by Jane Pendry, International Clinical Hypnotherapist

DFSH, HPD, BA Hons (London), PGCE (Cantab), Reg CNHC, AfSFH, MNCH, ABNLP, ABH, IARTT, CTAA

Useful tips and hacks to soothe your nerves, keep you calm and build your resilience

Secrets of the Vagus Nerve

Our sympathetic nervous system drives the ‘fight or flight’ response. When the parasympathetic nervous system is dominant, we are in a ‘rest and digest’ state: calm and in control. We feel free and happy.

The vagus nerve is responsible for most of the functioning of our parasympathetic nervous system. In reality, the vagus nerve is a pair of nerves wandering from the brain stem all the way down your spine. Connected nerves spread out all your major organs and connect to the muscles of the eyes, throat, heart, lungs, stomach, bowels and bladder.

Fight or flight

When we are facing a threat – real or imagined – we become stressed, excited, or overwhelmed.

The amygdala

A part of our brain called the amygdala acts like an alarm. It prepares the body to go in to battle, run away or hide. These signals prime you to act fast. Your heart rate goes up, your stomach flips or churns, and you feel a little nauseous.

The hypothalamus is like your body’s automatic regulator. It regulates stress hormones like cortisol or adrenaline to help you take action.

This amazing system helped us survive invasions, wars, natural disasters and attacks from predators for generations. However, the fight-or-flight response can’t distinguish between real life-threatening threats, and imagined threats.

In other words, our fight or flight response can’t distinguish between everyday stresses getting on top of us, imagined fears, and a sabre-toothed tiger! When we imagine something bad happening, our primitive mind reacts as if the threat is real. That leads to longer term anxiety and mental health issues.

So what can we do about it?

What is Good Vagal Tone?

Good vagal tone is associated with physical and mental wellbeing.

Toning the vagus nerve

We can ‘tone’ our vagus nerve and improve how we react to stress. When stimulated to work for us, the vagus nerve releases a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine, which we experience as increased focus, a sense of wellbeing and calm.

Hypnosis, meditation, mindfulness and exercise can all help us to do that in different ways. These are all somatic - body and mind therapies - but you can help yourself today with these 10 vagus nerve hacks.

Ways to Tone your Vagus Nerve

1. Back to Basics

Bring blood flow to the brain stem fast

Stanley Rosenberg’s ‘basic exercise’ is a simple way to bring blood flow to the brain stem, where the vagus nerve begins. The exercise relaxes you and helps you feel more socially engaged and connected. It’s a short exercise you can do first thing in the morning to get you ready for the day ahead, and last thing at night to help prepare you for sleep.

Lie on your back
Interlace your fingers and gently support the back of your head at the base of your skull
Move your eyes right until you sigh, swallow or yawn (typically within 30-60 seconds)
Repeat on the other side.

Your eyes are connected to your vagus nerve, so this movement calms your nervous system fast. Its okay to blink; it’s the movement of your eyes that matters.

2. Windows of the Soul

Eye movements to activate the vagus nerve

Our eyes are the window of the soul, they say. That might be literally true.

Simple eye movements help tone your vagus nerve. This yoga exercise for eye strain also helps to calm the mind and reduce stress. It’s a good pattern interrupt when we are overthinking, obsessing or ruminating, and it will have a direct impact on the central nervous system. Just budget for new glasses. It can also improve your eyesight!

Between each set of exercises, return to the neural position, with your eyes resting forward.

1. Look up; then down x 5

2. Look right then left x 5

3. Look diagonally down to your right; then diagonally down to your left x 5

4. All the way around clockwise; then anti-clockwise x 5

5. Stare at a point in the distance and focus on what you can see in your peripheral vision while focusing on an object ahead; then focus on the tip of your nose – back and forth between these.

6. Rub your hands to create heat, then cup your palms over your eyes

2. Get Cold and Carry on

Toning the vagus nerve with cold water

Short term cold exposure activates the cholinergic neurons in the vagus nerve pathways, which stimulates the vagus nerve to calm us down fast.

The vagus nerve reacts sudden cold and sends a signal to your brain that releases norepinephrine - a feel-good hormone. At the same time, cholinergic neurons synthesize and release acetylcholine (ACh), playing a key part in neurotransmission linked to increased immunity and reduced inflammation.

Full immersion in ice baths needs to be brief and supervised by a suitably trained coach or therapist, and after consultation with your doctor. For most of us, being immersed in an ice bath is not appealing! Luckily, there are easier ways to access these benefits.

1. Lower the temperature of your shower to approximately 15℃ for 30 seconds at the end each shower to de-activates the fight-flight response.

2. Plunge your face in icy water, put an ice cube on the back of the neck or a use a cold, wet, wrung out flannel on the face and neck to help tone the vagus nerve and to calm down fast.

3. Put your feet in a bucket of icy water, as cold as you can bear. This way your body can remain warm while your vagus nerve is being activated.

