What Happens in Vagus Stays in Vagus
For many of us stress is a daily companion even without Coronavirus! With all the pressures of working from home or losing a job, everyone at home family life, and making sure to wash your hands, it’s easy for the workout, healthy eating and relaxing to go by the wayside. Fortunately, there are some quick practices you can learn to help reset that “fight or flight” signal in the brain with the help of the vagus nerve.
For you science geeks like me, read more about the vagus nerve and why it is so important, if you just want to know how to strengthen it then jump to How do I build vagal tone.
What is the Vagus nerve?
Vagus means wandering, this nerve is the longest of the autonomic nervous system and wanders through the body providing support for the body’s main functions such as the heart, lungs (and the muscles that help us breathe!), digestive tract, immune system regulation, inflammation and bringing on line the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system. Since it is “autonomic” this means it is out of our conscious control. This is why it can be so difficult to “think your way” out of feeling fearful or anxious. The body’s physical responses to those emotions, like shallow breathing or a rapid heart rate, are not in the control of our rational brain, the neo-cortex.
The neocortex is not happy when it doesn’t have control and will go in search of the reason for why you are feeling the way you are even if it has to make one up. This story we latch onto in turn leads us to be on edge and anxious and on and on it goes. Luckily if we have good vagal tone this nerve can step in to put out the fire.
What is vagal tone?
The vagus nerve has the job of ending your body’s fight-or-flight response once stress or perceived threat has passed. It does this by countering our sympathetic nervous system response, fight or flight, with the parasympathetic nervous response of down regulation. The level of strength in the vagal response is known as “tone”. Higher vagal tone is associated with better general health including better digestion, reduced inflammation, blood sugar regulation, increased emotional resilience and longevity. Lower vagal tone is associated with negative moods, more inflammation, digestive trouble, anxiety and heart attacks.
How do I know if I have low vagal tone?
People with low vagal tone don’t recover from stress well and are more prone to depression, anxiety, inflammatory and digestive illnesses, diabetes, migraine, stroke and heart attacks.
The good news is you can build your vagal tone just like a muscle. There a lots of ways we can work to strengthen our vagal tone. The trick is to do them regularly, daily if you can, to give your system good practice at firing this nerve so it’s ready when called upon.
How do I build vagal tone?
Here are some ideas to get you started. For more specific directions on these and more daily exercises, download our free What Happens in Vagus stays in Vagus Exercise guide here:
Yoga
Meditation
Spending time in nature
Probiotics
Thinking positive thoughts about other people
Deep belly breathing
I have a mug at my desk that reminds me to take three deep breaths every time I pick it up. The next time you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed take a quick walk outside, some deep breaths or just reflect on other people’s positive qualities. It’s good for what ails you!
