Five ways to exercise the vagus nerve and cure your anxiety

Telegraph

22-04-2025

Anxiety-reducing wellness trends – can't live with 'em, can't live without trying 'em. From CBD supplements and meditation to cold plunges and journaling, it seems like the answer to ridding ourselves of those debilitating feelings of dread and fear is just a modern mental health management strategy away.
The latest and most promising solution to the problem of anxiety is the vagus nerve: the longest nerve in the human body, AKA the two-way 'electrical information superhighway.' It runs from the base of the brain to the heart, the lungs and the abdominal organs. In other words, the vagus nerve is kind of a big deal. As part of the parasympathetic nervous system, its primary purpose is to control the body's automatic functions such as breathing, digestion and heart rate, but that influence extends to mood and immunity.
Why the vagus nerve is having a moment
For much of the 20th century, the wandering nerve (named for its Latin translation) has largely been ignored, disregarded and even avoided. Yet today, thanks to advances in research, it's believed that harnessing the power of the vagus nerve has the potential to treat a vast array of conditions. In no particular order, it is claimed that stimulating the nerve can: improve gut health and reduce inflammation, treat depression, help control blood glucose in the liver and the pancreas, boost kidney and bladder function, lower blood pressure, combat long Covid and chronic fatigue, reduce obesity, enhance sleep… and, yes, you've guessed it, calm our anxiety.
However, before we all get too carried away, neurosurgeon Dr Kevin J. Tracey, author of The Great Nerve: The New Science of the Vagus Nerve and How to Harness its Healing Reflexes and one of the world's pre-eminent authorities in vagus nerve stimulation, suggests a little caution. 'There is a tendency for [a great many] claims about the vagus nerve, but it should be clarified that all of us have many vagus nerves because there are two large bundles of fibres that travel down each side of the neck. These bundles contain a total of 200,000 vagus nerve fibres and each fibre has a specific destination and function. We are beginning to learn about the identity of these fibres and what they do, but we do not have all the information yet. Therefore, when someone tells me they want to stimulate their vagus nerve I say, 'OK, which one?''
Social media is less restrained in its assessment. Open TikTok and you will find a cornucopia of tips and tricks, gizmos and gadgets that wellness influencers claim will have your electrical superhighway running smoothly and efficiently. Clinical research suggests we should ignore most of this pseudo-science, but Dr Tracey believes there is room for optimism. 'There is tremendous potential, rooted in our discoveries about specifically stimulating individual vagus nerve fibres that can turn off inflammation,' he says.
Equally optimistic is Dr Dani Gordon, the Medical Director at the holistically focussed London Resilience Clinic and specialises in treating children and adults with neurodivergent, mental health and chronic pain conditions. She suggests stimulating the vagus nerve can contribute to improving mental health (including anxiety) and while it's not a 'cure all... developing a more regulated nervous system would almost certainly be helpful to many people and tapping into techniques that stimulate the vagus nerve can produce beneficial results,' she says.
So, if you do want to experiment with reducing feelings of anxiety, here are five ways to exercise the vagus nerve from the comfort of your own home...
Breathing
It's basic but the key here is to work on your diaphragmatic breathing, or abdominal breathing – a technique that activates the vagal pathways. Sitting or lying comfortably with your shoulders relaxed, place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen. Then inhale slowly through your nose for four-five seconds, ensuring your abdomen rises (the hand on your belly should move outwards) while your chest stays relatively still. Slowly exhale through pursed lips for 6-7 seconds, gently contracting your abdominal muscles to push out all the air. The hand on your abdomen should fall inward. You want to breathe slowly and clear your mind for at least five minutes.
'The vagus nerve travels through the diaphragm and exercising this muscle helps stimulate the system,' says Dr Gordon. 'Many of us do not exercise this muscle sufficiently, and people who suffer from chronic anxiety are sometimes prone to shallow dysfunctional breathing patterns when they are stressed, worsening how they feel. Also, if you have anxiety and start to use breathwork techniques that incorporate diaphragmatic breathing, this shift can initially worsen anxiety symptoms – this is known as paradoxical anxiety.
'This is because when the nervous system is stuck in sympathetic or 'fight or flight mode' dominance over a prolonged period, it becomes less flexible and any shift, even a beneficial one, can initially trigger a danger response. My advice for anyone is to start with just a minute (or even less) a day and build up slowly. And if you have dysfunctional breathing, it is also helpful to have a session or two with a doctor or physiotherapist who has expertise in this area to ensure you have the correct technique.'
