Do you feel the need to stay away? Your vagus nerve can use the key

It is the body’s superhighway that carries information from your brain to your major organs. You probably have no idea that it exists – let alone that you need to train it.

But a quick scroll through my social media and there’s a whole range of tips on how to fix it, trigger it, even reset it all – all levels of anxiety and worry.

Focusing on your ear with what looks like a rubber septobrush, moving your eyes from side to side, wearing a weighted vest – these are some techniques that are recommended to be trained in well-being.

With our stress levels are high, and burnout rises between about 35sno wonder most posts on social media go viral with millions of hits.

Some of these methods seem a little absurd. Is it possible to train your powerful inner messenger, and that can bring instant relief from life’s stresses?

I decided to find out by coming to the small studio of StockPort in the city – where I found myself in a small group, humming.

Smiling, I’m told, helps stimulate our vagus nerve and slow our heart rate. And I started to feel more relaxed. I feel a low hum vibrate in my body and my brain seems less busy.

In these Somatics Classes, Yoga Therapist Eirian Collinge guides us through a gentle movement session that combines deep breathing, rocking and flowing.

While he doesn’t buy into all of the methods of socialization, Eirian says there are parts of his practice that use breathing, eye movement and tapping.

But, he said, “It’s a process” and there’s no quick fix. It is rooted in a The theory that suggests we can calm our nervous system by connecting our bodies.

Some scientists say this is an oversimplification of our complex internal systems. but Some say it can be effective To help us find a snippet of calm in a busy, intense world.

Sarah, who lies just a few mats away from me, started going to this class about a year ago. He says the practice has been life-changing.

“I was actually in tears after the first session,” she said. “Like the first time my brain is gone.”

The 35-year-old, who has struggled with his mental health, said it felt like he was “flossing his brain”.

Sarah’s partner, Xander, agrees. This made him more aware of his feelings.

“As humans,” he explained, “we’re never programmed to do that.

“I have struggled with depression for most of my adult life, but now, instead of trying to fix my thoughts I can sit with my emotions and accept them.

“If things take a lot for me I can break a little from work. You go, out in the hills, for example.

“Understanding my nervous system is a big part of that.”

The vagus – Latin for “Wandering” – starts in the brain as two main branches – left and right – that connect every major information.

It’s part of the autonomic nervous system, which controls things we don’t think about, like breathing, heart rate and digestion.

The system, in part, consists of:

• the sympathetic nervous system – which induces “Flight”, prepare for anything that a wild animal chases in the all important job interview, and
• the parasympathetic nervous system – which relies on the vagus nerve to help put the brakes on and return the body to a state of calm

If one of these is out of sync we start to see problems. But can we reset the balance ourselves, by trying to activate the vagus nerve?

Consultant Psyct Psycts Prof Hamish McLalister-Williams is skeptical.

“We have good evidence that vagus nerve stimulation can help with neurological disorders such as epilepsy and Mental illnesses such as depression that are resistant to treatment“he said,” but that comes from a device worn on the body – a little like a pacemaker that sends pulses to the vagus nerve. “

That device sends mild electrical stimulations through the vagus nerve in the brain, triggering a release of chemicals like serotonin and dopamine that help regulate our mood.

While vagus nerve stimulation inside the body requires surgery to develop and is available for a small cohort of NHS patients, there is an encouraging technology.

These devices, which cost anything from £200 to over £1,000, tend to be ear-mounted, worn around the neck or placed on the chest.

“Some reliable studies suggest these external stimulators can affect brain activity,” explained Prof McLalister-Williams. “But there is much more evidence than internal devices.”

With external devices, electrical impulses must travel through skin, tissue, muscle and fat so it is not as simple and direct as a body stimulator.

After she experienced burnout, Lucy Lambert said such non-invasive vagus nerve stimulators helped her.

The mother-of-three left her job as a school teacher because she was completely “stressed, tired and anxious”.

“I’ve been running endlessly – I don’t know,” said Lucy. “Then it hit. Life’s to-do list became a lot.

“The mental stress is so great that I can’t get out of bed.”

After exhausting various medical routes and feeling that she was no longer there, Lisa’s brother recommended sending low-level electricity, which is often through the skin of the neck or ear area.

“I noticed that when I started to feel overwhelmed, I would get a headache.

“I wear a device for 10 minutes twice a day; the pain from the headache goes away, and my whole body is calm.

“The vibrations, they do something.”

He says the devices don’t cure the burn but they help him create “conditions where real healing can happen”.

Dr Chris Barker, who works in pain management, says this area of ​​medicine is still developing.

He said that there is a growing understanding of the importance of the vagus nerve, but while there is “clear evidence” of our mental healing with food, it does not explain all the answers, even how to correct all the answers.

“It makes sense to focus on something that has a problem – and try to fix it.

“Of course, our bodies are not complex, and sometimes the problem we see may be part of an imbalance in a wider system.”

It’s not about healing, he said. It’s “about figuring out what works for you” – and that always takes time.

You should know if you have any heart or respiratory conditions you should seek medical advice before trying to change or stimulate your nervous system.

Now, years after experiencing burnout, Lucy, 47, has launched her own business helping others build emotional resilience and confidence.

He still uses his devices daily, meditates, and constantly checks how he feels. “The devices rest me and stay away.”

But he admits it’s hard to tell if the devices are making the difference or the fact that he’s taking some much-needed time off.

There is a lack of solid scientific evidence behind these devices but for Lucy, they played a key part in her recovery. Understanding his nervous system and the importance of the vagus nerve gave him power, he said.

“It’s helped me take ownership of my own mental health and well-being, and that’s huge.”