Your Built-In Calm Button: A Deeper Dive into the Vagus Nerve

If you’ve ever thought, “Why does my body react before my brain even understands what’s happening?” Welcome to the nervous system.

Your body is constantly scanning for safety or threat long before your conscious thoughts catch up. And right in the middle of that system is one of the most fascinating, powerful nerves in your body:

The vagus nerve.

This isn’t just wellness talk. This is neurobiology. And understanding it can completely change how you approach anxiety, trauma recovery, stress, and emotional regulation.

Let’s go deeper.

What Is the Vagus Nerve (Really)?

The vagus nerve is the 10th cranial nerve. It originates in your brainstem and “wanders” (that’s what vagus means in Latin) through your:

• Face

• Throat

• Heart

• Lungs

• Digestive system

It is a major part of your autonomic nervous system, which controls things you don’t consciously manage, such as heart rate, digestion, breathing patterns, immune response.

More specifically, it plays a central role in your parasympathetic nervous system which is your “rest, digest, repair, and connect” system.

If your sympathetic nervous system is the gas pedal (fight or flight),your vagus nerve is a big part of the brake.

And for many of us, especially if we’ve experienced chronic stress or trauma, that brake can get a little… rusty to say the least.

A Quick Primer on Polyvagal Theory (In Human Language)

Psychologist Dr. Stephen Porges introduced Polyvagal Theory, which explains how the vagus nerve has different branches that influence how we respond to the world.

Here’s the simplified version:

1. Ventral Vagal State (Safe + Connected)

• Calm

• Social

• Present

• Emotionally flexible

• Able to think clearly

This is where we want to spend more time.

2. Sympathetic State (Fight or Flight)

• Anxious

• Irritable

• Restless

• Heart racing

• Hyper-alert

This is protective but exhausting if constant.

3. Dorsal Vagal State (Shutdown / Freeze)

• Numb

• Disconnected

• Fatigued

• Brain fog

• “What’s the point” energy

Also protective, especially after overwhelm, but not sustainable long-term.

The vagus nerve is involved in shifting between these states. The goal isn’t to eliminate stress responses. The goal is flexibility; the ability to move back into safety.

That’s vagal tone.

What Is Vagal Tone?

Think of vagal tone like nervous system fitness.

High vagal tone means:

• You recover from stress more quickly

• Your heart rate variability (HRV) is healthy

• You regulate emotions more efficiently

• You feel grounded more often

Low vagal tone often looks like:

• Chronic anxiety

• Digestive issues

• Inflammation

• Difficulty calming down

• Emotional reactivity

• Trouble sleeping

The beautiful part? Vagal tone can be strengthened.

Why Activating the Vagus Nerve Supports Mental Health

When you stimulate the vagus nerve, you:

✔ Slow heart rate

✔ Lower blood pressure

✔ Reduce cortisol

✔ Improve digestion

✔ Increase feelings of safety

✔ Support emotional regulation

✔ Improve resilience to stress

You’re not “thinking your way calm.” You’re physiologically shifting your state. Which is HUGE, because when your body feels safe, your brain follows.

In-Depth Strategies to Activate the Vagus Nerve

Let’s go beyond surface-level tips and really understand why these work.

1. Breathwork (The Gold Standard)

Your vagus nerve connects to your diaphragm. Slow breathing directly stimulates it. The key? Longer exhales than inhales.

Try this:

• Inhale 4

• Exhale 6–8

• Repeat for 2–5 minutes

  
  

Why it works: The extended exhale activates parasympathetic signaling and increases heart rate variability — a marker of vagal tone.

Advanced option: Try box breathing or 4-7-8 breathing if that feels supportive.

Consistency > intensity.

2. Cold Exposure (The Dive Reflex)

When cold water hits your face, your body activates the mammalian dive reflex.

This reflex:

• Slows heart rate

• Conserves oxygen

• Stimulates the vagus nerve

Try:

• Splashing cold water on your face

• Holding an ice pack to your cheeks

• Ending your shower with 20–30 seconds of cold

This can be especially helpful during anxiety spikes.

Start small. No polar plunges required.

3. Vocal Stimulation (Humming, Singing, Chanting)

The vagus nerve connects to muscles in the throat and vocal cords. Vibration stimulates vagal pathways.

Try:

• Humming for 2–3 minutes

• Singing loudly in your car

• Chanting “om”

• Even extended sighing

It may feel silly, but it works.

