Google reports that anxiety searches soared at the start of the pandemic in March of 2020 but anxiety had been on the rise even years before the wild ride that was 2020. I’m no stranger to stress and anxiety and I’m hearing from clients who are experiencing it and seeing stress reflected on their lab results too (more info below on cortisol lab testing). Though we can’t always control the world we live in and our immediate environment, we can take comfort in the fact that we can make changes and do various activities to support our Vagus Nerve and thus help our body adapt to stress and reduce anxiety.

Your largest and most complex of all cranial nerves is your vagus nerve which connects the brain to the gut. Along the way to the gut the vagus nerve also touches organs like the heart, the lungs, the liver and spleen. It can come at no surprise that this vital nerve has multifaceted roles and effects on the entire body. One of the main goals of this nerve is to modulate the parasympathetic nervous system which instructs the body to go into a state of “rest and digest”. During rest and digest or when the parasympathetic nervous system takes over; the body is relaxed and respiration and heart rate will decrease while the body is focused on digesting and absorbing nutrients in the intestinal tract.

This is a sample graph from the Dutch Hormone Lab Test. Contact me for more information.

A weak vagus nerve or poor vagus nerve tone means that we are spending less time in “rest and digest” and more time in “fight or flight”. Being in “fight or flight” means we have increased heart rate and blood pressure and decreased digestion (this is why many people will report that their anxiety/stress will coincide with their acid reflux). For this reason, I always tell my clients to avoid “fight or flight dining” as your digestion is significantly impaired when you are stressed or in a sympathetic state and it is instead ideal to eat meals in a calm and non-stressful environment where we are not rushed and able to chew thoroughly as well. This means no eating in the car and you probably should also avoid eating in front of the TV, particularly if the news is on and broadcasting something stressful or alarming which it typically is. Being in a “fight or flight” state also means we are more likely to be anxious and have irregular stress hormones like cortisol and or have an elevated CAR or “Cortisol Awakening Response”. Cortisol is a stress hormone secreted by the adrenal glands that will naturally elevate upon rise and continue rising until mid morning to give us energy to get up out of bed and to get the day started but some individuals might experience an elevated CAR in the morning. Most experts believe that your CAR can affect your overall health and certainly will lead to insulin resistance, anxiety, brain fog and inflammation when elevated. Beyond an abnormal CAR, your cortisol might also be elevated or rise throughout the day (when it should be tapering off towards the afternoon and bedtime) in response to physical stress or inflammation or emotional stress.

One way that we can promote a state of relaxation and “rest and digest” in the body is to stimulate or strengthen the vagus nerve. A strong vagus nerve helps to regulate our mood, digestion, reduces anxiety, promotes relaxation, helps us get restful sleep and can even help reduce inflammation and reduce sugar cravings. Best of all there are multiple free ways to strengthen vagus nerve tone at home and with very little effort.

Top Ways to Stimulate and Strengthen the Vagus Nerve

1. Cold Water Therapy and Cold Exposure

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I’ve discussed the benefits of cold therapy and alternating between cold and hot in the shower to stimulate the lymphatic system before but in this case the cold specifically can help to stimulate the vagus nerve. You don’t have to visit a cryotherapy chamber, although that works too, as this could be as simple as splashing cold water on your face in the morning or ending your hot shower with cold water. Some people like to roll a cooled jade roller on their face in the morning and amazon sells ice rollers that can have similar affects to de-puff the face and stimulate the vagus nerve.

2. Singing, laughing, humming, chanting or gargling.

All of these activities will help to activate your vocal cords and thus stimulate your vagus nerve. If you have ever been to a yoga class in where the instructor ends the class by instructing everyone to “OM” in unison then you are aware of that vibration that occurs in the back of the throat and in the body and this is an excellent example of vagus nerve stimulation. Although not as powerful, you can definitely use the “OM” to create vibration in the body and the back of the throat at home alone or even by yourself at the end of a virtual yoga practice. Singing and laughing already have proven mood elevating benefits to begin with but doing them intentionally can have added benefits for vagus nerve tone and strength. Singing in the shower and ending your shower with cold water is an excellent way to stimulate the vagus nerve and set your body up for a positive cortisol and stress response throughout the day or to promote restful sleep.

3. Meditation, Prayer or Breathwork

You might be familiar with the famous 4, 7, 8 breathing exercise in which you inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds and have a very slow 8 second exhale. Sometimes I instruct clients on a “444” method simply because it is hard to forget. Either way, this controlled breath and an intentional and or very slow exhale is what can be most helpful to strengthen the vagus nerve. Prayer and meditation have also been shown to promote slow and controlled breath as well. Bonus points for use of essential oils like peppermint, juniper, chamomile and lavender during guided meditation, prayer and breathwork.

4. Intermittent Fasting

Increasing beyond the 12 hour nightly fasting window has been show to stimulate the vagus nerve among many other health benefits. I have a whole entire blog post dedicated to fasting along with benefits, instructions, and the differences in fasting in men vs women. You can learn more about fasting here.

5. Digestive Support

Since the vagus nerve connects the brain to the gut, it makes sense that strengthening our digestion can have profound affects on the brain and vagal tone. Beyond eating in a calm and stress free environment and chewing thoroughly; use of digestive bitters, probiotics and prebiotics can also aid in digestion and thus vagal nerve stimulation. For probiotics think fermented foods like grass-fed yogurt or kefir (Culina coocnut yogurt is a dairy free option) or saur kraut or kimchi. As for prebiotics, think about incorporating 2-3 servings daily of one or a combo of the following; cruciferous veggies, leafy greens, apples, pears, berries and especially foods like dandelion greens, artichokes and sunchokes. Contact me for specific supplement or probiotic recommendations. It is important to note that while cultured foods and prebiotic foods might improve digestion in relatively healthy individuals; if dysbiosis is present these items can often lead to gas or discomfort. Running an investigative stool panel or inflammatory foods panel is a great option to look at what is driving the intestinal dysbiosis and inflammation.