Nov 10, 2025
3 min read
You may not have heard of it, but can you train your nerves to calm down a bit or two?
Feeling the need to switch off?Your vagus nerve may hold the key
It is this presence that carries information from your brain to your vital organs.You may not have an explanation, you have to train it.
But one quick scroll through my social media and there's a whole series of tips about the vagus nerve—how to heal, stimulate, even rebuild—all to reduce stress and anxiety levels.
Pushing what looks like a rubber toothbrush in your ear, moving your eyes from side to side, tapping your body, or splashing water while wearing a weighted vest are just some of the recommended ways to train this nerve and make you feel better.
With our high stress levels and burning raises of under-35s, it is no wonder that so many social media posts have caused so much stress with millions of songs.
Some of these methods may seem a little absurd.But is it really possible to train your powerful inner messenger, and can you really relieve life's stress quickly?
I decided to find out by turning up at Candport Studio in Candport Town Center in Stockport Town Centre.
Thoughts: I said, my genitalia can stimulate our nerves and reduce heart attacks.I'm starting to feel a little better.I feel very low in my body and my brain is a little busy.
In this physical class, yoga therapist Eirian Collinge guides us through a session of gentle movements that combine deep breathing, rocking and swaying.
While she doesn't buy into social media at all, Mories says there are parts of her practice that use breath work, eye movements and drawing.
But, he said, "it's a process" and not a quick fix.It is based on a theory that suggests that we can calm our nervous system by connecting with our bodies.
Some scientists say this is an oversimplification of our complex internal systems.But others say that it can be effective in helping us find a piece of calm in a busy and intense world.
Sarah, who is just a few mats away from me, started going to this class about a year ago.She said this practice has changed her life.
“I actually cried after the first session,” she says.“It felt like my brain was shutting down for the first time.”
The 35-year-old, who struggles with mental health, says his brain is "blooming".
Sarah's friend, Xander, agrees.He knows how he feels.
“As men,” she explains, “we don't really try to do that.
"I've struggled with a lot of anxiety in my older life, but now, instead of trying to fix my thoughts, I can have my feelings and accept them.
"If something gets a little difficult for me, I can take a little time away from work.I go for a run, for example in the hills.
"Understanding my nervous system is a huge part of that."
The vagus nerve (Latin for "vagus") begins in the brain as two main branches - left and right - that connect to all the major organs, constantly transmitting vital information back and forth.
It is part of the autonomic nervous system, which controls things we don't think about, such as breathing, heart rate and digestion.
Part of the system includes:
- the sympathetic nervous system - which triggers "fight or flight", preparing us for everything from stalking a wild animal to that all-important job interview, and
- Parasympathetic nervous system - relies on the vagus nerve to help with braking and returning the body to a relaxed state
If one of them is out of sync, we start seeing problems.But can we reset the balance by trying to activate the vagus nerve?
Psixiatr professor Hamish Mcallister-Williams skeptikdir.
"We have good evidence that vagus nerve stimulation can help with neurological disorders like epilepsy and psychiatric disorders like treatment-resistant depression, but it comes from an implanted device -- a bit like a pacemaker -- that sends electrical impulses to the vagus nerve," he says.
The device sends mild electrical impulses through the cranial nerve to the brain, which then releases chemicals like serponin and dopamine that help us.
Although stimulating the vagus nerve inside the body requires invasive surgery and is available to a small group of patients on the NHS, there is now a growing market for portable – non-invasive – technology.
These devices, which cost from £200 to more than £1,000, are usually attached to the ear, worn around the neck or placed on the chest.
"Reliable studies suggest that these external stimuli can affect brain function," explained Professor McAlter-Williams."But there is more evidence than internal mechanisms."
With electrical devices, electrical impulses must travel through skin, tissue, muscle, and fat, so it's not that simple and funny in the body.
After experiencing the burn, Lucy Lambert says that such non-invasive vagus nerve stimulators helped her.
The mother-of-three left her job as a primary school teacher due to so much "stress, exhaustion and anxiety".
"I had been running on empty for so long - I didn't realise," says Lucy."Then it hit. Life's to-do list became huge.
"The mental egg was so big I couldn't get out of bed."
After going through several medical routes and feeling like they were getting nowhere, Lisa's brother recommended one of these vibrating devices, which claim to send low-level electrical pulses to the vagus nerve, often through the skin of the neck or ear area.
“I noticed that when I started to feel tired, I would first get a headache.
"I will wear the device for 10 minutes twice a day; the pain from the headache will die, my whole body will calm down.
"Vibrations, they really do something."
She says the devices didn't fix the burns, but they helped create "the conditions where real healing can happen."
D D Dug Chicer, who works in pain management, said this area of medicine is still evolving.
He says there is a growing understanding of the importance of the vagus nerve, but while there is "strong evidence" that an imbalanced nervous system can affect everything from mental health to heart rate to the ability to digest food, that doesn't mean we have all the answers to the problem.
“It's really reasonable to focus on something that has a problem and try to solve it.
"Our bodies are very complex, and sometimes a problem we see may be part of an imbalance in a wider system."
It's not about going to extremes, he says.It's about "finding what works for you" - and that can often take time.
Keep in mind that if you have a liver or respiratory condition, you should seek medical advice before attempting to reprogram or stimulate your nervous system.
Now, several years after experiencing burnout, Lucy, 47, is launching her own business helping others to build emotional resilience and confidence.
He still uses the device every day and checks his condition regularly."It calms me down and shuts me up."
But he admits it's hard to tell if the equipment is different or the time he's involved is different.
There is a lack of solid scientific evidence for these devices, but they have played an important role in Lucy's recovery.She says that understanding her nervous system and the importance of the vagus nerve has empowered her.
"It's helped me take ownership of my own mental health and well-being, which is huge."
