Humming creates gentle vibrations inside the throat, sinuses, and chest, areas rich with branches of the vagus nerve, which plays a key role in regulating stress, mood, and heart rate.
These vibrations, combined with the naturally long exhale required to hum, send the body a clear signal of safety.
According to research published in the National Library of Medicine, long-term heart rate variability (HRV), one of the body’s strongest indicators of stress resilience, was assessed across four daily activities – humming, physical activity, emotional stress, and sleep.
The results showed that humming produced the lowest stress index compared to all other activities, revealing a uniquely calming effect on the body.
The science behind this habit was explained by Sam Bloomfield, Dance Movement Psychotherapist and Humanistic & Integrative Psychotherapist at the UK Council for Psychotherapy.
Bloomfield shared, “The nervous system responds to cues of safety. Humming is often patterned in the nervous system as an early response to warm and comfortable relationships and surroundings. Think of a cat purring! [Humming] is our own form of cat purr.”
Simone Hatiel, an Integrative, Somatic, and Transpersonal Therapist based in the UK, also emphasized the powerful link between humming and vagus nerve activation.
She explained, “Humming creates vibration along the pathways where the vagus nerve lives.”
These vibrations “provide gentle bottom-up stimulation to the parasympathetic system,” signaling to the brain that “I’m safe enough. I can settle.”
From a nervous-system perspective, anxiety is a physiological state of perceived threat that pushes the body into cycles of panic, agitation, shutdown, or numbness.
Explaining how this vibrational practice breaks the anxiety cycle, Hatiel noted that, “Humming interrupts the loop of fight, flight, or freeze by offering the system a predictable rhythm, soothing vibration, and gentle exhalation, unlike other somatic practices that may feel intense.”
“It restores regulation without overwhelming the system.”
While both experts agree there is no single “perfect” approach, Simone often uses Peter Levine’s well-known “Voo” sound method, where you “take a small, easy inhale through your nose and then let out a long ‘vooooo’ until the breath naturally ends.”
She recommends 3-5 repetitions, usually lasting no more than 1-3 minutes.
Research also suggests that playful humming works best for children, teenagers tend to prefer humming softly along with music, and older adults benefit more from shorter, more relaxed hums with plenty of pauses.