Nurosym
Clip this wearable neuromodulation device to the outside of your ear and it'll send bioelectric impulses to stimulate the auricular branch of the vagus nerve to help regulate the nervous system. Ask Nurosym and they will tell you their claims are backed by years of significant scientific research and that their technology is at the vanguard of non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation and that they have had significant success in treating a variety of conditions, particularly anxiety, chronic fatigue, stress and insomnia. Nurosym is expensive (£599) but a seemingly viable method of VNS and they suggest you will feel the benefits from using it 30-60 minutes a day.
'Nurosym is a device I use frequently in my practice* as part of a holistic mind-body program that might include meditation, medication and alternative medicines where suitable,' says Dr Gordon. 'I find it works best for patients who have anxiety, as well as complex chronic conditions such as fibromyalgia, long covid, chronic fatigue spectrum illness and in neurodivergent patients (who very often also suffer with anxiety). Again, some sensitive patients will have an initial 'abreaction' where they may feel good while wearing the device, but have a temporary increase in anxiety or a mood dip a few hours after. These reactions generally go away over time. I have had patients who don't notice much benefit from the Nurosym and it's not a quick fix or cure-all, but in my experience, it can be a useful tool.'
From £599. nurosym.com
* Dr Gordon has no financial relationship with Nurosym
Diet
Simply put, the vagus nerve has the power to stabilise heart rate. As the vagus nerve connects the gut to the brain, nutrition has a significant effect on it and its ability to regulate heart rate. When the diet is good and the vagus nerve is functioning well, when your heart rate goes up due to stress, your vagus nerve will slow down the electrical activity in the heart and regulate it. Following a Mediterranean diet high in omega-3 fatty acids is the key to keeping your nervous system – and the vagus nerve – healthy. That's the usual suspects: fatty fish (salmon, mackerel and sardines), plenty of nuts and seeds (walnuts, pistachios and chia seeds), and whole grains that are high in fibre (brown rice and quinoa).
'Diet does play a role in nervous system function and balance,' asserts Dr Gordon, 'including providing the optimal building blocks for neurotransmitters. For those with chronic gut disturbances such as IBS and suffer from general anxiety, symptoms can be improved with a therapeutic diet and gut/microbiome-based approaches. Following a Mediterranean diet high in omega-3s is generally beneficial for most people.'
Pulsetto
Featured in tech millionaire Bryan Johnson's Netflix documentary Don't Die: The Man Who Wants To Live Forever, this piece of kit is marketed as the vagus nerve stimulator that biohacks your parasympathetic nervous system. The product has been designed to deliver rapid stress relief, improve sleep and promote feelings of calm. Worn around the neck for as little as four minutes (going up to 20), it sends variable electrical impulses to the vagus nerve via an app with bespoke programmes designed with your specific well-being needs in mind. Pulsetto says that 80 per cent of their customers see a substantial improvement in their stress and anxiety levels after three to four weeks.
'Personally, I have very limited clinical experience with this device,' says Dr Gordon. 'A few patients I have treated have tried it before coming to see me, with about half of them finding it relaxing but nothing life- or condition-changing.'
£264.99 (plus recommended conductive gel, £61.49). healf.com
Cold Water
Submerging your body in an ice bath will offer a host of benefits, including stimulating the vagus nerve. If you follow the teachings (or preachings) of Wim Hof or any of his cold plunge disciples, you will likely be familiar with the theory behind it.
Shocking your body in cold water activates the nerve by sending a message to your brain that you are in distress and releases the hormone norepinephrine from the adrenal gland (as well as adrenalin) that in turn helps you stabilise, relax and feel better. However, rather than going for the full shock and awful cold-water immersion, it has been suggested that you can get a similar result from briefly submerging your face in ice water while holding your breath. So, all the vagal tone benefits, none of the hideous discomfort or cardiovascular stress.
'Just submerging the face may give a temporary change in state for some people, but for those suffering from clinical anxiety it isn't likely to be effective,' says Dr Gordon. 'Generally speaking, cold-water whole-body submersion is considered more effective combined with sauna and/or breathwork. This is part of the Wim Hof Method most people will be familiar with and can be useful in calming down the nervous system.'
Finally, before you rush to try these, both Dr Tracey and Dr Gordon have the same general advice. 'Better controlled clinical trials are needed before general recommendations can be made for these interventions, but some of the safer approaches, like breathing exercises and meditation, and eating a balanced diet, have extremely low risk and a potentially significant upside,' says Dr Tracey.