July 8, 2025 • 10 mins
Ever feel like your body's stuck in stress mode no matter what you do? The secret might be hiding in plain sight: your vagus nerve. This fascinating "wandering nerve" serves as your body's superhighway to calm—when it's functioning well. But modern life stacks the deck against it.
You don't need to overhaul your entire life to support your nervous system. Small, consistent actions create a foundation for resilience and calm. Your vagus nerve is remarkably adaptable, ready to respond to whatever support you offer.
Subscribe to continue exploring how wellness truly starts at vagus, and share this episode with someone who might benefit from understanding their body's pathway to calm.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Emily Feist (00:00):
Today we are talking about things that help
the vagus nerve and the thingsthat hinder it.
Kind of like, the vagus nervehas friends and foes, and most
of us accidentally invite moreof the wrong crowd in without
even realizing it.
So let's unpack what's helping,what's hurting and how to start
(00:23):
stacking the deck in your favor.
Welcome back to 'It Starts atVagus', where we break down your
body, your brain and yournervous system to work together
and what you can actually do tofeel calmer and more grounded,
even on the hard days.
I'm Emily and today we're goingthrough the philosophy of the
(00:44):
vagus nerve.
It's the body's ultimate key tocalm, connection and well-being
.
So if you feel anxious,stressed, burnt out, with that
stuck feeling, you're in theright place.
Take a deep breath in, settledown and let's explore how we
can use our nervous system tosupport our bodies.
And today we're keeping itsimpler, but honestly, this
(01:06):
might change how you think youcan support your body.
Let's dive in.
First,Let's talk about things that
irritate or weaken your vagusnerve, and there's habits,
stressors and patterns thatbasically tell your vagus nerve.
Hey, let's make it reallychallenging to feel great, not
so great, right, because whathappens?
(01:26):
Your body gets stuck insurvival mode that fight, flight
, freeze, sometimes fawn, and itholds onto it longer than it
should.
So here are a few of the usualculprits.
Suspect number one chronicstress.
It's probably one of thebiggest ones.
It's where your body'sconstantly running on adrenaline
(01:48):
from overwhelm, mental load,busy schedules and your vagus
nerve gets stuck in thatsympathetic mode where it tells
your body to stay alert, beaware and protect yourself
because it feels like therecould be danger lurking about.
Wear and protect yourselfbecause it feels like there
could be danger lurking about.
And when this happens, thevagus nerve doesn't just have
(02:08):
that automatic desire to flipthe switch to go into rest and
digest mode.
So this is where we have to bevery careful about getting stuck
in that chronic state of stress.
Suspect number two lack of sleep.
If you're not sleeping, yourbody doesn't get that time to
reset itself and your vagusnerve doesn't give your body
(02:29):
that signal that all is well.
It leads to inadequate sleep.
So then you get stuck in thatcycle of low quality sleep,
which then makes it harder tohave a calm day the following
day, to have a calm day thefollowing day, and your brain
and body didn't get enough rest,so it's already feeling behind,
sluggish and irritable, whichis not good.
(02:52):
Nothing good can come out ofbeing sleep deprived, which
brings us to our next culpritinflammation, straight off the
bat.
If you don't get enough sleep,you're going to have an
increased chance of havinghigher inflammation.
So the lack of sleep, it canalso come from processed food,
overload sugar, overload gutissues, strong emotions.
(03:16):
Your vagus nerve feels all ofthat and it becomes harder for
your body to shift into thatcalm mode when there's that
constant irritation happeningunder the surface.
Inflammation happens so muchfaster and easier when we don't
get a good night's sleep becauseit wasn't enough time in the
evening to take out thatcellular trash.
(03:37):
Next culprit would be poorposture and tension.
Your vagus nerve runs from yourbrain down your neck, through
your chest and abdomen.
It goes all over.
That's why it is called thewandering nerve.
When you're hunched, tense andtight, it physically affects
your vagus nerve.
It makes it harder for thevagus nerve to work under the
(04:01):
pressure physically and mentally.
And between the inflammationand now poor posture, tension,
the body is in that constantfeeling of that low, chronic
stress.
It's just consistent.
Now I like to think of it aslike being in traffic on the
interstate, a healthy body hasgood flow of traffic and all the
(04:23):
lanes are clear and there's nodebris and the lanes are open.
