The vagus nerve is the longest and one of the most complex cranial nerves, extending from the brainstem to vital organs, including the heart, lungs, and digestive tract. It plays a key role in regulating essential bodily functions such as digestion, heart rate, and breathing. The vagus nerve’s pathways create a powerful link between the brain and various organs and are responsible for reflex actions like swallowing, coughing, and sneezing. Stimulating the vagus nerve can activate the parasympathetic rest and digest system, which promotes relaxation and helps calm both body and mind. How?
Deep, Slow Breathing
Diaphragmatic or belly breathing is a simple way to activate the vagus nerve.
How: 4-7-8 Breathing Technique
Inhale deeply through your nose for 4 seconds. Hold the breath for 7 seconds.
Exhale slowly through your mouth for 8 seconds.
This technique encourages a shift from beings tressed to calm – ideal for use during stressful events.
Cold Exposure (Mammalian Dive Reflex)
Splashing cold water on our face, especially around the eyes, forehead, and nostrils can trigger the mammalian dive reflex. This slows the heart rate and redirects blood to vital organs, conserving energy and promoting calm. How: Use cold water on your face or apply a cool compress to face or ears for an almost instant calming effect.
Sing, Hum, or Chant
The vagus nerve connects to the vocal cords and throat muscles so vibrations from humming, singing, or chanting can stimulate it. How: Spend a few minutes humming or singing in a low pitch to create resonant vibrations every day. People find chanting “Ohm” especially calming.
Ear Massage
Massaging the areas around your ears stimulates Arnold’s nerve (a branch of the vagus nerve), helping you relax. How: Gently massage the area behind your ears and around the tragus (the small cartilage near the ear canal). Alternatively, gently massage down the sides of your neck to ease tension. Repeat as needed for relaxation.
Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness helps us create a mental space between ourselves and our thoughts. Mindfulness involves focusing on the present moment, reducing cortisol levels and engaging the parasympathetic nervous system. How: Sit comfortably, focusing on your breathing. As thoughts arise, observe them without judgment and gently return your focus to your breath.
Regular Physical Activity
Consistent movement improves vagal tone, making your vagus nerve more responsive and promoting relaxation. How: Engage in activities you enjoy. Aim for around 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week e.g. brisk walking, light cycling, or swimming (but don’t forget muscle-strengthening activities too!)
Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana)
Breathing through alternate nostrils, one side at a time, can help balance the nervous system and stimulate the vagus nerve. How: Close your right nostril with your thumb and inhale slowly through your left nostril. Then, close your left nostril with your ring finger and release your thumb to exhale through the right nostril. Switch sides for each inhale/exhale. Repeat for 2–5 minutes, focusing on a steady,
rhythmic breath.
Learning to use your body’s relaxation system (i.e. stimulating the vagus nerve) is a simple yet effective way to restore calm. Deep breathing, cold exposure, singing, mindfulness and even an ear massage can help activate our body’s natural relaxation response. Which one are you going to try today?
Caroline Crotty BSocSc.HDip, MScPsych, MPsychSci
www.carolinecrotty.ie
Anxiety manifests through various symptoms, which can be categorised as psychological (such as restlessness and excessive worry) and physical (including increased heart rate, insomnia, and tension headaches).
Sometimes, anxiety feels like a persistent worry or fear that doesn’t subside, even in the absence of immediate danger. It’s akin to an internal alarm that sounds too frequently without any clear or obvious trigger. This false alarm can lead to feelings of nervousness, restlessness, or tension and physical reactions such as a racing heart, sweating, shaking, or dizziness. It’s like a fleet of fire engines responding to an apartment block for burnt toast!
Incorporating natural strategies into daily routines can significantly mitigate the impact of anxiety. These methods include:
Physical Activity: Regular exercise is a powerful anxiety reliever. It releases neurotransmitters such as endorphins and endocannabinoids, enhancing our well-being. Activities like jogging, swimming, or cycling improve sleep and also utilise the stress hormones released during anxious states, promoting both mental and physical health.
Mindfulness and Meditation: These practices encourage living in the present moment and observing thoughts and feelings without judgment, which can aid in emotional regulation and stress reduction.
Dietary Adjustments: Managing caffeine and sugar intake/consumption can improve anxiety levels and have an overall positive impact on our health.
Sleep: Anxiety can disrupt sleep, and poor sleep can exacerbate anxiety. Establishing a relaxing bedtime routine and ensuring a comfortable sleep environment are essential for improving sleep quality and managing anxiety.
Breathing Techniques: Diaphragmatic breathing, which focuses on deep, even breaths, can help calm the nervous system and reduce anxiety. Practising these techniques when calm to prepare for stressful situations is beneficial.
