I’m usually the first physician in my office in the morning. I enjoy the solitude. Before patients and colleagues arrive, even just for 20 minutes, I sit at my computer along a big shared table and I hum while I work.
This is something I’ve recently started doing. Sometimes it’s a specific tune from a song; other times, just random notes. I’m not entirely sure why, but it somehow relaxes me, especially on Monday mornings, facing the storm of lab reports, consults, and radiology results waiting in my inbox.
A brief dive into the medical literature revealed that humming isn’t just pleasant — it has measurable physiologic benefits. Humming increases parasympathetic activity, helping lower heart rate and blood pressure. It has even been shown to improve heart rate variability, a marker of autonomic balance and stress resilience.
Whistling can also activate the relaxation response. I’m not very good at whistling — I’d probably just end up spitting on my computer screen — so humming is an easy, low-risk alternative.
So next time before you open your inbox; try humming. Even a minute can help tickle your vagus nerve, calm your mind, and prepare you for the day ahead.