The Vagus Nerve: Everything You Need to Know
The vagus nerve is the longest nerve in your body, stretching from the brain all the way to the chest and abdomen. This nerve branches out to connect with almost every organ in the torso, giving it the name “the wandering nerve” (‘vagus’ like ‘vagabond’!). In recent years, the vagus nerve has been increasingly recognised as involved in mental health. Read on to learn more about the wandering nerve and how you can stimulate it for better well-being.
The vagus nerve plays an important role in the nervous system, acting as a communication highway for information to pass from the brain to organs like the heart, lungs, and intestines, and back again. It’s involved in regulating the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary bodily functions such as heart and respiratory rate. The autonomic system has two branches - the sympathetic system and the parasympathetic system. You probably know them by their better known nicknames - the “fight or flight” system and the “rest and digest system.” When your nervous system detects a threat, real or imagined, your sympathetic system makes your body ready to react with an increased heart rate, increased release of stress hormones, dilated pupils and more. On the other side of the coin, the parasympathetic system takes over when the nervous system detects a safe environment to promote relaxation, digestion, and sleep.
In today’s modern world, so far removed from the life or death environment that our bodies evolved in, it can be impossible for our nervous system to detect the difference between a real threat to life and limb from a passive-agressively worded message from our boss or a crowded plane. Such anxiety-provoking scenarios hijack the nervous system, sending us into a state of hyperarousal, stress, and anxiety. When we can’t control the world around us, we can turn to learning how we can influence our nervous system to better handle the information it takes in. This is where the vagus nerve comes in. When we stimulate the vagus nerve, or “increase vagal tone,” we send the nervous system a message that it's okay to switch into that rest and relax parasympathetic system. Here’s some proven ways we can stimulate the vagus nerve:
Deep breathing. Deep, lung-filling breaths stimulate the vagus nerve. Try taking a long, five second inhale through your nose, hold for seven, and exhale through your mouth for eight. Within a few breaths you should feel your heart rate decrease.
Cold exposure. Sudden cold exposure triggers the parasympathetic system’s dive reflex. You can take advantage of this by jumping into a cold shower, splashing icy water on your face, or placing an ice pack on your chest when you’re feeling anxious.
Humming or singing. Vibrations from your voice can help stimulate the nervous system. Try combining this with deep breathing by putting some pressure on your voice in the exhale and giving your breath some sound, like waves crashing in a shell. You can also try humming or chanting a mantra.
Mindfulness. Mindful practices like yoga and meditation help calm the anxiety in the mind, promoting deep relaxation. Try using a free guided mediation app like Calm to get you started with a quick 5-minute meditation.
Medical devices. Newly approved medical devices treat treatment-resistant depression by sending electrical impulses to the vagus nerve through a device implanted under the collarbone.
The vagus nerve is a powerful connection between our minds and our bodies. As we learn to manage stress and anxiety in our fast-paced world, understanding the nervous system and how to regulate it becomes critical. We hope you found this article helpful and that you find time to try one of the relaxation strategies. Breathe deep, and happy meditating!
References
Keer, Lisa. (2024, October 16). The vagus nerve: a key player in your health and Well-Being. Massachusetts General Hospital. https://www.massgeneral.org/news/article/vagus-nerve#:~:text=The%20vagus%20nerve%2C%20or%20more,stomach%2C%20intestines%2C%20and%20kidneys.