Nature: Spending time outdoors can lower stress levels, reduce rumination, and enhance mood due to nature’s calming effects.
Journaling: Writing about our thoughts and feelings can help organise them and reduce anxiety by providing a way to identify and address worries.
Aromatherapy: Certain scents, such as lavender, are known for their calming effects. Engaging other senses with calming music, soft fabrics, or a comforting shower can also help soothe anxiety.
Social Support: Building a network of friends and family can provide a sense of belonging and security, reducing feelings of isolation and anxiety.
I say this all the time but please start with baby steps in the right direction. Be patient with yourself. Praising yourself and others can boost morale every day.
For a comprehensive approach to managing anxiety, consult with mental health professionals such as psychologists or your healthcare practice nurse in addition to your General Practitioner. Talking about your worries is a crucial step in managing anxiety effectively.
www.carolinecrotty.ie
Anxiety is like having a persistent worry or fear that doesn’t go away easily, even if there’s no immediate danger. It’s a bit like having an alarm inside you that goes off too often, and sometimes, there might be no clear reason. That alarm can make you feel nervous, restless, or tense. It can affect your body, causing things like a racing heart, sweating, physically shaking or feeling wobbly. It’s kind of like a fleet of fire engines coming to your home when there’s no fire – sometimes anxiety is a physiological reaction that does not match the situation.
Everyone feels anxious from time to time, like before an interview or a test or when facing something unknown. That’s when anxiety is positive – it keeps us focused. Feeling anxious is our body’s natural response to stress. Anxiety often manifests through symptoms like restlessness, excessive worry, and physical signs such as increased heart rate or insomnia.
Incorporating natural strategies into daily routines can significantly mitigate anxiety’s impact. Natural methods to manage anxiety and its symptoms include the following but it’s important to explore a variety of strategies to find what works best for you as an individual.
Physical activity is a powerful anxiety reliever. Regular exercise helps release endorphins, natural brain chemicals that can enhance our sense of well-being. Exercise improves our sleep and reduces stress. Aerobic exercises like jogging, swimming, or walking can be effective.
Mindfulness practices encourage living in the present moment and observing thoughts and feelings without judgment. Meditation can help with emotional regulation and reducing stress levels.
Diet has an impact on mental health. Reducing caffeine and sugar intake can help manage anxiety levels and have an overall positive impact on our bodies and minds.
Anxiety can disrupt sleep and poor sleep can exacerbate anxiety. Establishing a regular, relaxing bedtime routine and ensuring a comfortable sleep environment can improve sleep quality, helping manage anxiety.
Techniques such as diaphragmatic breathing, where you focus on deep, even breaths, can help calm the nervous system and reduce anxiety. Practice when calm for use when anxious.
Spending time in nature can lower stress levels. Nature’s calming effect on the mind is associated with reduced rumination and enhanced mood.
Writing can provide an outlet for expressing what’s on your mind and may help to reduce anxiety by organising thoughts and finding solutions.
Certain scents, like lavender, have been found to have a calming effect. Feed your senses to feel more calm. Feed your main senses (sound, touch, smell, taste, touch) by using calming music, aromas you enjoy, having soft fabrics on your skin etc.
Building a support network of friends and family can provide a sense of belonging and security, reducing feelings of isolation and anxiety.
These suggestions offer a holistic approach to reducing stress and anxiety. Start small by taking baby steps in the right direction!
Incorporating these natural strategies can provide relief from anxiety and its symptoms. Be patient with yourself. Praise yourself for everything you do. They may not be a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment so please consult with a healthcare provider for a comprehensive approach to managing anxiety.
www.carolinecrotty.ie Caroline Crotty BSocSc MA MSc Psych MPsychSci
Our physical health and mental health are inextricably linked, with one impacting the other in a circular relationship. When feeling physically unwell, we might not feel very happy. When feeling anxious or overwhelmed, we might not feel physically well.
We can take measures to safeguard and boost our mental health. It can feel difficult and effortful, but the payoff is worth it. Prioritise your well-being to get the best out of your life.
Start Today!
Planning is fantastic, but starting today with something is far better than postponing until the time is just right! An imperfect something is better than a perfect nothing!
Exercise
Move for 20 minutes by marching on the spot, touching your elbows to the opposite knee, dance or follow an online class from the comfort of your home. If 20 minutes is too much, set a timer for 5 minutes, leave the house and as soon as the alarm goes off, turn around and come home – that’s a 10-minute walk and a wonderful starting point. 30 mins of moderate exercise most days can reduce stress, improve your mood, and boost self-esteem.
