VAGUS NERVE
The Vagus nerve is a cranial nerve that accounts for 75% of your parasympathetic nervous system. This means it plays a HUGE role in your ability to stay in your social, rest, digest and reproduce nervous system. You cannot thrive and survive at the same time. So when you or your loved ones have been experiencing chronic stress:
Stress in utero
Stress at home (parental, ralationships, siblings, housemates)
Poor Diet/Gut Health
Auto-immune conditions
Work stress
Chronic pain
Poor Sleep
Too much screen time
Sedentary lifestyle
These can all contribute to low vagal tone. Low vagal tone pushes us out of the normal flow of nervous system function. Optimal function occurs hen our nervous system detects a threat, we move out of safety in our parasympathetics to our sympathetic, fight or flight, nervous system. Once we either confront the stress or run away from it we should move back into our calm state at rest. But life isn’t so easy. Today we are bombarded with stress from the moment we wake up, check our phone, sit in traffic, eat on the go, deal with stressful people at work or school, rush home, sit in front of the tv, then scroll before we fall to sleep to late. Stress is not short lived like it once was, it is chronic. So it should come as no surprise as to why we are living longer but sicker - we are not in thrive mode because we are trying to SURVIVE!
But hope is not lost. YOU have the power to support your nervous system and improve your vagal tone by using the tehcniques below:
PHYSICAL
Yoga: Gentle, mindful movements like in the styles of Yin and Nidra help to calm your nervous system. Yoga Nidra is sometimes termed Non-Sleep Deep Rest of NSDR.
Physiological Sigh: 2 quick inhales through your nose and a long exhale through your mouth.
Mindful Movement: Next time you’re out walking try to find 3-5 things that you can smell, taste, see, feel and hear.
Breathing: Connecting with your diaphragm and ensuring that you are breathing into the belly as well as your side body. Try breathing to the count of in for 4, hold for 4, out for 4, hold for 4.
Chiropractic Care: Gentle Chiropractic care like that offered at Womb to Wellness has been shown to reduce pain and stress in those who seek Chiropractic care. Less stress and pain means less inflammation. Chiropractic care is also beneficial for babies and children to help reduce any areas of tension that may build from position in utero, birth, slips/falls and repetitive strain and posture from looking at screens or sitting in class.
CHEMICAL
The Vagus nerve like any other tissue in the body is sensitive to inflammation. What we eat, drink and medication can cause inflammation in our systems thereby affecting our Vagus nerve and putting us into a state of stress.
Probiotics: Try a psychobiotic strain like Lactobacilis Reuteri which has anti-inflammatory effects. Studies show that this strain can be useful for those with social anxiety.
Chewing your food: Research suggests chewing your food at least 36 times in order to adequately breakdown food. When we chew we release chemicals that assist in digestion.
EMOTIONAL
The vagus role plays a HUGE role in our social connections. To support our vagal tone engaging in meaningful social connection with loved ones is high on our doing list. Heart to Heart and Eye to Eye is key!
The other thing that is high on the list is saying NO! When we are in a state of overwhelm and we say no, this has the potential to:
Reduce cortisol
Enhance productivity
Support neuroplasticity
Improved emotional wellbeing