Many of the symptoms people experience improve when the body is no longer stuck in a sympathetic (fight or flight) state. The vagus nerve plays a key role in this process, which we’ll look at below.
Sympathetic Nervous System (Fight or Flight)
The sympathetic nervous system is your body’s survival response. It switches on when you perceive stress, danger or threat, releasing adrenaline and cortisol to prepare you to react quickly. Your heart rate increases, blood pressure rises and your body prioritises survival over healing. This response is designed to protect us in genuine emergencies, but it isn’t meant to stay switched on all day.
Parasympathetic Nervous System (Rest, Digest & Repair)
The parasympathetic nervous system is your healing state. This is when your body can properly digest and absorb nutrients, repair and regenerate tissues, support detoxification, regulate inflammation and restore energy. The more time your body spends here, the better it can function.
The Importance of the Vagus Nerve
The vagus nerve is a major part of the parasympathetic nervous system. It is the longest nerve in the body, connecting the brain with the eyes, ears, vocal cords and nearly every major organ, including the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys and digestive system.
Think of it as the communication highway between your brain and body. It helps switch off the stress response once a stressful event has passed, allowing your body to return to a calm, balanced state.
What Can Reduce Vagal Tone?
Modern life places constant demands on our nervous system. Factors that can reduce vagal tone include:
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- Chronic stress (health, family, work or financial)
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- Poor sleep
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- A diet high in processed foods
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- Excessive screen time
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- Constantly being busy without enough rest
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- Shift work and disrupted circadian rhythms
When the Body Stays in Fight or Flight
Living in a sympathetic dominant state for long periods doesn’t just affect how you feel emotionally. It can influence almost every system in the body and contribute to symptoms such as:
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- Anxiety and feeling constantly “wired”
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- Muscle tension, especially through the neck and shoulders
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- Increased pain and inflammation
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- Elevated heart rate and blood pressure
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- Blood sugar dysregulation
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- Fatigue and low energy
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- Poor digestion, bloating, constipation or diarrhoea
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- Poor sleep and insomnia
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- Brain fog, poor concentration and memory
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- Headaches, migraines and dizziness
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- Frequent infections due to reduced immune function
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- Hormonal imbalances
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- Weight gain or difficulty losing weight
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- Fibromyalgia and other chronic pain conditions
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- Cardiovascular disease
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- Autoimmune conditions
Your nervous system influences every organ and every system in your body. When stress keeps you in a prolonged fight or flight state, healing, digestion, hormone balance, immune function and energy production are all compromised.
The encouraging news is that your nervous system is adaptable. Small, consistent practices such as breathwork help strengthen vagal tone and encourage your body to spend more time in a calm, restorative state.
Over time, this creates the ideal environment for your body to repair, recover and function the way it was designed to.
