Stimulating your vagus nerve to reduce stress, anxiety & improve sleep

What is your vagus nerve?

Known as 'the wander' in Latin, the vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve in the body that connects the brain to many major organs including your stomach, intestines, heart & lungs. It is an

important component of the Autonomic nervous system, playing a key role in regulating 

homeostasis and switching you out of a sympathetic (flight or fight) state into a parasympathetic (rest & digest) state. 

Why Stimulate your vagus nerve?

Due to many factors including age & stress, your body can get trapped in sympathetic dominance

and lose your ability to essential 'switch off'. This state of sympathetic dominance triggers increase feelings of stress, anxiety, overwhelm, depression and agitation and it also hinders your ability to adequate digest and breakdown food, reduces your ability to unwind and can drastically cause negative effects on your sleep. This is were and why stimulating your vagus nerve is 

beneficial. It allows your body to come back into a state of mental and emotional regulation and 

balance, it supports you in switching from sympathetic dominance to a parasympathetic state.

Benefits of stimulating your vagus nerve;

• Lowers blood pressure and heart rate 

• Can help regulate your emotions and mental state- reducing anxiety & depression

• Help regulate your mood and positively strengthen your stress response

• Reduce systemic inflammation

• Help to regulate and stimulate your digestion

• Support and enhance your immune response

Ways to stimulate & tone your vagus nerve;

• Deep belly breathing- Slowing the breath right down and learning to breath deep to the belly, utilising your diaphram to draw the oxygen in, holding for one count, then completely exhaling slowly.

• Humming/singing/chanting/gargling- Vibrating the vocal cords in a consistent tone activates the vagus nerve at the back of the throat.

• Cold water exposure- Have a brief cold shower or dunk your face in a bowl of cold water.

• Meditation & Yoga- Drawing your focus on to mindful breath and/or movement brings you into the present moment  

• Exercise & Movement/shaking- Choosing a form of exercise or movement you enjoy and can incorporate into your daily routine

• Probiotics- Studies show having a widely diverse range of beneficial gut bacteria improves brain function via the vagus nerve

• Omega 3s- High quality Omega 3s have been shown to increase and support vagal tone. 

• Massage- Especially foot massages can help to stimulate and tone the vagal nerve through both reflexology and reducing high rate and blood pressure. 

• Socialisation & Laughter- Creating and strengthening your sense of community and connection along with laughter has been shown to reduce your stress hormones and stimulating your vagus nerve. 

Ideally finding a way to stimulate and tone your vagus nerve daily will bring you the most benefit. So spend some time trialing the things listed above and implement what works and what you enjoy into your daily routine.

Thanks for reading beautiful human!

Samii   

BHSc- Naturopathy Sacred Natural Health Founder.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog post is for educational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult with your health practitioner before making any changes to your treatment.