Screen-Free Time
Mobile phones are an intrinsic part of our lives. When prioritising mental health, schedule daily screen-free time. We do not benefit from being constantly distracted from ourselves. Spending time alone with our thoughts is beneficial. Our brains need downtime, ideally in nature, which can improve our focus. Even looking at and admiring trees is calming for humans because nature is therapeutic!
Social Connections
Just as important as spending time alone with our thoughts, forging social connections is beneficial for our mental health. It might be a little more difficult as we age to find new friends but reach out to others. Contact family members and friends, meet people, become involved in your community, join clubs/groups that interest you or volunteer.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is not about having a full mind but is more about being present and engaged in the current moment. Mindfulness can help reduce stress and improve focus and feelings of wellbeing. Spend a few minutes every day, focusing on your breath and breathing. While walking, pay attention to your body and the sound of your steps on the ground. When someone speaks, listen and hear what they’re saying. There are several ways to develop mindfulness or join a yoga, or mindfulness class
Self-Care
Make a list of things that you enjoy doing or that you used to enjoy when you were younger. Prioritise doing something from that list (whatever you enjoy) as part of self-care practice even if only for ten minutes every day e.g. reading, walking, music, drawing, gardening. If you are a parent, by doing what you enjoy you teach your children the importance of self-care – you are their role model.
Seek Help
Ask your GP for a list of supports. Alternatively, phone 1800111888 anytime day or night and you’ll be sign-posted to Irish mental health support services.
Gratitude
Most of us never miss what we have until it’s gone, including people. Developing gratitude
can improve our mood, reduce stress, and increase positive feelings. Write three things
every day for which you are grateful, regardless of how small or insignificant. That keeps our focus on the positives regardless of how tough the day is.
In summary, move your body, have screen-free time, spend time in nature, forge social
connections, seek help, and practice gratitude and mindfulness. The benefits of prioritising your mental health outweigh the effort. Something done is better than a perfect nothing so why not do something to mind your mental health today!
www.carolinecrotty.ie
I find it fascinating that Halloween originated in Ireland. Ancient Celts celebrated the festival of Samhain when it was believed that the souls of the dead returned to Earth. Druids lit sacred bonfires, wild costumes were worn, and the Celtic deities were appeased with offerings. It was a festival of great fortune-telling and I’d bet there wasn’t a pumpkin in sight!
Perhaps you might select a local event this month, head out, and get involved. Connection is a vital element of feeling good about ourselves. Conversely, loneliness can have a profoundly negative impact on our health and well-being. Try to connect with others and embrace the fun aspect of October.
“The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.” (Jim Goodwin / Sydney J. Harris)
At work, I often ask, ‘how do you relax?’. People respond that they watch television, lie on the sofa or have a glass of wine. Whilst these activities are pleasant, they’re not relaxation skills. When we are healthy, we rarely pay attention to our breathing. However, controlling the pace of our breath is itself a relaxation skill. When we master breath control, we are better equipped to manage our worried or stressed reactions.
Humans encounter stressful situations. We cannot control the future or prevent unpleasant events, but we can learn how to relax our bodies and minds with diaphragmatic breathing. Because we differ, we relax in different ways. We owe it to ourselves to discover which relaxation skills best suit us as individuals, then practice and hone our favourite skills.
Diaphragmatic breathing can help improve focus and is used by singers, divers, and athletes
to improve lung capacity. Breathing too quickly can make us feel dizzy or even a little anxious. Taking slow, regular breaths can help us control worried or stressed thoughts and anxious feelings, and help us feel more relaxed and in control.
To control your breathing, place one hand on your chest and the other on your tummy. Inhale slowly through your nose, and imagine your breath is filling your abdomen like a balloon. The hand on your tummy moves. Some pause for a couple of seconds before breathing out slowly (I exhale through my mouth). The hand on your tummy moves as you exhale. The hand on your chest remains still. (This is where practice is required). Repeat this ten times twice per day. You don’t need to use your hands once you master diaphragmatic breathing. You can use this relaxation skill anywhere, anytime.
You’re breathing into your lungs while consciously engaging your diaphragm, focusing on your breath while reducing physical symptoms of anxiety.
This Halloween, enjoy doing something different, eating barmbrack, playing snap apple or apple bobbing, going trick or treating and practising your diaphragmatic breathing!
www.carolinecrotty.ie
Anyone who regularly reads anything I write knows that I recommend learning how to control our breath and breathing! I even go so far as to suggest that when you learn that skill, it is life-changing.