4. Gargling (Underrated but Effective)

Forceful gargling activates muscles tied to the vagus nerve. Try gargling water for 30–60 seconds daily.

5. Sensory Reset (Like Sour Candy)

Strong sensory input interrupts spiraling thought loops and brings attention back to the body.

Sour candy works because it:

• Stimulates salivation

• Engages cranial nerves

• Redirects attention

Other sensory tools:

• Cold metal object

• Essential oils

• Strong mints

• Holding ice

It’s not about distraction. It’s about regulation. Let me tell you, this works! So much so that we keep sour candy/food on hand at all times for individuals we work with.

6. Social Safety

This is massive. Eye contact, safe touch, shared laughter, feeling understood, these activate your ventral vagal system. Why? Your nervous system co-regulates. We are biologically wired to calm in connection.

If you struggle with this, start small:

• Text someone safe

• Sit near others in a coffee shop

• Pet an animal

Safety can be subtle.

7. Gentle Rhythmic Movement

Walking, rocking, yoga, slow cycling, rhythm is regulating. Trauma-informed movement is especially supportive here.

Think: Not performance. Not high intensity exercises. Just rhythm and breath.

8. Mindfulness + Safety Anchoring

Instead of just “be mindful,” try:

Name:

• 5 things you see

• 4 things you feel

• 3 things you hear

Then add: “I am safe right now.”

Your nervous system needs present evidence of safety.

9. Laughter

Genuine laughter stimulates vagal pathways and releases endorphins. Watch something funny. Laugh with friends. Let yourself be playful.

Regulation doesn’t have to be serious.

10. Consistent Sleep + Blood Sugar Regulation

Your vagus nerve functions better when:

• You sleep enough

• You eat regularly

• Your blood sugar is stable

Mind-body connection matters here.

Mental health is biological, too.

A Trauma-Informed Reminder

If you’ve lived in survival mode for years, calm can feel unfamiliar, even unsafe.

That’s normal. Start gently. You don’t need to flood your system with techniques. You’re building capacity, not forcing relaxation.

How to Create a Simple Daily Vagus Routine

Here’s an example:

Morning:

• 2 minutes of long exhales

Midday:

• 5-minute walk outside

Afternoon stress spike:

• Cold water splash + sour candy

Evening:

• Gentle stretching + humming

That’s it. Small. Repeatable. Sustainable.

What This Is (And What It Isn’t)

Activating your vagus nerve:

✔ Supports therapy

✔ Supports recovery

✔ Supports emotional regulation

✔ Builds resilience

It does not:

✖ Replace trauma processing

✖ Replace medication if prescribed

✖ Replace therapy

✖ Eliminate stress entirely

It’s a tool, not a cure-all. But it’s a powerful tool!

We Leave You With These Thoughts...

Your body is not working against you.

It has been trying to protect you.

Learning how to activate your vagus nerve is learning how to collaborate with your nervous system instead of fighting it. That’s not weakness. That’s skill-building. That’s integrated wellbeing. And if you ever feel persistently overwhelmed, unsafe, or in crisis, reaching out to a licensed mental health professional or calling/texting 988 can provide immediate support.

You are allowed to need tools. You are allowed to need support. And you are capable of building nervous system flexibility, one breath at a time.

Absolutely — here’s a warm, inviting blurb you can add to the end of the blog post that aligns with your voice, your trauma-informed lens, and your Integrated Wellbeing Consulting work:

Want Support in Strengthening Your Nervous System?

If learning about the vagus nerve has you thinking, “Okay, this makes sense. But I need help applying this to my life,” you’re not alone and you are in the right place!

At Integrated Wellbeing Consulting, we offer one-on-one health education and wellbeing coaching for individuals who want compassionate, practical support around:

• Mental health education

• Nervous system regulation

• Mind-body connection

• Stress and burnout recovery

• Life transitions

• Recovery support

Our work is collaborative, trauma-informed, strengths-based and person-centered, and grounded in real-life application. We focus on helping you understand how your nervous system works and then build sustainable tools that fit your daily life.

This is educational and supportive in nature and does not replace therapy or medical care, but it can be a powerful complement to the work you may already be doing.

You don’t have to figure out regulation alone. You don’t have to piece together strategies from social media. Sometimes what makes the biggest difference is having a safe, trained, and supportive person walk alongside you as you practice.

If you’re interested in learning more about one-on-one health education and wellbeing coaching (available virtually), we’d be honored to connect.

Your nervous system deserves care. And so do you.