1248: Anxiety, Stress And The Vagus Nerve: Small Things That Help You Feel Safe Again
The Anxiety Coaches Podcast
Gina Ryan
4.6 • 1.9K Ratings
🗓️ 24 May 2026
⏱️ 25 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In today's episode, Gina shares some key tips to help you strengthen your vagus nerve to help you feel safer and more stable. A description of how the vagus nerve connects the brain and body is included, as is how it can influence a range of anxiety related symptoms, including sleep and digestive problems. A number of ways you can strengthen your vagus nerve are also included. Helping signal to your brain that you are safe can go a long way to restoring your sense of peace and balance.
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Free Guided Meditation for Calming Your Anxious Mind 10-Minute Body-Scan Meditation for Anxiety
Quote:
Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.
-Thich Nhat Hanh
Chapters
0:26 Vagus Nerve Basics
7:13 Breathing for Calm
9:59 Sound and Laughter
12:44 Meditation and Resilience
14:17 Gentle Movement Matters
15:37 Connection Heals
17:43 Small Reset Practices
19:25 Trusting the Anxious Body
20:59 Closing Thoughts
Summary
In this episode we talk about the vagus nerve and its role in anxiety recovery and nervous system healing. We explain that supporting the vagus nerve can help the body feel safer, which can also help the mind settle.
We describe the vagus nerve as part of the parasympathetic nervous system, traveling through the brain and body and connecting with the heart, lungs, digestion, vocal cords, face, and ears. We also explain that communication goes both ways between body and brain, so body tension, shallow breathing, fatigue, or overstimulation can affect how we feel mentally.
We review common anxiety-related symptoms that may be linked with nervous system dysregulation, including digestive issues, nausea, brain fog, sleep problems, heart palpitations, chronic tension, hypervigilance, panic symptoms, and feelings of disconnection. We also note that anxiety is complex and that understanding the body can reduce fear and self-blame.
#anxiety #anxietyrecovery #nervoussystemregulation #vagusnerve #vagaltone #parasympathetic #mentalhealth #emotionalregulation #stressmanagement #somatichealing #mindfulness #breathwork #diaphragmaticbreathing #longexhales #wellness #emotionalwellbeing #somaticexperiencing #hrv #resilience #socialconnection #laughtertherapy #gentlemovement #grounding #vagusnervestimulation #humming #gutbrainaxis #Gina Ryan #AnxietyCoachesPodcast #ACP
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the anxiety coaches podcast, a relaxing and informative show where we explore anxiety, panic, and PTSD, sharing how you can overcome them for life. |
| 0:23.1 | Aloha. |
| 0:24.2 | Welcome back to the Anxiety Coaches podcast. |
| 0:27.5 | I'm your host and coach, Gina Ryan, and I am so happy to be with you again today |
| 0:34.1 | as together we can consider the many ways to bring your mind and body back to its |
| 0:40.5 | natural peace and calm. In today's episode, we're talking about something that has become a |
| 0:47.9 | huge topic in the world of anxiety recovery and nervous system healing over the past several years. And you know what |
| 0:57.1 | that is. It's the vagus nerve. Now, if you've been listening to the podcast for a long time, |
| 1:04.1 | you know this isn't a brand new topic around here. We were talking about the vagus nerve and calming |
| 1:09.8 | the nervous system years and years ago. |
| 1:13.3 | Before it all became one of those wellness buzzwords that you suddenly hear everywhere online. |
| 1:19.7 | But the beautiful thing is this, while the language around it may have changed a bit, |
| 1:25.7 | the heart of it remains the same. When we learn how to support |
| 1:30.4 | the vagus nerve, we help the body feel safer. And when the body feels safer, the mind begins to |
| 1:39.2 | soften too. That's really what anxiety recovery and getting through the wormhole is all about. |
| 1:47.7 | Not forcing ourselves to stop worrying or to stop thinking a thought, |
| 1:54.1 | not trying to become fearless overnight, |
| 1:58.8 | but gently teaching the nervous system that it no longer has to stay |
| 2:04.2 | stuck in protection mode all the time. So today, I want to walk you through what the vagus |
| 2:13.4 | nerve actually is in simple terms. Why it matters so much for anxiety, and most importantly, |
| 2:22.7 | practical ways you can support it in everyday life. And I think one of the most hopeful parts |
| 2:31.0 | of this conversation is that many of these practices are small, free, simple things, |
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