On July 27, Sister Sara Galyon's First Call Cohort in Southeastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America shared ideas for stimulating the vagus nerve or tenth cranial nerve which regulates calm in the body! Here are some of those ideas to remember:
- Dip your face in cold water, take cold showers, drink cold milk
- Chanting or singing
- Yoga
- Loving-Kindness Meditation
- Positive social relationships
- Slow and Deep Breathing
- Laughter
- Prayer
- Probiotics
- Gentle exercise
- Massage
- Fasting
- Tai Chi
- Gargling
- Seafood
- Oxytocin (you touch your hands over your heart to release)
- Zinc
- Acupuncture
- Chewing Gum
- Eating fiber
- Sun exposure
A good book to explore more is Vagus Nerve and Overthinking: A Guide to Stimulate Your Vagus Nerve and Declutter Your Mind, Techniques to Stop Worrying, Relieve Stress and Anxiety, Overcome Chronic Illness, Trauma and Depression. by John Harper. These good ideas are from his text.
