The relationship between nervous system balance and vagus nerve activity provides a crucial foundation in the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance.
Dr. Darin Davidson partners with Learner+, a CME/CE reflective learning platform for healthcare providers. For the opportunity to reflect on this article and earn CME/CE credits, Launch here. Check out all past articles which are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits.
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Over the past several articles, the important concepts of nervous system balance and vagus nerve activity have been described in detail. These are both foundational elements in the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance. While each of these principles are important independently, the complementary nature of the two lead to a synergistic effect which is far greater than the sum of the individual parts.
Describing the important link between nervous system balance and vagus nerve activity is a necessary topic for further discussion. When we consider these two concepts in tandem, we are able to further understand the importance of the psychological skills and body-based practices, including somatic practices and the complementary cellular health and mitochondrial function strategies.
The purpose of the present article is to further describe the important link between nervous system balance and vagus nerve activity. Emerging from this understanding, the importance of the skills, strategies, and tactics becomes more evident. An underlying essential consideration within this discussion is that it is ultimately the ability to balance the nervous system through activating the vagus nerve that is essential. The means by which we increase vagus nerve activity becomes a secondary consideration. This is particularly the case as it is individual specific.
As discussed in past articles, when we are considering nervous system balance what we are specifically referring to is the ability to maintain anchored and grounded states to the greatest extent possible in combination with the ability to return to such states following the inevitable and adaptive shifts into protective and defensive states. The latter attribute is reflective of the degree of nervous system flexibility. In addition, the ability to titrate and modulate our responses to cues of uncertainty, risk, and threat along the internal, external, and relational pathways such that the degree of biological state shift into protective and defensive states is proportionate to the magnitude of the cues we experience is an important element.
By enhancing the degree of nervous system balance, we are able to best ensure that our biological state is matched as closely as possible to the nature of the situation we are experiencing. This ability is directly related to the pursuit of health and wellbeing. The ability to maintain balance within our nervous system is essential in order to promote health and wellbeing. The mechanism through which this occurs is by reducing chronic stress and chronic inflammation while simultaneously enhancing cellular and, in particular, mitochondrial function. This serves to provide a stable foundation for recovery, restoration, healing, and reduction of tissue and cellular damage and dysfunction. Within the realm of sustainable high performance, nervous system balance provides the best opportunity to perform to our greatest ability and continuously grow and develop our skills to enhance our level of performance.
With the understanding of the importance of nervous system balance in mind, we can then readily understand how activating vagus nerve function is essential. By stimulating and increasing vagus nerve activity, there will be a simultaneous reduction in sympathetic nervous system activation. In addition through vagus nerve stimulation, there is activation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway, improvements in social interaction and engagement, and direct effects on mitochondrial function. Furthermore, from a cognitive perspective, activation of the vagus nerve and its pathways, including the simultaneous reduction in sympathetic nervous system activation, allows for greater expression of prefrontal cortical activity, executive functioning, emotional regulation, and better coordination of autonomic function. This is achieved through the central autonomic network which links the prefrontal cortex, cingulate cortex, insula, hypothalamus, amygdala, and brainstem.
The above discussion emphasizes the synergistic link between nervous system balance and vagus nerve activity. The next consideration which naturally emerges becomes how best to increase vagus nerve activity. This can best be explored from two perspectives. One aspect is the means through which to directly increase vagus nerve activity. The other are strategies to reduce sympathetic nervous system activity. It should be noted that the discussion regarding the balance between sympathetic nervous system activation and vagus nerve activity includes the fundamental understanding that we are not trying to avoid activation of the sympathetic nervous system entirely. There are numerous adaptive responses which require activation of this branch of the nervous system. In situations of risk and threat, in particular those which involve danger to life and wellbeing, such state shifts are adaptive and necessary.
When we consider the category of strategies and tactics to increase vagus nerve activity, this directly relates to the psychological skills and body-based practices discussed throughout this article series. It is important to emphasize that the body-based skills include both somatic practices as well as strategies to improve cellular and mitochondrial health and function. All of these various skills, strategies, and tactics have been discussed throughout this article series. Another important category of means through which to increase vagus nerve activity is through stimulation of the vagus nerve using various internal or external devices. This has been discussed in more detail in the previous article.
An additional element of vagus nerve activation which has received less attention to date in this article series involves the utilization of our physical senses. This includes site, sound, touch, smell, and taste. While not directly a physical sense, the use of voice is also a related means through to increase vagus nerve activity. The common link amongst the utilization of these factors in increasing vagus nerve activity is to provide experiences which are calming, and do not include uncertainty, unpredictability, risk, or sensation which is chaotic in nature.
Within the category of strategies for reduction of sympathetic nervous system activity, where and when appropriate, include many concepts related to avoiding cues and stimuli within our environment and ourselves which lead to feelings of unease, uncertainty, risk, or threat. This can include thoughts related to past and upcoming events, avoidance to the greatest degree possible of environments and surroundings which are chaotic, uncertain, or threatening. Sound is also a very important consideration. Specific to this is reducing high-pitched and low-pitched sounds as well as those which are erratic in their rhythm. Each of these characteristics can be associated with shifts towards activation of the sympathetic nervous system. Another important consideration related to our environment is the food we choose to eat. By avoiding pro-inflammatory foods, in particular highly processed diets, we can decrease the reactive increase in inflammation and sympathetic nervous system activation.
The above discussion provides an overall view of the relationship between nervous system balance and vagus nerve activity. When considered in tandem this becomes a foundational strategy in the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance. Our ability to optimize vagus nerve activity becomes a primary influencer of our ability to shift into restorative, reparative, and homeostatic states, including optimization of cellular and mitochondrial function. This directly impacts our health and wellbeing. Within the domain of sustainable high performance, the ability to increase nervous system balance and activate the vagus nerve is also essential in order to shift towards the preferred performance states. In addition, given the inherent nature of high performance domains and the frequently associated cues of uncertainty, risk, and possibly threat, the ability to modulate the shifts towards protective and defensive states is essential in the pursuit of performing at our potential.
As can be appreciated through the above discussion, when we consider vagus nerve activity, there are numerous and various inputs which can be utilized. There is no one size fits all approach. What is of greatest importance is for each individual to develop the awareness and ability to identify those inputs which are particularly effective. These can then be emphasized in our overall routines and practices. It should be remembered, however, that those inputs which are of greatest effectiveness in increasing vagus nerve activity may change over time as well as in a situational dependent fashion. As such, regular check-ins with our biological state are an important related strategy in order to be able to identify the effectiveness of our attempts to activate vagus nerve function. By developing as robust a toolbox of inputs as possible, we better position ourselves to be able to adapt and respond to ever-changing circumstances across the internal, external, and relational pathways. This provides the optimal ability to pursue health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance.
To learn more, including about biologically complementary coaching for healthcare professionals and others in high demand domains, please visit www.darindavidson.com.
Dr. Darin Davidson partners with Learner+, a CME/CE reflective learning platform for healthcare providers. For the opportunity to reflect on this article and earn CME/CE credits, Launch here. Check out all past articles which are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits.
For downloadable, actionable strategies and tactics to leverage biology in the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance, visit the resource store, Launch here. Chapters are arranged by topic so those of interest can be selected and each are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits through Learner+.