The Vagus Nerve: The Gut-Brain Hotline You Didn't Know You Had
- Megan Devito
- May 25
- 3 min read
You’ve probably heard the phrase “trust your gut," but did you know your gut and your brain are in constant communication? l'm talking actual physical connection thanks to something called the vagus nerve.
Think of the vagus nerve as a hotline between your brain and your body. When It runs from your brainstem all the way to your gut (and a few other key places), carrying messages back and forth all day long.
When this line is clear, you're more likely to feel calm, think clearly, and feel energized.
But when it’s irritated or overstimulated, you feel that too.
Anxiety, overwhelm, brain fog, and digestive issues can all be caused by a vagus nerve that's screaming for a massage.
How Does the Vagus Nerve Become Overstimulated?
The short answer is stress, lack of sleep or poor sleep, processed food, overthinking, and lack of self-care. The long answer is a bit more complicated. Let's break it down, shall we?
The vagus nerve helps regulate digestion. But if you’re living on coffee, cookies, and boxed mac and cheese (I know... I love it too), your gut doesn’t have the nutrients or good bacteria from healthy foods to do its job.
When your digestion is off, it sends spotty, mixed signals back up the vagus nerve to your brain. That can look like:
Feeling wired but exhausted
Cravings for sugar or carbs
Mood swings or anxiety out of nowhere
Inability to concentrate
2. Stress is a Signal Jammer
Chronic stress, whether mental, emotional, or physical, weakens your vagus nerve’s tone. It’s like trying to make a phone call with bad reception. Your body doesn't receive the messages to relax that your brain is trying to send, so it stays stuck in fight-or-flight.
Truthfully, you can’t deep-breathe your way out of chronic stress. If your nervous system is fried, you have to support it from the inside out.
3. How to Exercise (Massage) the Vagus Nerve
Calming the vagus nerve function doesn’t require you to avoid all junk food or train for a marathon. You can do it with small, consistent changes that still allow you to eat your favorite foods and focus on movement rather than working out.
Start here:
Eat whole, colorful foods. Think fiber, fermented foods, omega-3s
Stay hydrated (Yes, water. Yes, more than coffee.)
Practice deep belly breathing; even 2 minutes helps!
Hum, sing, gargle, or chant: All of these stimulate the vagus nerve
Take breaks during your day. A walk at lunch, a nap in your car... Quiet time helps your nervous system reset.
Get enough rest, both physical and mental.
Don’t try to do everything at once. Start with what feels easiest today, so it's easier to create new habits without feeling overwhelmed. Your body will notice, start to relax, and your new habits will stick without adding more stress to your life.
How To Support The Vagus Nerve and Yourself
Your vagus nerve is always listening and sending signals.
If your brain feels foggy, your anxiety’s screaming, or your energy’s tanked, your body is asking for a reset, not another pep talk or productivity hack.
And here’s the best part: When you know how to support that gut-brain connection, you can start feeling better without adding more to your to-do list.
Want help figuring out how to do that in real life?
I work with high-achieving women who want clearer minds, calmer bodies, and more fun—without burning themselves out to get there.
Let’s start with a Boundaries and Balance Audit to see where your nervous system needs support.
P.S. Curious about how vagus nerve exercises can reduce anxiety?
You can learn more about natural anxiety relief for midlife women through gentle vagus nerve support in this week's epsiode of More than Anxiety. ⬇️
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