Vagal stimulation maneuvers work best for anxiety you feel physically, like heart racing, body sweating or feeling light-headed. But you don’t have to be in the throes of a panic attack to do it. You can do it if you’re feeling tense and want to do a reset. Here are 5 things you can do to stimulate your vagus nerve.
1.Deep Breathing
A good target to aim for is anywhere from 6 to 10 breaths per minute. To breathe 6 breaths a minute, you breathe in and out counting to 5 on both the inhale and exhale.
2. Humming. This works because as your vagus nerve passes by your vocal cords as it leaves your head and passes through your neck.
3. Splashing cold water on your face or taking a cold shower. The sudden change in skin temperature triggers a parasympathetic response and therefore a relaxation response.
4. Blowing into your nose. You have to be cautious about using this if you have a heart problem or other serious medical illness like increased pressure inside your head. If that’s the case, check with your doctor before using this maneuver.
5. Holding your breath.
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References
Lin IM, Tai LY, Fan SY. Breathing at a rate of 5.5 breaths per minute with equal inhalation-to-exhalation ratio increases heart rate variability. Int J Psychophysiol. 2014 Mar;91(3):206-11.
Russo MA, Santarelli DM, O'Rourke D. The physiological effects of slow breathing in the healthy human. Breathe (Sheff). 2017;13(4):298-309.
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