Discussing your mental health solely in terms of your feelings, thoughts, and behaviors ignores the influence of your nervous system – specifically, your vagus nerve, which regulates your stress response, emotional balance, and well-being.
You can stimulate this nerve with calming practices that effectively relieve some symptoms of conditions like anxiety, depression, PTSD, and chronic stress.
What Is the Vagus Nerve?
The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve in your body and a communication highway between your brain and many vital organs. It begins in the brainstem and extends down through your neck, chest, and abdomen, connecting to the heart, lungs, and digestive system.
Its primary responsibility is to support the parasympathetic nervous system, often described as the body’s “rest-and-recover” mode. While your sympathetic nervous system prepares you to respond to danger by activating fight, flight, or freeze, the vagus nerve helps you calm down after the perceived threat has passed.
A well-functioning vagus nerve regulates your:
- Heart rate and blood pressure
- Breathing patterns
- Digestion
- Inflammation
- Emotional regulation and mood
The Vagus Nerve and Emotional Regulation
The vagus nerve is a feedback loop that constantly sends information from the body to the brain and back again. This nerve may become underactive when stress becomes chronic – as it often does in anxiety, depression, or trauma – leaving you stuck in a state of heightened alertness, even when no immediate threat exists.
Low vagal activity may lead to:
- Persistent anxiety or panic symptoms
- Emotional numbness or shutdown
- Difficulty calming down after stress
- Sleep disturbances
- Increased inflammation, which can worsen mood disorders
In contrast, people with a stronger vagal tone may have extra emotional flexibility and improved stress tolerance, which are essential for mental health recovery.
Improving Vagus Nerve Health in Trauma and Anxiety Treatment
Trauma changes the areas of your brain that govern memory, decision-making, and emotional regulation. As a result, your nervous system may learn to interpret the world as unsafe, leading to hypervigilance, intrusive thoughts, or physical anxiety symptoms that feel out of proportion to current circumstances.
Modern mental health treatment increasingly goes beyond traditional talk therapy to include body-based and nervous-system-informed strategies. Therapeutic approaches that support vagus nerve activity signal safety to the brain, making it easier to:
- Process your emotions without becoming overwhelmed
- Stay present instead of dissociating
- Regulate fear responses
- Engage more fully in therapy
Natural Ways to Stimulate Your Vagus Nerve
The encouraging news is that you don’t need specialized equipment to support vagus nerve function. Many simple, drug-free practices gently activate this pathway and promote calm.
- Slow, deep breathing: Breathing slowly from your diaphragm sends a signal that it’s safe to relax. Longer exhales activate the parasympathetic response.
- Singing, humming, or chanting: Since your vagus nerve runs through your vocal cords, activities that engage your voice create subtle, stimulating vibrations that promote relaxation. Even a few minutes can help reduce anxiety and tension.
- Mindfulness and meditation: Practices that anchor attention to the present moment quiet your stress response and support nervous system balance over time.
- Gentle movement: Yoga, stretching, walking, and other exercises regulate your breathing and heart rate, indirectly supporting vagal tone.
- Cold exposure: Brief exposure to cold – such as splashing cool water on your face or ending a shower with cool water – can activate vagus nerve pathways and slow your heart rate.
- Social connection: Safe, supportive relationships are powerful regulators of the nervous system. Feeling seen, heard, and understood naturally strengthens vagal activity.
How Therapy Supports Nervous System Healing
At Palm Springs Behavioral Health, we recognize that mental health recovery is multifaceted. Our trauma-informed, evidence-based therapies will help you understand how your nervous system has adapted to stress, so you can gently retrain it.
Through structured therapy, clients learn to:
- Recognize stress responses in the body
- Build tolerance for emotional discomfort
- Develop grounding and regulation skills
- Restore a sense of safety and control
Working with your nervous system rather than against it will make therapy more effective, sustainable, and compassionate.
A Whole-Person Approach to Mental Wellness
The vagus nerve’s influence reminds us that mental health is too simplistic to reduce to willpower or positive thinking. Healing becomes more accessible when you give your nervous system the safety and connections it needs.
If you live with an untreated mental health disorder, let Palm Springs Behavioral Health help you restore balance from the inside out. Reach out today to learn more about our integrative mental health services and how we support long-term healing.