you use to calm down when the news gets overwhelming? Tell us in the comments.