The Role Of The Parasympathetic Nervous System In Physical And Mental Health
Science
How much do you know about your body’s nervous system? Or, more specifically, how much do you know about its parasympathetic nervous system (PNS)? Most of us don’t give it much thought, but the parasympathetic nervous system is invaluable for managing stress, so we’ll explore it in detail today.
Understanding the Parasympathetic Nervous System
The PNS is part of the autonomic, or involuntary, nervous system. It works in tandem with the sympathetic nervous system (more on that in a moment) to regulate physiological processes like heart rate and respiration. The parasympathetic nervous system helps slow down your body’s processes when needed, creating a state of relaxation. This allows us to rest and digest, so to speak!
To elaborate, when the parasympathetic nervous system is activated, it stimulates the release of hormones that bring your body back to a state of equilibrium. This, in turn, helps maintain homeostasis and healthy functioning of major organs like the heart and lungs. It also helps regulate bodily processes like digestion and sleep and helps us manage our emotions.
What about the sympathetic nervous system?
Now, where does the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) play into this? Well, the parasympathetic nervous system helps counteract the effects of the sympathetic nervous system.
The SNS activates our ‘fight-or-flight’ response, which kicks in whenever we experience stress or fear. It activates our body’s alarm system to prepare us for action and can be beneficial in dangerous situations. However, when this response is triggered too often, it can negatively impact both our physical and mental health.
The parasympathetic nervous system helps counterbalance the effects of this response by inducing relaxation and restoring balance, allowing us to return to a state of calm and equilibrium. By activating relaxation responses such as slowed breathing and heart rate, the parasympathetic nervous system helps reduce levels of cortisol (our ‘stress hormone’) and restore balance to the body’s systems.
The Importance of Parasympathetic Activation
The relationship between the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems highlights why parasympathetic activation is so important for physical and mental health.
When we can’t relax and restore balance to our body’s systems, it can lead to a host of health issues, such as insomnia, digestive problems, fatigue, and chronic stress. By learning how to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, we can proactively prevent these negative outcomes and improve overall health.
Before we explore specific strategies for activating the parasympathetic nervous system, let’s go over the vagus nerve, as it’s a key part of this system.
What is the Vagus Nerve?
The vagus nerve is the longest of the cranial nerves and plays a vital role in parasympathetic activation. It runs from the brainstem to the abdomen and helps regulate many vital organs and functions, such as breathing rate, heart rate, digestion, and even mood.
The vagus nerve has long been known to play a major role in parasympathetic activation, and there are many benefits to stimulating this vital nerve.
Benefits of Vagus Nerve Stimulation
Here are just seven of the many benefits of stimulating the vagus nerve:
- Reduced stress
One of the most notable benefits of parasympathetic activation is reduced stress levels. Vagus nerve stimulation can help activate the parasympathetic nervous system, decreasing cortisol (the ‘stress hormone’) and other stress-related hormones.
- Improved digestion
The parasympathetic nervous system helps regulate digestive processes such as peristalsis, which breaks down food in the intestines. Stimulating the vagus nerve can improve digestion by strengthening these processes and helping your body absorb nutrients from food more efficiently.
- Increased energy levels
You can also increase energy levels throughout your day by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system. This is because parasympathetic activation leads to improved blood flow and heightened oxygenation of cells, giving you more energy and alertness.
- Improved cognitive function
Vagus nerve stimulation can also help improve cognitive function and mental clarity. In addition, studies have found that parasympathetic activation can lead to improved memory, focus, and increased creativity.
- Strengthened immune system
The parasympathetic nervous system helps regulate the body’s inflammatory response, which is responsible for fighting off infection and disease. By stimulating the vagus nerve, you can help strengthen your immune system and reduce inflammation in the body.
- Treating serious medical conditions
Vagus nerve stimulation is FDA-approved to treat certain medical conditions, including epilepsy and treatment-resistant depression. This type of parasympathetic activation can help reduce symptoms of these conditions and improve overall health.
- Improved mood
Finally, parasympathetic activation has been linked to improved moods. For example, vagus nerve stimulation can help reduce feelings of stress and anxiety and boost serotonin levels in the brain – a neurotransmitter associated with happiness and well-being.
Activating the parasympathetic nervous system is key to achieving good physical and mental health, and stimulating the vagus nerve can help you do that!
Ways to Stimulate the Vagus Nerve
Now let’s take a look at some ways to stimulate this vital nerve for optimal parasympathetic activation.
Diaphragmatic breathing
This type of breathing helps relax your body and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system by activating the vagus nerve. To do it, sit comfortably and focus on your breath. Then, take slow, deep breaths, counting to five as you inhale and exhale.
Yoga
Certain yoga poses stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system by activating the vagus nerve. These include half moon pose (ardha chandrasana), cobra pose (bhujangasana), bridge pose (setu bandhasana), and corpse pose (shavasana).
Meditation
Meditation helps reduce stress levels and improve parasympathetic activation by stimulating the vagus nerve. It also helps enhance cognitive function and emotional resilience.
tVNS
With gentle electrical stimulation, transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) targets the vagus nerve through the skin. One such example is the Xen by Neuvana vagus nerve-stimulating headphones. They stimulate the vagus nerve through the ear and can help reduce stress and improve energy levels.
In Closing
The parasympathetic nervous system is integral to your body’s overall functioning, and stimulating the vagus nerve can help you reap its many benefits. Incorporating the strategies we’ve shared today into your daily routine can activate your parasympathetic nervous system and improve your physical and mental health in the process!
The Role Of The Parasympathetic Nervous System In Physical And Mental Health