But if that body doesn't haveenough rest, restore or hydrate,
the traffic becomes much harderin your body, the traffic has a
harder time with the weather,whether it's sunny or even
trickier weather, like if it'ssnowing.
(04:44):
The road conditions are harder.
You've got road constructionNow.
Do most cars get to where theywant to go, even with all those
problems on the road?
Often, yes, but there was morestress.
It didn't flow easily and itwent slower, which is not ideal,
and that's how I think of it.
(05:06):
Inside your body, we have allthe good habits and routines.
That makes it easier insideyour body for everything to flow
.
Nutrients get to where theyneed to go.
Oxygen makes it all over thebody.
Everything works better whenit's doing its job properly and
(05:27):
without that chronic stress.
Now, when it comes to life,it's not about avoiding all of
the hard things.
That's impossible.
But when things start piling up, it's harder for your vagus
nerve to help you feel safe,steady and calm.
That is why we need toincorporate these practices.
Okay, but the good news is yourvagus nerve also has allies,
(05:50):
things that naturally helpstrengthen it and renew your
body and mind.
So where it can say you're safeand you can calm down now, and
the best part is most of theseare simple, everyday things.
First up, gentle movement, likestretching, walking, rolling
your shoulders back.
These little movements releasetension and help your vagus
(06:14):
nerve communicate clearly.
It doesn't have that tension orpressure.
That movement allows opennessin your body.
And remember, gentle isn'tforced movement.
It allows you to move in a slow, comfortable, gentle way to let
your body know that everythingis okay.
(06:35):
Next healthy habit is breathwork.
This is probably one of myfavorites.
It's that slow, deep breathing,especially when you exhale
Exhaling, is one of the quickestways to nudge your vagus nerve
back into safe mode.
When I do my breath work, Ipersonally love to focus on how
(06:57):
my torso feels.
I pay attention to whichmuscles are moving and which
muscles aren't moving.
Is it easy for me to breathewith my diaphragm?
Am I able to do that bellybreathing?
Or is my breathing shallow andmore up in my chest and
shoulders?
If you find that your shoulderbreathing, that every time you
(07:21):
breathe you move your shouldersup and down, just go ahead, give
them a wiggle, stretch them outand let them allow to be more
open and down.
Next up, humming or singing.
Your vagus nerve is connectedto the muscles in your throat.
So humming and singing, evengargling, that all creates like
a little mini massage for yourvagus nerve.
(07:43):
Everybody feels better whenthey get a good massage.
Next, we need nutrients.
Obviously, our body needs goodnutrients for it to work well.
So B vitamins, magnesium,healthy fats these all give your
nervous system, including yourvagus nerve, what it needs to
stay strong.
Now, obviously, I'm not adoctor or nutritionist, but I
(08:05):
think we can all agree that lowprocess and incorporating more
whole foods the better.
Up next is hydration.
Hydration is simple, but hugeNerves depend on fluid balance
to function well.
So if you don't know where tostart, hydration is one of the
(08:26):
easiest things because we havefull control of how much water
we drink throughout the day.
Now onto a harder one rest andboundaries, protecting your
downtime, saying no when youneed to all of that creates
space for your nervous system toreset.
It can be hard, because I ampreaching to the choir here,
(08:47):
because I often get wrapped upin things that I really enjoy,
so I forget to incorporate restand I literally need to schedule
it in so that I make time formy body to rest and relax.
Last but not least and this isa fun one laughter and
connection, social connection,safe relationships and even
(09:10):
laughter are powerful signals toyour vagus nerve that it is
okay to relax.
It's the emotional connectionthat signals safety and allows
your vagus nerve to say, okay,we are safe If we're allowed to
laugh, we are not in danger.
So it tells your brain and bodyit is okay and safe to relax
(09:34):
now.
So let me ask you if we were tolook back at yesterday or even
last week, would we find thatyou are stacking the enemies of
your vagus nerve?
Or are you giving your vagusnerve, whether it's another
glass of water, a few deepbreaths or a quick stretch?
(10:04):
I know you can do it and yourvagus nerve is here to help you.
It's adaptable and the more yousupport it, the more your body
remembers how to feel safe,steady and calm.
You don't have to overhaul yourlife.
It starts with these smalllittle habits, these little
shifts, and over time, yourvagus system, your nervous
(10:27):
system, feels the difference.
All right, friends, thanks forhanging out with me today.
If this episode sparkedsomething for you.
Share it with a friend or leavea quick review, and it helps
more than you know.
