3 Ways To Feel Calm - Right Now
Are you feeling taxed, stressed, and like you’re running on empty? Following the news, COVID numbers, job stress, isolation, health care scares —either your own or a loved one’s — the list is LONG. Or, maybe you’re experiencing low-level day-to-day stress — equally toxic — feeling under-resourced and not properly able to support yourself, and consequently, your family.
Whichever it is — you notice that it doesn’t take much to hit your tipping point, a place of overwhelm that once took a lot longer to reach.
I’m right there with you. So I spent some time this week reviewing research I’d come across while working on The Take Two Journal, specific guidance on ways to overcome those moments. Have you heard of the vagus nerve? (I hadn’t). It’s your 10th cranial nerve, the longest and most complex of them, and runs down your spine, connecting your brain to your abdomen. It’s responsible for “gut feelings” and the “mind/ body connection.”
Your vagus nerve regulates a variety of your body’s automatic functions (heart rate, breathing, etc.), but also, surprisingly, it plays a significant role in your emotional and physical health. When your vagus nerve is stimulated, it acts as a brake on your nervous system’s reaction to stress — your “fight and flight” response. As your vagus nerve becomes more “toned” from increased stimulation, you begin to experience more feelings of calm.
How to Support Your Vagus Nerve
As I scanned the research, I came across three simple (somewhat surprising) things you can do - anytime - to help you stimulate and tone your vagus nerve, which will re-regulate your nervous system and improve your immediate feelings of calm.
SING. The vagus nerve connects to your vocal cords, so singing any sound will help stimulate it. While low-toned sounds like “vooooooo” or “om” are the most effective (think of the sound chanted at the end of yoga class), any singing works. Try belting out a song next time you’re in the car rather than turning on the news.
COLD WATER. Research shows that cold water stimulates your vagus nerve and improves its tone over time. Next time you’re in the shower, turn down the water temperature for the last few seconds, (try and work your way up to 30). Splashing ice-cold water on your face can also be effective.
BREATHE. Instead of your normal breathing pattern, exhale for a longer time than you inhale. Give it a try: breath in for a count of four, and then exhale while you count to eight. Repeat this a couple of times. Breathing in this way reactivates your vagus nerve.
Curious to learn more? Check out these books:
The Pocket Guide to the Polyvagal Theory: The Transformative Power of Feeling Safe by Dr. Stephen Porges.
Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve: Self-Exercises for Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, and Autism by Stanley Rosenberg.
Polyvagal Exercises for Safety and Connection: 50 Client-Centered Practices by Deb Dana.
Give them a try and let me know if they help you— I’d love to hear (share in comments below).
We will get through this — together!