Does it really work?
It’s the gadget that promises to rewire the body’s stress response. One oft-frazzled writer puts it to the test
I’m a duck. Or is it a swan? Whatever the analogy is for someone who seems calm on the surface but is paddling furiously underwater, that’s what I’m getting at. I can be an adept juggler; I work as editor of this magazine four days a week, I parent a – erm, let’s say vibrant – toddler and run a side hustle as a qualified life coach. There are also days when it feels like I might snap – when just spilling a cup of milk or missing a train by minutes makes me bubble over with rage. So, as someone who believes in taking proactive responsibility for my mental health, the idea of a life hack to better manage my body’s stress response is right up my strasse. That hack being the Sensate, and the benefits it can bring to my body and mind via my vagus nerve.
Described as a ‘pebble’, Sensate is a palm-sized £199 gadget coated in silicone.
It’s designed to stimulate and strengthen your vagus nerve, which runs from the brain stem and down the back of the throat before branching into the gut. One of the largest nerves in the body, it’s responsible for modulating stress response. You know – the racing heart, sweaty palms and knotted gut. Your vagus nerve calms your breathing and heart rate and has been proven to trigger the release of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in muscle activation and sleep. Trouble is, the average vagus can’t keep up with the demands placed on it; it’s overworked and overwhelmed, and not functioning effectively as a result.
Knowing that the vagus responds to vibrations and low-frequency sound, Sensate delivers both, so I give it a go. in bed, I download the app on my phone, press the button on the pebble and the two devices sync instantly via Bluetooth.
First thing in the morning seems as good a time as any, before the reality of family life punches me square in the face. Still I’m using the free version of the app, which has 12 tracks – soundscapes include ‘Space & Time’
