The Vagus Nerve Part 3: – Steps you can take

1. The ultimate conductor

I mentioned in my previous articles that the term “Vagus nerve” is somewhat of a misnomer, as the nerve comprises at least 200,000 nerves, or approximately 100,000 nerves running on both sides of the neck, just behind the carotid artery. What I did not mention is that the Vagus nerve is proven to be responsible for millions of crucial data points, relayed from your body to your brain and back again via the one hundred billion neurons of your nervous system, every second that you are alive. It can be challenging to understand how this all happens without any direct input from you, but it does.

2. The oversimplified answer to how it does this is:-

Distilled to its absolute essence, the answer to how the vagus nerve controls all of this is reflexes. What we now know is that simple reflexes collaborate to achieve complex actions or behaviours that are fast and coordinated.

3. What are reflexes?

The best explanation I know is that reflexes are “involuntary and almost instantaneous movement in response to a stimulus”. You have no control over them, and the process is almost instantaneous, taking around 250 milliseconds, or a quarter of a second, if you prefer. Your vagus nerve really is the ultimate conductor of an incredibly complex and fast-reacting orchestra.

4. Tuning into calm, how can we use this information

During my research into this article, I have discovered several ways to experiment with the possibility of tuning into calm. Here are just a few of them to get you started.

Deep breathing – recommended time 10 mins, considered easy.

Sit or lie in a comfortable position, placing both hands on your abdomen. Breathe in deeply, allowing your abdomen to rise. exhale through your mouth slowly and completely, aiming to spend at least twice as long on the exhale as on the inhale.

This activity works by engaging the diaphragm; the extended outbreath engages the parasympathetic nervous system, which lowers heart rate and induces a sense of calm.

Humming – recommended time: 5 minutes, considered easy.

The best way to stimulate your vagus nerve humming is to listen to your favourite mellow music. It is incredibly easy to do and leaves you feeling calm. I tried it while listening to AC/DC, but I sadly noticed that my heart rate increased; the same effect occurred when I listened to Metallica.

The larynx and vagus nerve are in close proximity; humming directly stimulates the vagus nerve, activating the parasympathetic nervous system, which in turn slows the heart rate and induces a sense of calm.

Laughing – recommended time: 20 mins 3 x per week, considered easy.

I am not one to sit and laugh without reason, but I am a great lover of humour generally. My recommendation is to find something that makes you laugh and do it at least three times per week.

Laughing is a very natural way to stimulate the vagus nerve and has a proven effect on the vagus nerve. If you can find an activity that produces a real side-splitting laugh, then even better. 

Cold water exposure – recommended time 30 seconds to 30 minutes, considered – not for the faint-hearted!

Loved by many who have tried it, but feared mainly by the rest of us. There is ample scientific evidence to support the benefits of cold exposure, particularly in the form of swimming. I am sure it is good for you, but personally, give me humour any day.

Thought to induce the “Diving reflex,” cold water exposure slows the heart rate and calms the mind.

Massage – recommended time: 60 mins or more, considered very easy.

You would probably expect me to promote the calming effects of massage, and I certainly do. Massage has been proven to be calming to both mind and body for over five millennia. Ever-increasing in popularity, massage is the most natural way to calm down and feel great.

Thank you, – John Holman, Clinic Lead.