The human brain is a magnificent and brilliant organ. It allows us to move our bodies to perform our daily tasks, remember both fond and not-so-fond memories, and make decisions all day long. However, it can also be kind of dumb in the sense that your brain can’t tell the difference between getting chased by a bear and a stressful day at work. In both situations, your blood flow is targeted more towards your muscles, and your heart rate and blood pressure increase.

These are helpful in life-or-death situations, but when you are trying to relax at the end of a stressful day or recover from an injury, your body may react as if it is in danger. Over time, these reactions can lead to other health issues and slow down healing. Luckily, there are a few things that you can do to help get your body out of “fight or flight” mode and into “rest, digest, and recovery” mode. We do this through stimulating a particular nerve called the Vagus nerve. Here are 4 ways to decrease inflammation via the vagus nerve.

One easy way we can stimulate the vagus nerve is by doing some deep breathing. It allows your heart rate and blood pressure to decrease, and can help your body to relax. A good rule of thumb is to take 4 seconds to breathe in through your nose and 6 seconds to breathe out through your mouth, breathing deeply, filling your lungs, and letting all the air flow out. Try it out for a few minutes the next time you are feeling stressed or having a hard time falling asleep.

Our mental state can really affect our overall health and impact our nervous system. Meditation can be a great way to clear your mind and allow invasive thoughts to pass through. It can also be a good way to check in with your body and do something called a body scan to bring attention to different parts of your body to help with pain management. Meditation can be as easy as sitting at your desk, doing some deep breathing, and just letting your mind process the thoughts it has flowing through it. You can also find good meditation videos online if you are looking for more guidance.

The gut has a strong connection to the brain via the vagus nerve. When we eat pro-inflammatory foods, which are high in simple sugars and fats, it can lead to increased feelings of stress and increased inflammation throughout the body. Trying to avoid these pro-inflammatory foods and take in more anti-inflammatory foods such as whole grains, lean meats, healthy oils, fruits, vegetables, and things like turmeric and garlic can lead to improved overall mental and physical health while still being tasty and satisfying.

Although going for a hard run or doing an intense workout session has its own cardiovascular and strength benefits, it can also lead to increased inflammation in the short term. If you are already in a high inflammatory state after an injury or overly stressed and anxious, doing more moderate to low-intensity activities may be more beneficial. Activities like yoga, walking, light Pilates, stretching, and medium difficulty strengthening may help to aid in decreasing inflammation, improve your mood, and boost your overall health on top of the other benefits you get from regular exercise.

So, give some of these a shot the next time you are feeling extra stressed or are going through recovery from an injury. Even if you aren’t able to do all of these things, we hope that you are able to choose one or two to add to your life. Many modalities can further assist in reducing inflammation. Check out more information at freedompt.com