The Easiest Hack to Calm Body and Mind: Vagus Nerve Activation

The Easiest Hack to Calm Body and Mind: Vagus Nerve Activation

Do you often feel stressed, anxious, wired-but-tired, or like you’re constantly bracing for something to go wrong? Do you feel as though your body is stuck in a near-constant state of fight-or-flight?

You’re not imagining it—and the implications for your body are very real.

When your nervous system is chronically activated, stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline remain elevated. This can disrupt digestion, suppress immune function, dysregulate blood sugar, increase inflammation, impair sleep, tighten muscles, alter breathing patterns, and even affect heart rate variability. Over time, living in survival mode contributes to symptoms such as anxiety, fatigue, IBS, chronic pain, headaches, palpitations, mood changes, and difficulty focusing or relaxing.

This is where the vagus nerve comes in.

What Is the Vagus Nerve?

The vagus nerve is the primary nerve of the parasympathetic nervous system—the system responsible for rest, digestion, repair, and healing. It travels from the brainstem down through the neck, heart, lungs, and digestive tract, acting as a major communication highway between the brain and the body.

When the vagus nerve is activated, it sends a powerful message of safety to the brain: You are okay. You can relax.

Immediate Relief Through Vagus Nerve Activation

Activating the vagus nerve can provide immediate relief from common fight-or-flight symptoms, including:

• Anxiety and racing thoughts

• Rapid heart rate or palpitations

• Shallow breathing or breath-holding

• Muscle tension (especially neck, shoulders, jaw)

• Digestive discomfort

Feeling overwhelmed, irritable, or on edge

Simple practices—such as slow breathing, humming, gargling, cold exposure, gentle movement, or guided exercises—can quickly shift the nervous system out of stress mode. In The Vagus Nerve Solution for Holistic Wellness, I provide a clear, step-by-step guide to a wide range of vagus nerve activation practices, making it easy to incorporate these tools into everyday life.

Long-Term Benefits for Whole-Body Health

Supporting vagal tone on a regular basis helps create lasting changes, including:

• Improved emotional regulation and resilience

• Reduced anxiety and depressive symptoms

• Better digestion and gut health

• Decreased inflammation

• Improved sleep quality

• Enhanced immune function

Greater sense of calm, clarity, and connection

Mind ↔ Body: A Two-Way Road to Healing

In my book, The Vagus Nerve Solution for Holistic Wellness, I explore how simple, science-informed exercises can help restore balance to the nervous system. These practices are a powerful complement to holistic counseling.

Think of healing as a two-way street:

• Holistic counseling works from mind → body, addressing beliefs, emotions, and internal conflicts that drive stress responses.

• Vagus nerve support works from body → mind, calming the nervous system so emotional insights can integrate more fully.

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Together, they create deep, lasting change.

If you’re ready to feel calmer in your body and clearer in your mind, supporting your vagus nerve may be the easiest—and most effective—place to start.

Learn more about Vagus nerve health in Dr. Anderson's book, available on Amazon and Audible!

Get Vagus Nerve Book