Vagus Nerve Stimulation — Explained

Much of the information we have on vagus nerve stimulation comes from research by Stephen Porges on Polyvagal Theory (PVT). PVT centers around (1.) the body and the nervous system and (2.) cues of safety and danger through the lens of the vagus nerve. It posits that we are constantly taking in cues of safety (e.g., connection, presence, curiosity) and cues of danger (e.g., fear, frustration, concern) through each and every system and sense in our body. This means that while we may not be cognitively aware of a cue, it is likely still having an impact on our overall system. This could be scent that calms us down, a person that doesn’t feel safe, or really any input that has our body either reacting in a calming or in an alerting way. To learn more about PVT and the vagus nerve visit Stephen Porges’s website.

While we can’t control every input our body is taking in, we can try to highlight for ourselves, the sensations and environments that give us cues of safety. This will be different for everyone, but PVT has identified a variety of practices that tend to be calming for most. You can use them more regularly — like trying to integrate them into your daily routine, or you can use them in times of stress when you’re noticing your system becoming more fearful and less present. I’ve included a list below that I’ve found to be helpful for me and my clients, though there are definitely more! Additionally, many of the exercises in the other categories fall into vagus nerve stimulation as well (i.e., breathing, grounding).Let me know if you have any questions!

Dancing

This is as simple as it sounds! If you can incorporate more silly and fun dancing into your day-to-day, I’m sure you’ll notice the difference! Dancing can also be a great way to help feelings move through your body, so if you had a particularly stressful day or infuriating conversation, challenge yourself to dance after! See what music tends to feel good for different moods.

Tapping

To be completely honest, I only found out there was a formal way to tap when writing this post! Apparently there are specific places to tap and an order to go in to increase its therapeutic benefit and you can read more about it if you’d like here. I learned that tapping is a bit more freeform. Using your fingertips or the underside of your fingers when your hand is in a palm, you can tap on any area where you feel emotions arising. The tapping can range in intensity and speed depending on what feels good for you. I tend to tap primarily on my chest when I feel anxiety there but tapping lightly on different facial points can be nice too. For me, it helps me get back into my body and notice a more pleasant sensation than the one I’m experiencing. If tapping feels like too much, you can also just place your hand on any spot where you’re noticing your emotions come up.

Singing

This is probably my favorite one on the list! For me, it’s a little easier to force myself to sing than to dance when I’m really not feeling well and it’s an easy one to incorporate in my routine. You can make sure you have good playlists or albums that you can sing to ready for when you’re cooking, cleaning, or driving, and then see what happens! Or if you’re noticing you’re feeling off, you can pick out a song in particular that you know will be hard not to sing and give it a go! Obviously no talent is needed!!

Humming

If you can’t sing, HUM! Similar idea — it vibrates the vagus nerve and can calm our systems. Give it a try!

Aromatherapy

This is pretty self-explanatory but you can be creative. Having candles, wax warmers, or essential oil diffusers in different areas of your home and office can be good reminders to incorporate yummy scents throughout your day. You can also keep a small essential oil bottle or roller in your bag or on your desk, so when you notice yourself start to slip into a more negative emotional state, you can give it a few good sniffs. When I am feeling stressed or am in pain, but still have to go somewhere, I’ll put some essential oil (usually lavender) on my wrists so I can smell it to ground me when I need to. Aromatherapy encompasses any and all scents that help bring you back to your body and/or present moment

Knead dough, playdough, clay, or Arodough

This is also self-explanatory and is good news for my sourdough fans out there!!! Bonus points for using Arodough, though, because you get the added aromatherapy benefit!

Bear hug (self, from other)

An important component of PVT is increasing one’s social connectedness. So, if it’s available, I’d always encourage you to ask for a hug from a safe person before choosing to give yourself one. Nothing wrong with a self-hug, but you’ll definitely get more out of it if it’s with someone else. You can also asked to cuddled, held, have them place their hand on your forehead — anything that feels nice and calming.

Sit with a loved one

This is probably the hardest one on here! You can always choose to sit and talk with a loved one, but this specific exercise is asking you to just sit — no talking, no distractions — just sitting in silence close to someone who makes you feel safe. I think you’ll be surprised by the amount of emotions that arise if you give it a try.