Lately, there has been much attention on the vagus nerve, an essential bridge for communication between the brain and critical organs in the body. Stress has a negative impact on the brain, heart, breath rate and digestion. Today, we understand there are ways to bolster the health and healing of this critical aspect of the parasympathetic nervous system to ease feelings of the fight-or-flight response.

The vagus nerve consists of a fibrous system of nerves that communicate up and down the lower part of the brain, through the neck and chest and end in the stomach. This network plays a key role in stress response, mental health, cognitive function, emotional regulation, immune response, blood pressure, cardiovascular health and gut health.

If you find yourself having difficulty with anxiety, anger, fear or depression, or you want to feel more balanced, there are a variety of ways to reset the vagus nerve as a part of your wellness routine.

Sound – Breathe in through the nose, exhale long with the mouth closed and create a soft buzzing sound using the back of your throat. Continue until you feel less constricted.

Tapping – Hum while your mouth is open and say, “Ah.” Use both hands’ fingertips, gently tap the top of your head in a line at the center, slowly and rhythmically several times. Move both hands to gently tap the same way across the forehead and then above the lip. Continue at the chin, temples and cheekbones. Use the outside of your hands to tap at the back and base of your head, use the inside of your hands to tap across your kidneys, tap with fingertips under collar bones and then tap on the breastbone. Take a relaxing breath and begin again until you feel calm.

Micro-Massage – Focus on relaxed breathing while you use two fingers to find the occipital bone at the base of the skull and gently glide the skin toward the right and then the left until you feel the body relax or sigh. Repeat on the other side. 

Eye Exercises – Positioning your eyes activates aspects of the nervous system. To promote relaxation, stimulate digestion and replenish energy, lie in a relaxed position and breathe gently. Using only your eyes and keeping the head still, look off to the lower left, and hold for 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat by looking to the lower right side. 

FSM – Frequency-specific microcurrent is a noninvasive therapy that uses low-level electrical pulses to treat musculoskeletal injuries and pain. According to the developer, Dr. Carolyn McMakin, FSM may modulate the vagus nerve to treat various conditions such as depression, autoimmune diseases, gastrointestinal disorders and chronic pain syndromes. “We are seeing increased anxiety, chronic pain and stress-related illness in our patients. FSM is a promising treatment for anxiety and pain,” says Susan Rohr, RN and owner of Brookfield Health and Wellness. 

These are simple ways to help reclaim a healthy autonomic nervous system. Try these methods daily or weekly to see which works best for you.