For Jane’s clients, putting their feet in cold water has proved most helpful when the mind is in a high state of distress, or a trauma response has been triggered. Not least, the mind now focuses on the cold, which is a slight shock to the body, and the mind stops ruminating or spiralling. Then the vagus nerve kicks in and they calm down long enough to implement their affirmations or breathing techniques to help them stay in control.

3. Breathe to Calm

Conscious slow breathing to tone the vagus nerve

Can something as simple as breathing really help you become calmer. Its how you breathe that matters.

Persistent fear, anxiety, stress or trauma can lead to shallow mouth breathing, meaning we don’t get enough oxygen in to our blood and brain. Slow controlled diaphragmatic breathing stimulates the vagal nerve. Breathing in deeply through your nose filters and compresses the air to bring in more nitrous oxide, which oxygenates the blood and helps us stay calm and think clearly.

The diaphragm is an upside down, bowl shaped muscle that sits under our lungs. As we expand our rib cage, the diaphragm stretches and expands. This creates a vacuum that draws oxygen down into the bottom of our lungs.

Diaphragmatic Breathing

1. Place your hands on the side of your rib cage

2. Breathe in through your nose as deeply and steadily as you can

3. Feel your rib cage move out to the sides, and your tummy move upwards

4. Breathe out more slowly than you breathe in

5. Feel your tummy fall, and your ribs settle back to a neutral position

6. Repeat 4 or 5 times until you feel calmer

Notice the slight pause between the end of the in and out breath . Extend the pause to give yourself time to notice the movements in your body.

The slower the exhale, the more the vagus nerve is toned and stimulated. Around five or six breaths a minute is optional. Once you get used to this diaphragmatic breathing you are ready to research other effective forms of breathing like rectangular breathing, box breathing and Dr Weil’s 4-7-8 breathing.

4. Humming to Happiness

Activate the vocal chords to calm the vagus nerve

Vocal chord muscles are connected to the vagus nerve. When we activate our vocal cords, we stimulate our vagus nerve. As the soft palette lifts. the vagus nerve is being toned.That’s why singing in a choir is so good for your mental health.

Humming requires an extended exhalation, and releases the neurotransmitter acetylcholine which we know tones the vagus nerve. The vibration linked to humming also stimulates the nasal cavity to release nitric oxide on the in breath that brings in more oxygen into your blood, which positively impacts your brain and body.

1. Hum the national anthem, happy birthday or your favourite nursery rhyme

2. Put on your favourite music and hum along

3. Create a play list of songs you can easily hum to – probably not Iron Maiden or Black Sabbath! Simple pop songs are easy but experiment and see what works for you.

4. It Takes Guts

Gut health, the vagus nerve, and mental health

What exactly is the gut? And what’s it got to do with your mind!

The gut is often referred to as the ‘second brain’ or ‘enteric brain’. The gut, or the digestive or gastrointestinal (GI) tract manages food intake, digestion and excretion. Starting at the mouth, the GI tract moves through the oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, pancreas, liver, and gallbladder, and out through the colon and rectum.

The gut microbiome is a complex system which includes billions of microorganisms within the gastro-intestinal system. It maintains gut health, supports digestion, strengthens our immune system, and impacts mental health.

Prebiotics create conditions for good bacteria that improves our immune system and increases our emotional stability. Prebiotics are types of dietary fibre and complex carbohydrates like inulin, fructooligosaccharides (FOS), and oligofructose that reach the colon largely intact, where they are fermented by probiotic bacteria.

Probiotics are strains of bacteria that improve our mental health and wellbeing.

There’s a lot of research in this field but there are two primary strains of bacteria that have been shown to improve mood, alleviate depression and decrease anxiety. Research demonstrates these strains can improve mood, and reduce anxiety. Both have an impact on GABA (gamma-aminobutryic acid), which inhibits fear and anxiety.

lactobacillus rhamnosus – also associated with improving some distressing symptoms associated with autism
bifidobacterium longum.8.

Include a variety of prebiotic-rich foods in your diet to support the health of your gut microbiome. Good sources of prebiotics include bananas, garlic, onions and leeks, asparagus, whole grains, and legumes. For some people that’s a major change of diet, so try swopping out one or two refined carbs and sugars for prebiotic-rich foods every week eg swop white bread for seeded bread.

5. Massage and the Mind

Regular massages calm the vagus nerve

Regular massages, or foot reflexology with a professional masseur, or with your partner, can enhance positive vagal activity, improve heart rate variability and increase parasympathetic activity. This is thought to be through stimulation of the mechanoreceptors that help to down regulate the nervous system.

Anyone who has experienced a massage knows that it can be deeply relaxing. We feel our muscles relax, and we move down in to an alpha brainwave state of deep relaxation and calm. Our vagus nerve is toned and strengthened, and our minds are calmed and stilled.

