What is the vagus nerve?

There’s a lot of talk about the vagus nerve or the vagal nervous system these days, so what is it & what’s all the fuss about?

The vagal nerves are the main pathway to our parasympathetic nervous system. This system is what enables us to be in a state of rest. It’s there to counteract our stress response (fight flight freeze) and enable us to remain calm in the face of threat (or perceived threat). It’s also closely connected to our immune system.

Having a healthy vagal nervous system can be incredibly helpful to effectively manage anxiety and develop emotional resilience. So how to stimulate these nerves??

Have you ever noticed yourself sigh, yawn, laugh or humm when stressed? This can often be the body’s attempt to stimulate the vagus nerve & assist you in calming down (amazing right?). The common thread with these things is breath.

Research has shown that regular diaphragmatic breath work can help us keep a healthy vagal nervous system. Being able to pause & focus on slowing & deepening our breath counters our automatic stress responses which signal to our body to get ready for a survival situation (eg. Increased heart rate, shallow breath). Athletes, performers & public speakers can be very good at tapping into this! Sounds easier than it is. When anxiety is high, this can be really hard. Regular practice can help (eg. see example of box breathing on a previous post) and activities like exercise, singing, dancing, massage, prayer, hot or cold showers & social connection can also help.