A viral Instagram post claims that sticking out one's tongue for 40 seconds twice daily can reduce stress by releasing tension in the neck and compressing the vagus nerve, citing an Egyptian neurologist who observed a patient's cortisol levels normalizing. However, medical experts and scientific research refute this claim, stating there is no evidence that this simple tongue exercise reduces stress, although some weak research suggests facial muscle exercises might offer minor mood improvements, and more credible stress reduction methods involve specialized medical devices for vagus nerve stimulation. Doctors emphasize that addressing the root cause of stress through proven methods like yoga, meditation, or seeking expert help is more effective than unproven exercises.

A viral Instagram post claims that sticking out one's tongue for 40 seconds twice daily can reduce stress by releasing tension in the neck and compressing the vagus nerve, citing an Egyptian neurologist who observed a patient's cortisol levels normalizing. However, medical experts and scientific research refute this claim, stating there is no evidence that this simple tongue exercise reduces stress, although some weak research suggests facial muscle exercises might offer minor mood improvements, and more credible stress reduction methods involve specialized medical devices for vagus nerve stimulation. Doctors emphasize that addressing the root cause of stress through proven methods like yoga, meditation, or seeking expert help is more effective than unproven exercises.

A viral Instagram post claims that sticking out one's tongue for 40 seconds twice daily can reduce stress by releasing tension in the neck and compressing the vagus nerve, citing an Egyptian neurologist who observed a patient's cortisol levels normalizing. However, medical experts and scientific research refute this claim, stating there is no evidence that this simple tongue exercise reduces stress, although some weak research suggests facial muscle exercises might offer minor mood improvements, and more credible stress reduction methods involve specialized medical devices for vagus nerve stimulation. Doctors emphasize that addressing the root cause of stress through proven methods like yoga, meditation, or seeking expert help is more effective than unproven exercises.

CLAIM: A viral Instagram post suggests that the stress level will reduce if you stick your tongue out for 40 seconds twice a day. The post states that the idea is from an Egyptian neurologist from Mount Sinai, who observed the results in one of his patients. The patient’s cortisol level dropped to normal levels within two weeks, without any medication.  

FACT: False. There is no evidence that sticking out the tongue helps in reducing stress. While the tongue has automatic reflexes that help stabilise its position during speech, these are involuntary and are entirely unrelated to stress relief. Some research shows that facial muscle exercises might help in improving mood and reducing stress but the evidence remains weak and inconclusive. Studies on vagus nerve stimulation do show more credible results in reducing anxiety but the technique requires a specialised medical device worn for hours and not a simple tongue exercise that can be done twice a day.

A viral post on Instagram by peopleafteranesthesia claims that if a person holds their tongue for 40 seconds twice a day, the level of stress hormones lowers. The caption states that an Egyptian neurologist asked one of his patients to stick out his tongue for a few seconds and observed that, within two weeks, the patient's cortisol levels dropped from the clinical anxiety range to normal, without any change in medication. 

“Your neck holds 60 to 80 per cent of chronic body tension. That tension does not stay local. It compresses the vagus nerve, restricts cerebrospinal fluid flow, and keeps your nervous system locked in a low-grade stress response around the clock,” the post claims. 

“The tongue connects directly to the hyoid bone, which anchors the deep muscles of the neck and throat. Extending it fully creates a decompression effect through the entire fascial chain running from your jaw down through your neck and into your chest,” it adds.  

The posts recommends the exercise twice a day:  

“One movement. Forty seconds. Twice a day. Your brain is not the problem. What is wrapped around it is,” it says. 

What have the studies found?

A 2021 systematic review looked at whether deliberately moving the facial muscles, such as forced smiles or expressions, could improve one’s mental well-being. The review was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, when face-to-face communication was significantly affected due to the wearing of masks.  

The researchers went through 61,096 studies between 2007 and 2018 and focused on seven that tested this idea. All the studies reported that “facial muscle exercise may help to improve some parameters of mental health,” such as depressive symptoms, mood, and reduction in the level of chronic stress. 

The review, however, found that the quality of available studies was low, concluding that "further studies are needed to confirm the mental health benefits."  

A 2024 study found that the tongue has an automatic reflex that kicks in to correct its position during speech, without any conscious effort from the speaker. When researchers suddenly pushed or pulled participants' tongues while they were holding a position for speech, the tongue snapped back on its own within 50 milliseconds, which is relatively long.  

The study found that the reflex was stronger during speech than during other tasks, “which is possibly mediated through the cortical arc.” 

Do doctors agree?

Dr Ankit Jain, ENT, head and neck surgery specialist at Apollo Spectra Hospitals, Mumbai, does not agree with the claim. "Merely holding out the tongue is not going to help you de-stress," he said. "Try to address the root cause of stress with the help of an expert." 

Dr Jain said that science does not back up the post's claim that the tongue extension creates a decompression effect through the neck and chest.  

“Sticking the tongue out has no direct decompression effect, ” he said while acknowledging that it might briefly help some people relax their facial muscles, release tension , or encourage mindful breathing, offering only temporary relief. 

The post’s claim that 60 to 80 percent of chronic body tension sits in the neck found no support from Dr Jain.  

“There is no research available to validate this claim,” he said. 

"Yoga, meditation, deep breathing exercises, stretching, walking, gymming, and cycling can help  de-stress and release tension," Dr Jain said. "It is better to consult an expert who will resolve all the queries and help you make an informed health decision."  

This story is done in collaboration with First Check, which is the health journalism vertical of DataLEADS

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