How To Reduce Anxiety And Stress By Stimulating Your Vagus Nerve

The vagus nerve, also known as the 'wanderer', plays a crucial role in reducing stress in your body. It is like a big highway that carries messages from the brain to the digestive tract and back. These signals inform the brain about the condition of the organs and whether they need any help. Moreover, it can analyze the environment and signal whether you should be stressed or relaxed. After a scary event, the vagus nerve is responsible for  telling the brain and body to relax. It triggers the parasympathetic nervous system that gradually pushes the body into a 'rest and digest' mode, enabling muscles to relax, food to digest, your body to heal, and your mind to become calm.

What Does The Vagus Nerve Do?

Helps You Breathe

The vagus nerve is responsible for regulating the rate and depth at which you breathe. It controls a muscle called the diaphragm, located at the bottom of your chest, just above your stomach. When the diaphragm contracts, you breathe in. And when it relaxes, you breathe out. All of this is controlled by the vagus nerve.

Carries Information Between Your Gut and Brain

The vagus nerve is a complex nerve that connects the brain to the digestive system and other vital organs. It acts as a two-way communication highway, sending signals and chemicals to regulate various bodily functions. The information it carries allows the body to respond to internal and external changes and adjust its functions accordingly. For instance, the vagus nerve can send messages that either speed up or slow down the digestive process, affecting the absorption of nutrients in the body.

When you experience constipation while traveling, it could be due to the body's stress response. The body may perceive travel as a stressful event and send messages down the vagus nerve to slow down digestion. This is because during stressful situations, the body prioritizes survival over other functions, including digestion. As a result, the body conserves energy and focuses on dealing with the stressor.

Relays Messages Between the Heart, Lungs, and Brain

Have you ever noticed that your breathing gets faster, or your heart starts to pound when you're in a stressful situation? This is because when your brain senses danger, it sends more signals down the highway that tell your heart to speed up and your lungs to work harder. This reaction is triggered because your brain thinks you need to run away from the situation or fight your way out.

Stimulates Contractions in the Digestive Tract

Our digestive system is responsible for breaking down food into nutrients that our body can use. Food moves through our gut via peristalsis, which is the contraction and relaxation of muscles in the small intestine and colon. This process helps push the food further down the tract, turning it into stool. The vagus nerve plays a significant role in this process by helping stimulate the contraction and relaxation of muscles. Ultimately, this process allows us to absorb the necessary nutrients from the food we eat and eliminate the waste.

What’s The Connection Between Anxiety and the Vagus Nerve

The regulated nervous system is essential for optimal health as it allows the body to adapt to changes in the environment. It involves various functions such as sleep regulation, temperature regulation, appetite, digestion, mood, focus, attention, and more.

When the nervous system is dysregulated due to factors such as toxins, traumas, or negative thoughts, it can't perform efficiently. This can result in various adverse effects such as anxiety, burnout, chronic pain, or illness.

The nervous system regulates and controls all the body's functions, and it is essential to maintain a healthy nervous system to lead a healthy life. To maintain a regulated nervous system, it is crucial to practice stress-reducing activities such as meditation, yoga, and exercise. Eating a balanced and nutritious diet, getting adequate sleep, and avoiding the consumption of toxic substances can also help maintain a healthy nervous system.

By taking care of the nervous system, we can ensure that all the body's functions are performing optimally, leading to better health and well-being.

What Can Cause a Dysregulated Nervous System?

Poor Lifestyle Choices

When we consume a diet that is high in processed foods, fast food, and chemically processed items, we consume a lot of substances that are foreign to our bodies. These substances can cause inflammation in our system, which can lead to chronic illnesses and diseases. Additionally, our nervous system can become dysregulated, which can impact our mood, behavior, and cognitive function.

Moreover, if we have a sedentary lifestyle, we are not engaging in enough physical activity to keep our bodies healthy. This can further exacerbate the issues caused by a poor diet. When we spend most of our day sitting or lying down, we are not providing our bodies with the movement and exercise they need to function optimally. This can cause our brain and body to experience more stress, which can impact our mental health and overall well-being.

Take a look at some simple ways to fight inflammation naturally, and ease the stress on your Vagus nerve HERE.

Toxins in Your Environment

Environmental toxins are substances found in our environment that can be harmful to our bodies. These toxins can come from various sources, such as mold, heavy metals, fragrances in cleaning and self-care products, and phthalates. Exposure to these toxins can lead to a range of health issues, including respiratory problems, neurological disorders, and hormonal imbalances.

It is important to be mindful of what we put on and in our bodies, as well as what is in our environment that is coming into contact with our skin or what we are inhaling through the air. For example, we can choose to use natural cleaning and self-care products instead of fragranced ones that contain harmful chemicals. We can also ensure our living and working environments are well-ventilated and free from mold or other toxins.

