How Supporting Your Vagus Nerve Helps Reduce Stress

Now that fall is here, it’s time to establish our wellness routine before the holidays arrive. Along with joyous celebrations, the holidays can deliver feelings of fight or flight while traveling to see family for the holidays, meet work deadlines and shopping for the perfect gifts. Today I’m sharing how supporting your vagus nerve helps reduce stress.

Stress is the number one cause of hormonal imbalances. According to studies like this one, we are currently living in the most stressful period of time in recorded history. The cause of our stress? Think about how we are constantly connected to our email and social media. We can be reached anywhere, anytime 24 hours of the day and that is not good for our nervous system.

With the holidays just around the corner, right now is the perfect time to dial in our wellness routine to help keep us feeling calm so we can actually enjoy the holiday season. One way to support our bodies is by supporting our vagus nerve.

If you’re unfamiliar with the vagus nerve, it’s part of your parasympathetic nervous system, which calms your body after you’ve been in a stressful situation. Basically it helps your body exit its fight-or-flight mode.

The nerve starts in your brain (specifically the medulla oblongata) which connects to your spinal cord, and splits off into many branches that run through your neck all the way to your gut. It also helps regulate your blood pressure, heart rate, digestion, mood, and even boosts immune response.

What I find fascinating is that research shows by stimulating your vagus nerve you can help reduce stress, increase focus, and improve mood and sleep.

So how can we support our vagus nerve to help us reduce stress? Here are some ways supporting your vagus nerve helps reduce stress just in time for the holiday season.

Healthy Diet

I always like to start with what’s on your plate because what we eat is so important for our entire system to work properly. By keeping your blood sugar balanced, eating for your hormones, incorporating enough proteins, healthy fats and lots of vegetables and fruit is an ideal place to start.

There is also a strong connection between the gut and the vagus nerve since bacteria in our gut can produce neurotransmitters such as dopamine which helps to improve our mood. So don’t forget to incorporate probiotic rich foods like sauerkraut or kimchi or even start taking a probiotic to help support this connection.

Other foods to incorporate are fatty fishes like salmon and other Omega-3’s rich foods like chia and flax seeds which also help stimulate the vagus nerve.

During the holiday season we tend to consume more sugar as we hit those infamous office holiday parties and their ubiquitous punch bowls, so take some time to meal plan, prepare healthy snacks, and choose protein and fiber when eating out to keep your body feeling nourished all season long. This is one of the best ways you can stimulate your vagus nerve.

Yoga, Deep Breathing and Meditation

Connecting your breath to your movement is an ideal practice to stimulate your vagus nerve. Take a few minutes out of your day to move your body with sun salutations, deep breathing exercises and even meditation. I love the app Insight Timer, it’s full of free guided meditations that I love to listen to when I need a moment to catch my breath and calm my brain down.

Truvaga

Something new that I have been trying is Truvaga, which is a hand-held product that stimulates the vagus nerve. This handheld device helps to balance your nervous system, creating a deep, natural relaxation response to help calm a racing mind. I’ve been using it in the morning after I drop the boys off at school before I start work and then again before I go to sleep at night. The sessions are just two minutes long and I just sit on the couch and do some deep breathing at the same time as a way to slow down and relax.The machine comes programmed with 350 sessions, which if used twice daily will last approximately six months. If you’d like to try Truvaga out you can use code AUTUMN10 for $10 off. This is valid until the end of October.

Exercise

This is a big one, I feel like I can solve most of my stress by movement! The other day I woke up feeling anxious and took a yoga class and by the end of class my body no longer felt like it was in fight or flight mode. I’m so grateful for my practice. Something else that really helps me is walking, I often tell my clients this as well. When all else fails, walk it out! Feeling overwhelmed, walk it out. Feel anxious, walk it out! I find that whatever feeling is taking over at that very moment, movement helps my body get out of the fight or flight mode.

Singing & Gargling

This is a fun one! Sing as loud as you can to your favorite song, extra credit if you dance around the room! Singing helps stimulate your throat which then stimulates your vagus nerve. The same is true if you gargle some water, that sensation in the back of your throat helps to stimulate your vagus nerve.

Cold Therapy

It seems like everyone is cold plunging lately, I’ve been seeing so many reels all over social media about this. Cold therapy is one of the best things you can do to stimulate your vagus nerve. Don’t have a cold plunge, you can get a bowl and fill it with cold water and ice and submerge your face into it to stimulate your vagus nerve.

Massage

Who doesn’t need a massage during the busy holiday season? I try to treat myself to a massage at least once a month as it really helps to reduce the stress in my body. You could even just massage your feet or hands next time you are sitting on your couch watching a movie to help stimulate your vagus nerve.

Next Steps

We all know how busy the next few months are going to be, take some time today to write down what you can realistically incorporate into your busy day to help manage stress. I encourage you to support your vagus nerve to helps reduce stress by using Truvaga, scheduling a daily walk and drinking more water. It’s the little things that you do everyday that make a difference so be sure you make you and your health a priority over the next few months.

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Information in this post and on this web site is provided for informational purposes only. The information is a result of practice experience and research by the author. This information is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging. Do not use the information on this web site for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing medication or other treatment. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or homeopathic supplement, or using any treatment for a health problem.