So remember to soothe yournervous system and reclaim who
you are.
Thanks for listening to 'ItStarts at Vagus'.
New episodes are released everyTuesday.
(10:49):
Make sure you're subscribed andshare this with someone who you
know could benefit.
And until next time, rememberwellness starts at Vagus.
Today we are talking about things that help
the vagus nerve and the thingsthat hinder it.
Kind of like, the vagus nervehas friends and foes, and most
of us accidentally invite moreof the wrong crowd in without
even realizing it.
So let's unpack what's helping,what's hurting and how to start
(00:23):
stacking the deck in your favor.
Welcome back to 'It Starts atVagus', where we break down your
body, your brain and yournervous system to work together
and what you can actually do tofeel calmer and more grounded,
even on the hard days.
I'm Emily and today we're goingthrough the philosophy of the
(00:44):
vagus nerve.
It's the body's ultimate key tocalm, connection and well-being
.
So if you feel anxious,stressed, burnt out, with that
stuck feeling, you're in theright place.
Take a deep breath in, settledown and let's explore how we
can use our nervous system tosupport our bodies.
And today we're keeping itsimpler, but honestly, this
(01:06):
might change how you think youcan support your body.
Let's dive in.
First,Let's talk about things that
irritate or weaken your vagusnerve, and there's habits,
stressors and patterns thatbasically tell your vagus nerve.
Hey, let's make it reallychallenging to feel great, not
so great, right, because whathappens?
(01:26):
Your body gets stuck insurvival mode that fight, flight
, freeze, sometimes fawn, and itholds onto it longer than it
should.
So here are a few of the usualculprits.
Suspect number one chronicstress.
It's probably one of thebiggest ones.
It's where your body'sconstantly running on adrenaline
(01:48):
from overwhelm, mental load,busy schedules and your vagus
nerve gets stuck in thatsympathetic mode where it tells
your body to stay alert, beaware and protect yourself
because it feels like therecould be danger lurking about.
Wear and protect yourselfbecause it feels like there
could be danger lurking about.
And when this happens, thevagus nerve doesn't just have
(02:08):
that automatic desire to flipthe switch to go into rest and
digest mode.
So this is where we have to bevery careful about getting stuck
in that chronic state of stress.
Suspect number two lack of sleep.
If you're not sleeping, yourbody doesn't get that time to
reset itself and your vagusnerve doesn't give your body
(02:29):
that signal that all is well.
It leads to inadequate sleep.
So then you get stuck in thatcycle of low quality sleep,
which then makes it harder tohave a calm day the following
day, to have a calm day thefollowing day, and your brain
and body didn't get enough rest,so it's already feeling behind,
sluggish and irritable, whichis not good.
(02:52):
Nothing good can come out ofbeing sleep deprived, which
brings us to our next culpritinflammation, straight off the
bat.
If you don't get enough sleep,you're going to have an
increased chance of havinghigher inflammation.
So the lack of sleep, it canalso come from processed food,
overload sugar, overload gutissues, strong emotions.
(03:16):
Your vagus nerve feels all ofthat and it becomes harder for
your body to shift into thatcalm mode when there's that
constant irritation happeningunder the surface.
Inflammation happens so muchfaster and easier when we don't
get a good night's sleep becauseit wasn't enough time in the
evening to take out thatcellular trash.
(03:37):
Next culprit would be poorposture and tension.
Your vagus nerve runs from yourbrain down your neck, through
your chest and abdomen.
It goes all over.
That's why it is called thewandering nerve.
When you're hunched, tense andtight, it physically affects
your vagus nerve.
It makes it harder for thevagus nerve to work under the
(04:01):
pressure physically and mentally.
And between the inflammationand now poor posture, tension,
the body is in that constantfeeling of that low, chronic
stress.
It's just consistent.
Now I like to think of it aslike being in traffic on the
interstate, a healthy body hasgood flow of traffic and all the
(04:23):
lanes are clear and there's nodebris and the lanes are open.
But if that body doesn't haveenough rest, restore or hydrate,
the traffic becomes much harderin your body, the traffic has a
harder time with the weather,whether it's sunny or even
trickier weather, like if it'ssnowing.
(04:44):
The road conditions are harder.
You've got road constructionNow.
Do most cars get to where theywant to go, even with all those
problems on the road?
Often, yes, but there was morestress.
