By
Arielle Avila,
a writer at the Strategist covering wardrobe basics and personal care.
She joined the Strategist in 2020 as a junior writer. Previously, she wrote about style at Texas Monthly.
Maybe it’s a sign of the times, but my feed this past year has been flooded with ways to calm the nervous system. Things like box breathing, meditation, less scrolling, etc. But recently, I started getting pitch emails and ads about little devices (with not-so-little price tags) that could Zen you out in an instant. I started looking into it and it seems like the wellness industry — podcasters, biohackers, and the like — is very invested in these gadgets that stimulate the vagus nerve to help with relaxation, better sleep, and immune function. I tested out a few of the devices myself and didn’t see a life-altering difference. (If anything, I noticed a shift in awareness that prompted me to take some deep breaths and relax, but I’m also admittedly not someone who tracks their health on a watch or wearable.) To make more sense of it all, I turned to experts. I spoke to a neurologist, neurological spine surgeon, doctor specializing in clinical neurophysiology, and psychiatrist about the vagus nerve, whether or not we should be zapping it, and if the devices are worth it.
