Improve Your Mood by Stimulating Your Vagus Nerve

By Christine Larsen, MS, LBS, Behavioral Health Manager

The vagus nerve is a complex cranial nerve, with involvement spanning multiple organs and systems.  As part of the nervous system, it influences various autonomic functions such as: digestion; heart rate; blood pressure; immune function; urinary output; saliva production; and mood.  Certain conditions like treatment-resistant depression and epilepsy have been treated by vagus nerve stimulation devices that use electrical pulses.  We can utilize other strategies to activate our vagus nerve naturally, which is especially good for calming down when in distress.  In fact, “bottom-up” approaches like this tend to be particularly helpful for individuals with IDD who may have cognitive or verbal limitations that make “top-down” strategies like talk therapy difficult.

Try these vagus nerve exercises to induce a sense of calm and contentedness:

References and resources:

https://www.polyvagalinstitute.org/vagusnerve

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2026.1769779/full

https://seawayvalleychc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Session-6-handout-2-DBT-WORKSHOP.pdf

• Hum or sing! In a traffic jam or the shower, belt out your favorite tunes to relieve stress and put a smile on your face.
• Deep breathing with longer exhales. Exhaling for at least a few more seconds than your inhale will flip on your “rest and digest” state, taking you out of panic mode quickly.  Meditation and Tai Chi utilize this technique, making them great activities to try as well.  
• FREEZE! Cold temperatures can activateyour vagus nerve.  Have an iced beverage of your choice; turn the hot water off the last minute or so of your shower; take a short walk outside on a cold day; or try the DBT distress tolerance skill, “Ice Diving” (please consult with a medical professional first, as this is not safe for people with heart conditions).
• Laugh until you can’t laugh anymore.  Bonus points if you’re laughing with friends, as being social promotes feelings of safety. If you laugh until you’re exhausted? Well then you just might yawn, which is also a good workout for your vagus nerve!