Have you ever traced your finger—or your eyes—along a line, or the edge of an object, and instantly felt calmer?
Perhaps you've done it without even realizing you were regulating your parasympathetic nervous system. This is something I realized looking back at my life: I do this all the time. I "space out" and watch the trees. I get beyond thrilled when I see a sharp shadow I can study. I follow along the edge of a window pane or track the outline of an object within view.
I thought I was just "spacy." Turns out, I was self-regulating. One point awarded to young-Carrianne!
The cool thing is that now there's actual research about how focused attention—think trees, outlines, single-line illustrations—activates the parasympathetic nervous system. Even though I sometimes feel as though I stumbled upon it, I'd like to think it was more like Elizabeth Gilbert stated in her book Big Magic: a creative idea came to visit me, and I was open to it. I took it in, started caring for it, and now I get to share it with you. (Much better mindset approach than "ope, I stumbled upon it dar-diddly-dar.")
But how does tracing a single line illustration actually help calm anxiety?
I thought you'd never ask.
How Line Tracing for Anxiety Actually Works
Okay, so here's what happens: When you're anxious, your body thinks there's danger. Your nervous system is in "fight or flight" mode—heart racing, ready to run.
Line tracing helps switch you to "rest and digest" mode. When you focus on slowly tracing a line, you're telling your body: "We're safe. We can chill." And your body listens. (I love this about our bodies!)
Art therapists and mindfulness researchers have been studying this for years, and they've found that focused, repetitive activities like line tracing really do calm your nervous system down. While there isn't specific research on line tracing itself, the practice combines several elements that research shows do activate the parasympathetic nervous system: focused attention (similar to mindfulness), art therapy principles, and slow, repetitive movement.
It's not magic. It's just your biology working the way it's supposed to.
That's exactly why I created CalmLines—single continuous-line illustrations designed specifically for stress relief and anxiety relief. Each design is meant to be traced when you need a quick reset.
Example: How to Use CalmLines in Your Daily Life
Let's set the scene.
You're at work. You just got back from your lunch break. You're feeling INCREDIBLE because not only did you remember to use the bathroom and drink water in the morning, but you actually took a lunch break! You come back to your workspace feeling invigorated.
And that's when it slaps you in the face.
All of the work you didn't get done while eating your lunch, PLUS Teddy's tasks—he didn't get to them because of course, he needs to leave early today and didn't even make a dent in his to-do list.
Oh wait, what's that? You hear footsteps. She's coming. You love her, but DANG, this girl needs a new therapist, some good dark chocolate, and a new friend to dump on at work.
Beep beep! New text incoming. "Hey hun, do we have a plan for dinner?"
Can you see the spiral start? Can you feel the tension building up in your body? Can you feel your heart start racing?
Take a deep breath with me. This is just a story. You are safe.
So. You're at your workspace. You have your pile, Teddy's pile, Susan clicking her way down the hall, and you have a majorly triggering text from your husband.
But then you remember: You have a CalmLines Desk Calendar and a CalmLines sticker on your now-empty (again, you hydrated! celebrate!) water bottle.
You set your bag down, take a deep breath, and start tracing. You find one end of the line and quickly follow it to the other end. Then you breathe again and trace backward. This time, you move just a bit slower. Susan is coming, but you have 30 seconds more, so you trace again.
Why Did This Work?
You took the time to ground yourself and reset your nervous system. Just that tiny break gave you your footing back.
When Susan approaches you, you can listen to her story with a bit more empathy in your heart. You can turn to your messages and say, "Hun, let's DoorDash something fun tonight and pick a movie too! Both your choice!" Then you can look at your pile and Teddy's pile and start going after it—knowing that you're only one person, you'll give it your best shot, and you'll leave on time today.
One little practice, and look what it did. It saved your whole afternoon.
Now, how cool is that?
Does Line Tracing Really Help with Anxiety?
Short answer? Yes.
Long answer? Yes, AND it works even better when you have a whole bucket of calm tools in your back pocket.
I recently created a FREE 7-Day Calm Challenge where I explore different calming techniques every day to help you try and find the best solutions for you and your calming needs. Once you have some tools in your back pocket and some calming practice under your belt, you'll be able to use 60 seconds to trace, and you'll be shocked by how much calm and focus you gain from that one small practice.
Get Your Free 7-Day Calm Challenge →
And if you'd like to add some calm to your home or desk, I do have preorders open now for the 2026 CalmLines Desk Calendar. This year turned out so beautiful—it really might be my best calendar yet. Each month features a new CalmLines design you can trace daily.
To Recap: Why CalmLines Work for Anxiety Relief
There are studies that support focused attention (i.e., line tracing) and how it can activate your parasympathetic nervous system. One little moment of tracing can be the catalyst you need to stop the spiral, reset, and move forward with a clear mind and calm body.
Think of it as art therapy you can do anywhere, anytime—no therapist required. Just you, a line, and 60 seconds.
As always, thank you for being here. I love this community we're building, and I can't wait to see more CalmLines out in the wild—and hear more of your stories on how these little illustrations helped turn a stressful moment around.
Follow along on Instagram, find me on Pinterest, jump over to the website to read more about my mission, and keep peace in your heart.
In peace,
Carrianne
