If you experience anxiety, improving vagal tone is a powerful way to help balance your nervous system. Rather than thinking of the vagus nerve as one nerve that you can simply 'hack', it's actually a series of complex connections—essentially an ecosystem of its own within your body.

What Is the Vagus Nerve?

The vagus nerve (cranial nerve X) is the longest and most complex of the cranial nerves, extending from your brainstem through your neck and into your chest and abdomen. Its primary role? To counterbalance your mobilizing sympathetic "fight or flight" energy that drives anxiety.

This extensive nerve network connects your brain to multiple organs, including your heart, lungs, and digestive system. This explains why your anxiety often manifests with physical symptoms like a racing heart, shallow breathing, or stomach pain—it's all connected.

How Your Vagus Nerve Affects Your Anxiety

Your vagus nerve has two primary branches that work in different ways:

1. The ventral vagal complex: Promotes social engagement and calm states
2. The dorsal vagal complex: Can trigger immobilization or shutdown responses

When your ventral vagal complex is activated, you experience a genuine sense of safety and connection. Your heart rate slows, your breathing deepens, your facial muscles relax, your body releases tension, and your anxiety naturally diminishes.

This balanced state allows your prefrontal cortex—the logical, thinking part of your brain—to function optimally instead of being hijacked by your amygdala's fear response.

Why Vagal Tone Matters for Mental Health

Your vagal tone—the strength and responsiveness of your vagus nerve—directly impacts your resilience to stress. Higher vagal tone means your nervous system can more easily shift from stressed to calm states, providing a natural buffer against anxiety.

It's your vagus nerve that helps you cope with and recover from stressors, and it's something you can retrain.