The importance of the Vagus nerve to the nervous system
The vagus nerve is central to nervous system regulation, emotional wellbeing, and stress response. Learn how it works, how trauma affects vagal function, and how polyvagal theory explains fight, flight, freeze, and safety. Includes evidence informed vagus nerve exercises to support vagal tone.
You have probably heard the term vagus nerve many times, especially in conversations about stress, trauma, and emotional wellbeing. It gets mentioned a lot in wellness spaces, often in vague ways, but the science behind it is real, robust, and incredibly important. The vagus nerve is central to how your body manages stress, returns to safety, and maintains balance. It is a key player in the parasympathetic nervous system which is the part of your physiology that supports rest, digestion, repair, and emotional regulation.
When the vagus nerve is communicating well, you feel grounded, connected, and steady. When its functioning is disrupted, you can feel overwhelmed, anxious, shut down, or constantly on edge. Understanding this nerve can help you make sense of many of your physical and emotional responses.
What is the vagus nerve
The vagus nerve is the longest cranial nerve in the body. It runs from the brainstem, through the face, throat, chest, lungs, heart, and down into the digestive system.
It acts like a two way communication channel. Around 80 percent of its fibres carry information from the body back up to the brain. This means your emotional state is influenced as much by your body as by your thoughts. From a scientific perspective, the vagus nerve helps regulate heart rate, digestion, inflammation, vocal tone, and even social engagement. It is one of the main ways your nervous system monitors safety.
Why the vagus nerve matters for stress and trauma
When you encounter stress, your body shifts into a sympathetic state. Your heart rate increases, muscles tense, and your internal alarm system activates.
The vagus nerve is responsible for helping you come back down from that state. It sends signals that tell the body it is safe again.
In trauma or chronic stress, this communication loop can become disrupted. You may stay activated for longer than you need to, or drop into shutdown quickly because the system becomes overwhelmed.
This is why trauma healing is not only psychological. It is also physiological. Working with the vagus nerve helps restore the capacity to settle.
Polyvagal theory in simple terms
Developed by Dr Stephen Porges, polyvagal theory explains how the vagus nerve influences your sense of safety and connection.
It describes three states of the nervous system:
Ventral vagal state
You feel safe, present, open, and socially connected. This is where emotional regulation, learning, and positive relationships thrive.
Sympathetic activation
You feel mobilised, anxious, or on alert. This is your fight or flight response.
Dorsal vagal state
You feel shut down, numb, disconnected, or overwhelmed. This is a protective freeze response.
The goal is not to avoid these states. All of them are valid survival responses. The aim is to improve flexibility so your system can move between states with more ease and return to safety more quickly.
Signs your vagus nerve might be under strain
• Feeling constantly on edge
• Digestive issues
• Difficulty relaxing
• Shallow breathing
• Struggle to socially connect
• Feeling numb or disconnected
• Persistent fatigue
• Heart palpitations during stress
These signs do not mean anything is wrong with you. They often indicate your body is working hard to keep you safe.
How to support your vagus nerve
Breathwork
Slow, steady breathing supports vagal tone. Practices like lengthened exhales or gentle diaphragmatic breathing can calm the system.
Cold water exposure
A brief splash on the face or a cool shower can stimulate the vagus nerve and support settling.
Vocalisation
Humming, singing, chanting, or even reading aloud activate the vagus nerve through vibration in the throat.
Gentle movement
Somatic practices, yoga, and slow rhythmic movement help regulate the body and support vagal communication.
Connection and co regulation
Eye contact, warm conversations, safe touch, and supportive relationships activate the ventral vagal system. Humans regulate best with others.
Grounding techniques
Tuning into your senses helps your system orient to the present moment, which increases safety.
A short practice to try
Try this simple grounding breath:
• Sit comfortably
• Inhale through your nose for a count of four
• Exhale gently through your mouth for a count of six
• Repeat for one to two minutes
• Notice any subtle shifts in your body
This practice supports vagal tone by activating the rest and digest system.
Your vagus nerve is central to emotional regulation, stress recovery, and your sense of safety in the world. Understanding how it works gives you more insight into your reactions and more compassion for the moments when your system feels overwhelmed.
Supporting your vagus nerve is not about quick fixes. It is about gentle, consistent practices that help restore balance and build your capacity to move through daily life with more steadiness.
If you would like to explore evidence informed practices that support your nervous system, you are welcome to join my classes or workshops, or you can work 1:1 with me in somatic therapy sessions.