6. Get some Backbone

Aligning your back improves your vagal tone

Chiropractors and osteopaths focus on improving the alignment and movement of the spine. One significant benefit of working with a chiropractor is the impact re-aligning the neck and spine has on the vagus nerve, and subsequently on your mental health and wellbeing. Osteopathic manipulative treatment eases and release soft tissue and joint restrictions in a similar way.

The vagus nerve is the link between essential nerves and the spine and upper neck. So regular visits to the chiropractor or osteopath, and the exercises they give you, can play a significant role in improving vagal tone. If the spine cannot move freely, or is poorly aligned, then it stands to reason that the information being transmitted through the vagus nerve behind the spine may also be interrupted or disrupted, affecting your energy, mood and mindset.

7. Its all in the Mind

The marvels of meditation

Meditation is a practice that uses techniques to focus the mind on a specific thought or object, to train attention and awareness. Regular practice leads to increased attention, awareness, and emotional regulation.

Mindfulness, is the practice of staying present in the moment and with your feelings – good and bad - without judgement, analysis or interpretation.. John Kabat-Zinn (1994), creator of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program (MBSR), explains mindfulness is “the awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.”

Meditation and Mindfulness are skills that take practice and focus but there are simple mindfulness exercises to start with like the five senses exercise where you focus your attention on what is around you in order to stay present.

Five things you can see - look like an artist at light, shade, colour, texture and shape
Four things you can feel - with your feet, your body, your fingers
Three things you can hear - close your eyes and listen carefully to distant sounds
Two things you can smell - that may be coffee, perfume or your hair or clothes
One thing you can taste - typically what you have just drunk or eaten, or the slight metallic taste of your saliva

8. Get Moving

Movement and exercise to strengthen your nervous system

Movement is such a powerful way to improve your vagal tone, become more connected and enhance happiness.

As we have established, the vagus nerve conveys critical information about the internal state of our bodies to the brain. When we move, we stimulate myofascial structures. Interoceptors, or sensory receptors, which can stimulate various parts of the brain that control our emotions. Daily movement of exercise helps us become more regulated, aware of our bodily functions and sensations when we need to be, but able to dismiss minor discomforts or changes in bodily sensations so they don’t dominate our awareness.

Just take a brisk walk for ten minutes, with your arms free to swing
Shake out your hands, arms or legs
Tap your fingers together rhythmically, or tap thumb to first finger, index finger, ring finger, little finger and back again on one hand, and then the other.
Hula hoop to move your body, do yoga or go to the gym. Any regular exercise at all helps.

9. Have a Laugh

Laughing enhances vagal activity

It might seem obvious that connecting with your fellow humans in enjoyable ways is a mood booster. But few realise this is partially because doing so enhances vagal activity.

Laughing can bring you to a state of social engagement and it is a great way to co-regulate with others. Make sure that, despite current circumstances, you socialise, laugh and enjoy life as much as possible. Watch your favourite comedies and save beloved comedies ready for those challenging days. You might even look out for local comedy clubs and take a few friends… socialising helps tone your vagus nerve too.

10. Hypnotic Healing

The Healing alpha brainwave state

Hypnosis with a trained and accredited hypnotherapist is know to help with many different issues. By bypassing the conscious mind, the qualified, trained hypnotherapist, can help you utilise your unconscious mind to help you heal all sorts of psychological and bio-psychological conditions. People with life-long phobias can overcome them, people who are addicted to smoking can quit, and people overwhelmed by anxiety can become calm and in control.

But hypnotherapy isn’t magic. It isn’t woo woo. It isn’t in any way mystical. Its pure neuroscience.

During hypnotherapy breathing slows, and most people ease into hypnotic trance. Once a client has reached the completely natural trance state (which we access many times a day it is just being extended and controlled), the vagus nerve has already been stimulated and activated. The combination of calming the nervous system and suggestions or visualisations helps the body and mind create the change you want.

Online meditations can be really helpful too in a similar way. Here are Jane’s free Guided Meditations which you can find on her website.

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References

*Neuroanatomy, Parasympathetic Nervous System by Jacob Tindle; Prasanna Tadi, 31 October 2023, National Library of Medicine (official US website of the United States Government.)

The Somatic Movement Centre: What is Polyvagal Theory Sarah Warren CSE, author of The Pain Relief Secret.

https://positivepsychology.com/differences-between-mindfulness-meditation/

https://www.familyhealthchiropractic.com/chiropractic-adjustments-influence-the-vagus-nerve/

https://www.vancouverosteopathycentre.com/blog-and-articles/osteopathy-stress-9p83x

https://hypnosistrainingacademy.com/what-does-the-vagus-nerve-do/

https://www.healthline.com/health/cold-water-therapy#how-to-use

https://www.verywellmind.com/polyvagal-theory-4588049

Jane Pendry
Clinical and Solution Focused Hypnotherapist
www.sense-ability.co.uk
jane@sense-ability.co.uk
07843 813883

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