The nervous system regulates movements, thoughts, and automatic reactions to the environment.

It also serves to transmit information from the brain to the body and vice versa.

There are two parts of the nervous system: The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.

The sympathetic nervous system is activated when a threat is perceived, triggering an acute stress reaction that prepares the body to fight or flee.

The sympathetic nervous system is a survival mechanism that tells us there is a perceived threat. 

In today’s blog post we’ll focus on the parasympathetic nervous system which allows the body to recover and rest.

The parasympathetic nervous system

The autonomic nervous system is a subset of the nervous system that controls unconscious automatic physiological activities such as heart rate, digestion, and blood pressure.

The parasympathetic nervous system is a component of the autonomic nervous system of the body.

The parasympathetic nervous system regulates the ability of the body to relax. 

It’s sometimes referred to as the “rest and digest” condition.

When we need to be alert, the sympathetic nervous system, often known as the flight or fight reaction, is triggered.

When the threat has passed, the stress hormones begin to fall and the parasympathetic nervous system takes over, decreasing the stress response.

Our parasympathetic nervous system produces chemicals such as acetylcholine and other endorphins that calm the mind and body while blocking or decreasing many of the body’s high-energy functions.

It helps to maintain daily activities including your resting heart rate (your heart rate while your body is at rest), metabolism, and resting bronchial constriction (which impacts your breathing rate).

It efficiently keeps you in a relaxed condition.

Vagus nerve

The vagus nerve is a key part of the parasympathetic nervous system.

The vagus nerve is the longest nerve in the body.

The vagus nerve connects our brain to numerous vital organs in our body, including the gut (intestines and stomach), heart, and lungs.

It regulates all involuntary bodily functions, including breathing, speech, swallowing, blood pressure, hearing, taste, and circulation.

It transmits pain, touch, and temperature information from the neck, sections of the inner and outer ear, and the meninges near the back of the head.

It also receives sensory input from internal organs in the neck, chest, and abdomen.

The vagus nerve regulates the movement of several muscles in the pharynx, soft palate, and larynx, which plays an important role in controlling speaking and swallowing.

Stress, anxiety, poor lifestyle, smoking, overworking, consuming alcohol, lack of exercise, and lack of sleep can all decrease vagus nerve function.

When the vagus nerve is unable to function properly, the body and mind become vulnerable to a variety of ailments, including depression, chronic inflammation, diabetes, anxiety, hypertension, and digestive difficulties.

How to activate your vagus nerve?

The parasympathetic nervous system can be ‘waked up’ by stimulating the vagus nerve.

The stress and anxiety we often feel are just the nervous system states. 

When the body is stuck in that state your brain believes you’re in danger when you’re not.

Neuroplasticity can reduce the feeling of anxiety by reprogramming our brains. 

We don’t realize we’re tense until we try to move in a way our body won’t let us. 

Even so, we rarely associate muscle stress and limited mobility with chronic conditions.

Muscle tension is dictated by your nervous system, by your brain.

Body-based practices that discharge tension from your nervous system by delivering messages of safety to your brain via the proprioceptive system are one way to untangle our nervous response.

The proprioceptive system is found in our muscles and joints. 

It gives us a sense of body awareness and controls force and pressure.

The proprioceptive system also plays a crucial regulatory function in sensory processing, as proprioceptive input can help govern responses to sensory stimuli.

Vagus nerve stimulation, in which the nerve is stimulated with electrical pulses, is often used for people with untreatable epilepsy or depression; the procedure has also been investigated for illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease and migraine.

However, there is a natural way to stimulate the vagus nerve with:

• Exercising
• Breathing practices
• Meditation
• Massages
• Auditory vibration
• Cold water
• Social connections ^[1]

Using strategies such as breathing exercises and smooth movements, you can replicate calm symptoms. This promotes the vagus nerve to signal to the brain that everything is fine. As a result, the psyche permits stress to escape.

Vagus nerve stimulation, whether invasive or non-invasive, is becoming more common, and various clinical trials are currently underway to assess the potential efficacy of this therapy in alleviating chronic inflammation.^[2]

Conclusion

Stress and worry have become the norm in our modern fast-paced culture.

As a result, even when we are relaxed, we should employ calming tactics to assist the nervous system in deliberately experiencing this relaxed state and becoming comfortable and accustomed to it.

If you suffer from pain and stiffness, understanding the process behind resting and digesting will help you adjust your focus and positively improve your coping methods.