It didn't flow easily and itwent slower, which is not ideal,
and that's how I think of it.
(05:06):
Inside your body, we have allthe good habits and routines.
That makes it easier insideyour body for everything to flow
.
Nutrients get to where theyneed to go.
Oxygen makes it all over thebody.
Everything works better whenit's doing its job properly and
(05:27):
without that chronic stress.
Now, when it comes to life,it's not about avoiding all of
the hard things.
That's impossible.
But when things start piling up, it's harder for your vagus
nerve to help you feel safe,steady and calm.
That is why we need toincorporate these practices.
Okay, but the good news is yourvagus nerve also has allies,
(05:50):
things that naturally helpstrengthen it and renew your
body and mind.
So where it can say you're safeand you can calm down now, and
the best part is most of theseare simple, everyday things.
First up, gentle movement, likestretching, walking, rolling
your shoulders back.
These little movements releasetension and help your vagus
(06:14):
nerve communicate clearly.
It doesn't have that tension orpressure.
That movement allows opennessin your body.
And remember, gentle isn'tforced movement.
It allows you to move in a slow, comfortable, gentle way to let
your body know that everythingis okay.
(06:35):
Next healthy habit is breathwork.
This is probably one of myfavorites.
It's that slow, deep breathing,especially when you exhale
Exhaling, is one of the quickestways to nudge your vagus nerve
back into safe mode.
When I do my breath work, Ipersonally love to focus on how
(06:57):
my torso feels.
I pay attention to whichmuscles are moving and which
muscles aren't moving.
Is it easy for me to breathewith my diaphragm?
Am I able to do that bellybreathing?
Or is my breathing shallow andmore up in my chest and
shoulders?
If you find that your shoulderbreathing, that every time you
(07:21):
breathe you move your shouldersup and down, just go ahead, give
them a wiggle, stretch them outand let them allow to be more
open and down.
Next up, humming or singing.
Your vagus nerve is connectedto the muscles in your throat.
So humming and singing, evengargling, that all creates like
a little mini massage for yourvagus nerve.
(07:43):
Everybody feels better whenthey get a good massage.
Next, we need nutrients.
Obviously, our body needs goodnutrients for it to work well.
So B vitamins, magnesium,healthy fats these all give your
nervous system, including yourvagus nerve, what it needs to
stay strong.
Now, obviously, I'm not adoctor or nutritionist, but I
(08:05):
think we can all agree that lowprocess and incorporating more
whole foods the better.
Up next is hydration.
Hydration is simple, but hugeNerves depend on fluid balance
to function well.
So if you don't know where tostart, hydration is one of the
(08:26):
easiest things because we havefull control of how much water
we drink throughout the day.
Now onto a harder one rest andboundaries, protecting your
downtime, saying no when youneed to all of that creates
space for your nervous system toreset.
It can be hard, because I ampreaching to the choir here,
(08:47):
because I often get wrapped upin things that I really enjoy,
so I forget to incorporate restand I literally need to schedule
it in so that I make time formy body to rest and relax.
Last but not least and this isa fun one laughter and
connection, social connection,safe relationships and even
(09:10):
laughter are powerful signals toyour vagus nerve that it is
okay to relax.
It's the emotional connectionthat signals safety and allows
your vagus nerve to say, okay,we are safe If we're allowed to
laugh, we are not in danger.
So it tells your brain and bodyit is okay and safe to relax
(09:34):
now.
So let me ask you if we were tolook back at yesterday or even
last week, would we find thatyou are stacking the enemies of
your vagus nerve?
Or are you giving your vagusnerve, whether it's another
glass of water, a few deepbreaths or a quick stretch?
(10:04):
I know you can do it and yourvagus nerve is here to help you.
It's adaptable and the more yousupport it, the more your body
remembers how to feel safe,steady and calm.
You don't have to overhaul yourlife.
It starts with these smalllittle habits, these little
shifts, and over time, yourvagus system, your nervous
(10:27):
system, feels the difference.
All right, friends, thanks forhanging out with me today.
If this episode sparkedsomething for you.
Share it with a friend or leavea quick review, and it helps
more than you know.
So remember to soothe yournervous system and reclaim who
you are.
Thanks for listening to 'ItStarts at Vagus'.
New episodes are released everyTuesday.
(10:49):
Make sure you're subscribed andshare this with someone who you
know could benefit.
And until next time, rememberwellness starts at Vagus.
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