Being aware of the potential sources of environmental toxins and taking steps to reduce exposure can help promote optimal health and well-being. It's important to prioritize our health and be proactive in taking steps to protect ourselves from harmful substances in our environment.

Negative Thought Patterns

Our thoughts can have a significant impact on our overall health and well-being. When we consistently think negative thoughts such as 'I'm not enough' or 'I hate myself', it can trigger a stress response in our nervous system. This can lead to a dysregulated nervous system, where our body's stress response is constantly activated, leading to chronic stress and anxiety.

When we experience negative emotions, such as self-doubt or self-loathing, our brain releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones can cause physical symptoms such as increased heart rate, rapid breathing, and muscle tension. Over time, these physical symptoms can lead to chronic health issues such as high blood pressure, digestive problems, and a weakened immune system.

Moreover, negative thoughts can create a vicious cycle where we feel more anxious and stressed, which leads to more negative thoughts and emotions. To break this cycle, it's important to become aware of our negative thought patterns and work to shift them into more positive and empowering thoughts. This can help regulate our nervous system, reduce stress, and promote overall health and well-being.

By practicing positive self-talk and focusing on self-love and acceptance, we can create a more positive and supportive environment for our nervous system. This can ultimately lead to improved health outcomes and a more fulfilling life.

Physical Stress

When we push our bodies too hard through intense workouts or overexertion, it can take a toll on our nervous system, leading to dysregulation. Even physical injuries like strains, sprains, and undergoing surgery can cause stress that our body may not be prepared for, which can result in an overactive stress response. When the nervous system is overwhelmed, it can quickly shift into dysfunction mode as it tries to protect us in the best way it knows how. However, when we don't know how to stop this cycle and ease our stress response, the nervous system can become stuck in this state of heightened stress, possibly for years, which can affect our physical and mental health. 

Genetics

Our genetic makeup and the environment in which we are raised can play a crucial role in determining our stress response. The genes we inherit from our parents, as well as the habits and behaviors we learn from our caregivers, can make us more susceptible to experiencing a heightened stress response. This can lead to increased sensitivity to our surroundings and internal bodily functions, which can impact our emotional and physical well-being.

Underlying Health Conditions

When we are dealing with underlying health conditions such as chronic illnesses, autoimmune disorders, or disabilities, our brains can go into a heightened "fight or flight" mode as it is trying to protect the body from further harm. This can keep us stuck in a survival state, which can have a profound impact on our nervous systems. Over time, this can affect how our bodies respond to stress and can lead to a chronic state of anxiety, fatigue, and other health problems. In some cases, this can even cause our nervous systems to stop functioning properly, making it difficult for us to regulate our emotions and maintain a sense of calm.

Common Signs of a Dysregulated Nervous System

If you've read this far into the blog post and are still wondering if you may be experiencing a dysregulated nervous system, there are a few signs that can indicate that your body is under too much stress. These include:

1. Chronic feelings of anxiety or stress

2. Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep

3. Chronic pain, fatigue, or muscle tension

4. Digestive issues such as constipation, diarrhea, or bloating

5. Difficulty concentrating or focusing on tasks

6. Chronic fatigue or feeling run down

7. A weakened immune system, leading to frequent illness

8. Difficulty swallowing, heartburn, or nausea

9. Cold hands and feet, hot flashes, or face flushing

Explore 13 Signs Your Nervous System is Dysregulated HERE for more details.

Natural Ways to Stimulate the Vagus Nerve

Cold Exposure

Ice baths, cold showers, and dunking your face in a bowl of ice water are all effective ways to reset your nervous system, stimulate your vagus nerve, and promote a more calm state of mind. These activities can activate the body's "diving reflex," which is a natural response to cold water that helps to slow down the heart rate, conserve oxygen, and promote relaxation. 

You can even place an ice pack on your chest for a couple of minutes or splash your face with some cold water to get a similar, but less intense effect. These simple exercises can help to reduce feelings of anxiety and stress, promote better sleep, and improve overall mood. Some people may find that incorporating these exercises into their daily routine can be challenging at first. Still, with consistent practice, it can become a natural and enjoyable part of their self-care routine.

Humming

The vagus nerve, which is responsible for regulating many of the body's key functions including heart rate, digestion, and immune response, travels through the vocal cords in the neck. This means that it can be stimulated by activities such as singing, humming, and speaking.

In particular, the vibrations that are created through humming have been shown to have a significantly calming effect on both the brain and body. Humming can help to put the body in a "rest and digest" state, which can relieve the nervous system of its survival state duties. This can lead to reduced feelings of anxiety and stress, improved digestion, and better overall health.

Incorporating humming into your daily routine can be as simple as humming along to your favorite song or taking a few minutes each day to hum to yourself. It can also be helpful to incorporate other relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing or meditation, to enhance the calming effects of humming and promote overall well-being.