Our typical, everyday breathing takes place without us ever having to pay attention to it, it happens automatically rather like our heart beating or our pupil size changing. Breathing might be something we do not pay attention to or think about. However, it is possible to bring our conscious attention or focus to our breath and to slow it down. This in turn, positively impacts our heart rate.
Diaphragmatic breathing is something we hear about but might not fully understand. A diaphragm (pronounced dye-ah-fram) is the dome-shaped muscle involved in breathing and other bodily processes (from posture to vomiting)! Several nerves pass through the diaphragm so what happens with our diaphragm can be experienced elsewhere including in our brains.
We know our breathing is affected by our thoughts, emotions, behaviours and by stress. When we are stressed or get a fright, our breathing changes and our pupils dilate. Our bodies react to the stressor, our neurons are activated and our bodies react. That fight / flight response is left-over from our predecessors when predators were a reality. Predators are not a concern for us now! Whether it is getting an injection or giving a presentation or there’s an approaching tiger – our neurons fire in the same way as they did for our hunter-gatherer ancestors sending a plethora of chemicals and hormones into our system.
Nowadays, to cope when stressed, we might be tempted to eat high carbohydrate foods or consume food in general but this is not the most appropriate solution – having something that we could do in the moment is a more helpful stress-reducing tool!
BREATHING! Breathing is the way forward – it’s a stress-busting technique that we can do any time, anywhere and no one needs to know we are doing it!
Andrew Huberman, Neurobiologist at Stanford University is working to try to figure out breathing patterns and stress. He and his team of researchers examined the benefits of what they refer to as physiological sighs.
Remember when you were young and cried so hard that you did a double-intake of breath in the aftermath of the crying (or maybe even while crying)? That’s a stress relieving technique and we didn’t even know! Dogs often do it when sleeping – take a double-intake of breath. Huberman found that breathing in a double-inhale through the nose, followed by an extended exhale through the mouth has an active part to play in our stress response. This is something we can do – at any time.
The science behind this physiological sigh is the double inhale through the nose allowing oxygen in, causes alveoli within our lungs to open, in turn allowing us to offload extra carbon dioxide in our long exhaled sigh out.
Any time you get to inhale and exhale slowly with focus you are doing yourself a favour! When you are feeling stressed, do this (double inhale and slow exhale) once or twice and it will help you feel calm despite whatever is going on.
Remember – you are wonderful!
www.carolinecrotty.ie
Whenever I talk about alleviating stress, I generally give the warning that relaxation is not throwing yourself on the sofa with a glass of wine! Picture the scene – lying on the sofa, wine in hand, open giant-size pack of crisps or sweets balanced close-by and then you spot that the tv remote is not within your reach so if you can’t lasso it (!), rather than stand up and walk to retrieve it, you wait to ask someone to pass it to you! Well, bad news folks, this is not real relaxation. I know that taking time-out in front of the tv after a stressful day might feel like relaxation but it does little to reduce the effects of stress on our bodies.
There are several relaxation options which can help us combat the effects of stress. I find the rhythm of a run helpful and I love dancing (although I am neither a natural runner nor dancer!). Relaxation also comes in the form of walking; massage; Tai chi; meditation; yoga; progressive muscle relaxation; deep breathing or visualisation. Like everything else, relaxation is personal – please do whatever works best for you.
If you are around people all the time you may crave solitude so relaxation techniques that you can do alone might suit, giving yourself an opportunity to disconnect from everyone/thing and recharge your batteries. Explain to others in your family you need time away – teach your children and your loved ones that time alone is beneficial. If you crave company, a group relaxation class might be best but in the absence of in-person group classes, deep breathing is an effective relaxation technique for everyone (regardless of age or stage of life).
When we are anxious, we tend to take short, quick breaths. This can make us feel even more anxious so it’s a vicious circle. Deep breathing can be used whenever we feel anxious or stressed but, like every new skill, it requires practice. Once we master deep breathing, we can use it anywhere. Paying attention to our breath and breathing is the cornerstone of many relaxation practices such as yoga or meditation.
Perhaps light some aromatherapy candles or play soothing music to help create a relaxing ambiance.
Deep breathing activates your body’s relaxation response, lowering your heart rate, blood pressure and stress levels. Practice while feeling calm to become comfortable before using it when feeling stressed or anxious.
Sit comfortably with your back straight ideally rest your arms on the arm rests of your chair. Put one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. Breathe in through your nose to a count of 4*. The hand on your stomach will move outwards as your tummy expands. The hand on your chest barely moves. Hold your breath for 1 or 2 seconds. Exhale through your mouth to a count of 6*, pushing out as much air as you can (imagine that you are blowing out candles). The hand on your stomach should move inwards as you exhale, but the hand on your chest moves very little. Pause for 1 or 2 seconds. Then repeat for a couple of minutes.
