“Diane… what even IS my vagus nerve? And why does it need a reset?”
This is a question I get asked frequently.
I’ve also had clients say they’ve tried the Vagus Nerve Reset exercises a few times and they haven’t felt any different. The fact is this exercise requires consistency. Those simple, strange-but-wonderful exercises that help your nervous system calm the heck down.
Let’s grab a cuppa – and talk about the longest, most hard-working nerve in your body that you may not know was quietly running the show and why ‘resetting’ it regularly is so important.
Meet Your Vagus Nerve – The Body’s Peacekeeper
Your vagus nerve is like your body’s own “calm button.” It runs from your brainstem down through your neck, chest, and into your belly, connecting your brain to all the key organs that decide whether you’re in panic mode or peace mode.
It’s part of the parasympathetic nervous system – the bit that slows your heart rate, lowers your blood pressure, and tells your body, “We’re safe now, you can stop acting like there’s a sabre-toothed tiger in the driveway.”
When your vagus nerve is in good shape (this is called having good vagal tone), your body can switch from stress to calm more quickly. When it’s a bit out of shape, your system can stay stuck in that anxious, adrenaline-fuelled loop – which is exactly what we don’t want when we’re trying to drive with confidence.
So, What’s a Vagus Nerve Reset?
Vagus nerve resets are exercises that gently “train” your nervous system to come back to calm more easily. They can be things like:
- Deep, slow breathing (especially longer exhales)
- Humming, singing, or even gargling
- Gentle neck stretches or eye-movement exercises
- Cold water splashes on your face
- Even turning your shower to cold for the last 30 seconds to a minute at the end of your regular shower routine.
- My personal favourite is getting in my cold plunge in my garden and swimming in lakes a couple of times a week all year round. (I appreciate these are maybe more extreme, but the rest are easy to apply to a daily routine.)
- These actions send signals through the vagus nerve that it’s time to switch into “rest and digest” mode – the opposite of fight-or-flight.
Why Consistency is the Secret Sauce
- Here’s the thing – doing one or two vagus nerve exercise and expecting life-changing calm is like going to the gym once and wondering where your six-pack is.
- Muscles need regular training. Your vagus nerve is no different.
Every time you practise these resets – even for a few minutes – you’re essentially giving your calm button a workout. Over time, your vagal tone improves, and your body becomes quicker at bouncing back from stress.
That means when something rattles you, either on the road (a sudden horn, a busy roundabout, or a road you have not faced for a long time), you’ll recover faster instead of spiralling into a full-blown anxiety response. The stress levels may feel the same, but your response can handle it. Your stress tolerance cup has turned into a galvanised bucket and so you can cope with the stress more effectively. And here’s the magic! The more your face your fear and cope with the stress, it eventually calms down as it loses it’s power over you.
How to Start
- Pick one or two exercises you actually enjoy – if humming feels silly but breathing feels good, start there. If cold plunges or open water swimming isn’t for you, and let’s face it, it can be a bit extreme; but you do have a shower.
- Tie them to something you already do – like while waiting for the kettle to boil or sitting in your parked car before driving. This is known as Habit Stacking. When you add a new habit to something you already do it becomes easier to become a part of your daily routine.
- Commit to a daily practice – just 2–3 minutes a day makes a difference.
- You Tube is full of these exercises. Take a look on YouTube for one that suits you. I’ve linked the one I send out to clients to get them started. But feel free to explore further.
Your vagus nerve thrives on repetition – it loves little and often, rather than a big burst once in a blue moon.
So, think of it like nervous system fitness. You don’t need fancy gear. You don’t need hours a day. You just need consistency. The more you practise, the stronger your calm reflex becomes over time – and the easier driving (and life!) will feel.