Breathwork

As we discussed earlier, the vagus nerve also runs through the diaphragm muscle, which plays a critical role in controlling our breathing. While the nervous system can regulate our breathing automatically, we also have the ability to consciously control our breath and breathe at a chosen rate.

Controlled breathing exercises such as Box Breathing, Alternate Nostril Breathing, and Equal Breathing have been shown to slow down the stress response, improve heart rate variability, and even boost the immune system. These exercises involve intentionally manipulating the breath in specific ways, such as holding the breath for a specific count or alternating nostrils while inhaling and exhaling.

Incorporating these breathing exercises into your daily routine can be a simple and effective way to promote relaxation and reduce feelings of anxiety and stress. You can practice these exercises at any time throughout the day, whether you are sitting at your desk, taking a break from work, or getting ready for bed. With consistent practice, you may find that these exercises become a natural and beneficial part of your self-care routine.

Chiropractic

The vagus nerve runs along the spine and up towards the top of the neck, where it can be stimulated through chiropractic adjustments of this region. Chiropractic care focuses on the alignment of the spine and nervous system, and adjustments to the neck and upper back can help to improve the function of the vagus nerve.

Research has shown that chiropractic adjustments can have a positive effect on the nervous system, including the vagus nerve. In particular, adjustments to the upper cervical spine have been shown to improve heart rate variability, which is an important measure of the body's ability to regulate stress.

If you are experiencing symptoms of a dysregulated nervous system, such as chronic pain, fatigue, or irritable bowel syndrome, it may be helpful to consult with a chiropractor to determine if adjustments to the neck and spine may be beneficial. While chiropractic care may not be appropriate for everyone, it can be a safe and effective way to promote overall health and well-being.

Emotional Freedom Technique

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is a somatic therapy that involves connecting the brain to the body through the use of acupressure points. The technique is used to activate the vagus nerve, which can help to support the parasympathetic state of healing.

During an EFT session, the individual will speak out loud certain statements while tapping or applying pressure to specific acupressure points on the body. This process can help to release negative emotions and promote a more relaxed state of being. 

EFT is based on the principles of traditional Chinese medicine and the concept of energy meridians in the body. By tapping on specific points, the energy flow in the body can be balanced, which can improve emotional and physical well-being. 

EFT has been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other emotional issues. It is also a helpful tool for managing chronic pain, improving sleep quality, and reducing feelings of emotional distress.

If you are interested in trying EFT, there are many resources available online, including video tutorials and guided meditations. Give it a shot and see how it works for you! As always, it's important to consult with a healthcare professional before trying any new therapy or treatment.

Brain Retraining

Brain retraining and neuroplasticity exercises help change how you think about and respond to everyday stressors. When the primal part of the brain over-reacts to stressors, treating them as if they are life-threatening situations, it can lead to feelings of panic or anxiety.

Neuroplasticity exercises are used to interrupt the pathway that those brain signals typically travel down in order to stop the stress response. Over time, interrupting and rerouting thoughts through brain retraining can help your brain build tolerance to what it perceives as stressful stimuli, building the strength of your vagus nerve.

Neuroplasticity exercises can include practices such as mindfulness, meditation, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). These exercises can help to reframe negative thoughts and emotions, change negative self-talk, and promote more positive patterns of thinking.

By strengthening the vagus nerve through brain retraining and neuroplasticity exercises, you can increase your ability to regulate your emotions and respond to stress in a more balanced and healthy way. This can lead to improved mental and physical health, as well as a greater sense of overall well-being.

Practicing Gratitude

Practicing gratitude can be a powerful tool in brain retraining exercises. Studies have shown that practicing gratitude on a daily basis can have a positive impact on mental and physical health, including elevating mood, regulating the nervous system, and decreasing stress hormones that can cause chronic illness and inflammation.

There are many ways to practice gratitude, such as writing down reasons to be grateful, listing them out loud to someone, or simply taking a few moments each day to appreciate the good things in your life.

One effective gratitude practice is to write down three things you are grateful for just before bed. This can help to shift your focus from the stresses of the day to the positive aspects of your life, promoting relaxation and making it easier to fall asleep at night.

Incorporating gratitude into your daily routine can be a simple and effective way to promote emotional well-being and reduce feelings of anxiety and stress. Over time, this practice can help to retrain your brain to focus on the positive, promoting a more positive outlook on life and a greater sense of overall happiness and well-being.

When it comes to stimulating your vagus nerve and healing your nervous system, it's important to remember that these techniques are not a one-time fix. Rather, they should be implemented consistently in your daily routine for the best results. You don't have to stick to just one technique either; feel free to explore and find what works best for you.

But make sure to practice at least one of the exercises mentioned above on a daily basis to see the greatest benefits and improvements in your overall well-being.

If you feel lost, overwhelmed, or confused, schedule a free 15 minute discovery call to see how I can help you here.