Do you ever feel overwhelmed by stress? Do you find it difficult to relax and get a good night’s sleep? If so, you’re not alone. Millions of people around the world suffer from chronic stress. But did you know that you have a chill pill built into you? It’s called your vagus nerve. In this blog post, we will discuss how to activate your vagus nerve and enjoy all the benefits it has to offer!
Benefits of vagus nerve stimulation
Since your vagus nerve has so many connections and innervations, it’s effects are wide ranging. Some of the benefits of vagus nerve stimulation include:
- Reduces stress and anxiety
- Lowers blood pressure
- Improves sleep quality
- Boosts immune system function
- Helps control inflammation
When to stimulate the vagus nerve
The best time to stimulate your vagus nerve is when you’re feeling stressed or anxious. The vagus nerve connects the brain to the body and it’s job is to activate our rest and digest system. So if you’re feeling a tuned up, stressed, or anxious, then activating the vagus nerve can help to calm things down.
How to stimulate your vagus nerve
- Singing loudly: Ever sing loud in your car and just feel better? It’s because the vibration of singing loudly stimulates your vagus nerve.
- Deep breathing: Box breathing 4 in, hold for 4, exhale for 4. Repeat 5 times.
- Meditating / Gratitude: Take 1-5 minutes for some quite time or to reflect on what you’re thankful for. You don’t have to try and become the Dali Lama here, a little goes a long way.
- Rubbing your ears: There’s a branch of your vagus nerve that wraps to your ear, so rubbing your ears can gentle stimulate this nerve.
- Acupuncture: Acupuncture works on your nervous system and can target your vagus nerve directly. Out of everything, it’s one of the most effective treatments I’ve seen.
In conclusion, you were born with all of the medicine you need right inside of you. Your body has this amazing ability to self-regulate even under times of intense stress. Something we just have to help train it so it can act appropriately. Your vagus nerve is one of the most powerful tools you have to help keep yourself regulated and balanced. So, when life starts to feel a little too intense, remember that you always have your vagus nerve to turn to for some relief.