Your Vagus Nerve: The Missing Link Between Stress, Gut Health, and Feeling Better

For the past two weeks, we've been talking about your nervous system. First came the adrenaline rush of fight or flight (hello, Colorado moose!). Then we explored what happens when everyday stress keeps that system on high alert.

Today, let's look at the other side of the story: how your body shifts toward rest, recovery, and digestion.

There's a remarkable nerve that helps make that connection possible. It travels from your brainstem through your neck, chest, and abdomen, carrying messages between your brain and many of your major organs. It's called the vagus nerve, and it's a key part of the conversation between your brain, heart, lungs, and gut.

Today, we'll look at what it does, why it matters, and simple ways to support your nervous system.

What the vagus nerve actually is

“Vagus” comes from the Latin word for “wandering,” and that’s exactly what this nerve does. It starts at your brainstem and wanders down. Along the way it branches into your throat and voice box, your heart and lungs, and finally your stomach, intestines, liver, and pancreas. No other cranial nerve travels that far or reaches that many organs.

The vagus nerve is mostly a listening nerve. Roughly 80 percent of the vagus nerve's fibers carry information from the body up to the brain. It is constantly sending updates about what's happening in your organs, often without you noticing. Your gut, heart, and lungs report how they’re doing moment to moment, mostly without you noticing.

Your gas pedal and your brake

Your autonomic nervous system runs many functions in the background, including heart rate, breathing, and digestion. It has two major branches that often work in balance.

Think of the sympathetic branch as the gas pedal. It helps your body respond to challenges and prepare for action. The parasympathetic branch is more like the brake, helping your body shift toward rest, digestion, and recovery. The vagus nerve is a major communication pathway in that parasympathetic system.

Here’s how that brake shows up in your body:

Bouncing back from stress

Your vagus nerve isn't simply an off switch. It's part of a larger system that helps your body respond to what's happening and adjust as circumstances change.

Think of a stressful email, a near-miss in traffic, or a tense conversation. Once the moment passes, your body has systems that help your heart rate, breathing, and stress response settle.

The vagus nerve also plays a role in regulating inflammation through a pathway researchers call the inflammatory reflex. This is one of the fascinating ways your nervous system and immune system communicate.

This brings us to the idea of vagal tone. You'll often hear this term used to describe aspects of vagal activity and regulation. It's not about never feeling stressed. It's about how your body regulates itself and adapts to changing demands.

The gut-brain highway

Your gut has its own nervous system, called the enteric nervous system. It contains hundreds of millions of nerve cells and is so complex that researchers often call it your “second brain.”

The vagus nerve is one of the major communication pathways connecting your gut and brain. Much of the information traveling along the vagus nerve goes from the body up to the brain.

Your gut bacteria are part of this conversation, too. They produce substances that can influence gut function, immune activity, and communication between the gut and brain. Some of these signals interact with pathways involving the vagus nerve.

This is the science behind the gut-brain connection. Your gut and brain are constantly communicating in both directions. Changes in your gut environment can influence signals traveling to the brain, while stress and emotional experiences can affect digestion and gut function.

That's exactly why I believe in supporting the whole system together—not looking at gut health and nervous system health as two separate things.

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What Can Affect Your Nervous System's Ability to Regulate?

Your nervous system is constantly adapting to what's happening in and around your body. Several factors can influence how well it regulates stress and supports recovery:

Many of the everyday habits that support your overall health can also support healthy nervous system function.

1. Hum, sing, or gargle.
Your vagus nerve has branches that connect with areas involved in your voice and swallowing. Humming, singing, and gargling engage these areas and can be a simple, relaxing practice. Try humming a hymn or your favorite worship song for a minute or two.

2. Breathe slow and steadily
Try breathing slowly and comfortably, around 5–6 breaths per minute. You might inhale for 4 seconds and exhale for 6 seconds. Don't force your breath or worry about hitting an exact number. Just slow down and let your breathing become steady.

3. Make room for prayer and quiet.
Taking time to pray, reflect, and quiet your thoughts can help you manage stress and create space for your body to settle. This is one reason taking time in prayer daily is so important to me.

4. Try a little cold.
A splash of cool water on your face can be a refreshing way to pause and reset. Some cold exposure triggers reflexes that involve the autonomic nervous system. Start gently, and remember that you don't need an ice bath or extreme cold to support your health.

5. Feed the gut that talks to your brain.
Feed your gut bacteria with fiber-rich foods like vegetables, beans, berries, nuts, and seeds. Include fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, or sauerkraut if you tolerate them. These foods support overall gut and metabolic health, which are part of the larger gut-brain conversation.

And don’t forget the basics: a daily walk, good sleep, and time laughing with people you love all support healthy vagal tone too.

You don’t need to do all of these at once. Pick one and let it become a habit before you add the next.

We were never meant to live in a constant state of high alert. God designed our bodies with systems that help us respond to life's challenges and then shift toward rest and recovery.

When you sit in quiet prayer, when you slow your breath and hand your worries over, you are not just doing something spiritually meaningful. You are engaging the very system God wired into you to bring your body back to peace. Isaiah 40:31 reminds us of this:

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint”.

Your vagus nerve is one important part of the connection between your brain and your body. And the everyday choices you make—how you breathe, move, eat, sleep, and manage stress—can support the systems that help you feel your best. You don't have to change everything overnight. Start with one small step.

With faith, science, and wellness,
Liz, The Wellness Nurse 🌿

Registered Nurse | Certified Mental Wellness Coach

P.S. Which tip are you trying first? Hit reply and tell me. I read every response.

P.P.S. Want to go deeper? Month 2 of my Root & Restore 6-Month Foundational Program is all about the vagus nerve. It gives you a step-by-step protocol to strengthen your body’s built-in calm switch. The $59 founding price ends November 6, then it goes up to $99. You can find it here: Root & Restore

⚕️ Medical Disclaimer The content in The Wellness Nurse is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, supplement routine, or health practices.