*Find a count that works well for you – it may be an inhale count of 6 and an exhale count of 8.
Practice deep breathing for a couple of minutes a couple of times a day. Over time you will find a flow that works well for you. It takes patience. If you find it a little difficult to breathe into and from your tummy while you are sitting up (remember it takes practice), perhaps try lying on your back in a comfortable place. Try putting a light book on your tummy. The book rises as you inhale and falls as you exhale. You’ll know when you’re adept because you need to concentrate less and less on your tummy. Try to incorporate it in to your daily routine. Every time I visit the bathroom or get into or out of the car I breathe deeply to help me feel relaxed and in control. But I remember when I first began calm breathing or deep breathing, it made me feel a little anxious and I know now that happens because we are changing our breathing and our system is trying to figure out what is happening!
We cannot avoid anxiety as it is part of being human and stress comes in many forms. Deep breathing is to help us stay in control of our big reactions or strong emotions. It can be used anywhere once you know how and no one knows that you’re doing it (don’t use your hands when you’re in company!).
Once you know how, incorporate calm/deep breathing into your day – simply counting as you inhale into your tummy, hold, and count as you exhale. Perhaps do this whenever you brush your teeth or hair or maybe whenever you wash your hands with soap or use hand sanitizer!!
Caroline Crotty Counselling & Psychotherapy
www.carolinecrotty.ie
Information Overload isn’t new. It has more recently changed so that now, rather than have too many books to read, we have technology demanding our attention. We too are demanding of attention or potentially vying for the attention of others on social media. We are slowly learning that too much screen time may affect our attention span. Learning To Pay Attention to ourselves is beneficial and using a breathing meditation is time spent caring for you i.e. self-care.
Self-care is not self-indulgent, it is vital. Depending on our age, we may not have been taught about self-care in school but as adults, we independently learn that in order to give our best we must care and look after our bodies and minds.
A short breathing meditation can help us relax, gain focus and manage our worries or stressful thoughts.
I am not a mindfulness teacher neither am I am meditation master. My training is in counselling and psychotherapy. However, in my experience, when we learn how to focus our minds on something other than worry or bothersome thoughts, our attention can be a remarkably useful tool.
We can’t stop thoughts or worries from popping into our minds but what do we do with them once there? We can allow any thoughts to be present, while we learn how to bring our attention to our breath.
Using a meditation exercise can help us to be present in the here and now and not back in the past or flying off into the future, not caught up in our imagination. This is not about controling our thoughts or getting rid of them.
Mindfulness involves practicing bringing our attention back to the present, to the here and now – whenever it wanders off.
As an analogy, attention is like a muscle. If we don’t regularly use the muscle, it can become weaker. However, with regular exercise we can strengthen and build it.
Meditation exercises, like learning any new skill, require practice. Here’s one that takes only three minutes initially which, in time, can be increased to ten mins twice per day. In my experience, allowing ourselves even a couple of minutes every day to mindfully breathe is beneficial and relaxing.
Sit in a chair and get yourself comfy. Pay attention to your body and ask yourself, “what do I feel right now? What are my feelings? And what are my thoughts?” Pay attention to your thoughts and feelings and to all the sensations in your body. Describe these experiences to yourself. Don’t judge or alter anything. Accept. Spend up to one minute doing this.
Bring your focus of awareness to your breath. Focus on the sensations of your breath as it enters and leaves your tummy. Bring your awareness to the sensations of movement in your tummy and allow your thoughts to go, to leave you as you breathe. Breathe in as you say ‘relax’ and on each exhalation say “calm”. If your mind wanders, do not try to change the thoughts or make them leave. Acknowledge their presence, allow them to be there, then allow them to go, returning your attention and focus to your breath and breathing. Spend up to two minutes doing this.
Extend your awareness to sensing your whole body breathing. Become aware of sensations throughout your body. If your mind wanders to various thoughts or feelings, acknowledge them and let them go and return your focus to sen1sing your whole body breathing. Spend about two mins doing this.
As you become more familiar with this skill of “letting go”, wherein you choose to notice but let go of thoughts, emotions or sensations, this is the ideal time to increase the time. Acknowledge and appreciate what you are doing, allowing yourself time to settle your mind, to breathe, to pay attention to you.
Attention is like a muscle and with regular exercise, a muscle works really well! Breathing meditation is the same – the more often you allow yourself time to do it, the easier it gets as the more skilled you become!
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