Stress is something we’re all familiar with to some extent. But for many of us, it's much more involved in our daily lives than we would like it to be. Whether it’s smaller stresses we encounter day-to-day, or more stressful events that can leave you feeling defeated, stress is inevitable. It’s something that can have a big influence on our lives, which is why it’s important to seek a stress-free life. Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation and meditation are two things that can help with stress in a profound way. And when these two are combined? Their effects can be even more incredible.
So, if you’re someone who is looking to take action in non-invasive ways to better manage your stress, this post is for you. We’re going to run through what the vagus nerve and non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation is, and then go through some details on understanding mediation as well.
You might also be interested to know a little bit more about how these two concepts can work together to help you better manage stress. Let’s get started.
What is the Vagus Nerve?
You can think of the vagus nerve as the communication highway of the body. It’s the longest nerve we have as humans and travels to just about every system we have. It starts at the brain and then extends to each of the systems that help us function.
The vagus nerve is in charge of controlling the parasympathetic nervous system, also known as our “rest and digest” response. When stimulated, it can kick the parasympathetic nervous system into high gear which ultimately will help you to relax as the heart rate slows.
As you can see, the vagus nerve plays a big role in how we function, including our ability to manage stress.
What is Non-Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation (nVNS)?
As you could imagine from the name, vagus nerve stimulation is a non-invasive way to stimulate the vagus nerve through one method or another. This is done by sending mild pulses of electrical energy to the brain through the vagus nerve. The source of these pulses could be through a particular practice an individual takes part in, or through something like a non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation device like Neuvana. We’ll talk more about this incredible technology later on in this post.
The wonderful thing about vagus nerve stimulation being done in a non-invasive way is that there’s no need for any surgery or any type of procedure. It’s also something an individual can do at home - or just about anywhere else. It’s easy to make vagus nerve stimulation a part of your everyday life.
And why exactly might you do that? Well, non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation comes with tons of great benefits. Some of them include reducing your blood pressure, treating depression, reducing blood pressure, minimizing inflammation, lowering the heart, and of course, helping to better manage stress. There are so many reasons to love non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation.
Understanding Meditation
One of the ways you can stimulate the vagus nerve is with meditation. Meditation is something that has been practiced for thousands of years and continues to be practiced worldwide today. It’s known for its powers in improving brain health and wellness overall. It can also help reduce stress in a big way!
It essentially involves taking time out of your day to focus and clearing your mind. This is done using a number of techniques which can change depending on the type of meditation you choose to practice.
While it might not seem like someone who is meditating is doing a lot on the outside, there’s plenty going on inside the brain! It could be chanting, repeating a phrase, or any other type of method that helps clear the mind. Whatever it is, meditation can be super beneficial both mentally and physically.
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Benefits of meditation
So, what exactly are some of the ways someone can benefit from meditation? Let’s run through them now.
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Better control of anxiety
As we mentioned, meditation is known to help reduce stress. This works the same way to help reduce anxiety. You’ll be a lot better able to cope with anxiety when it comes your way and are a lot more likely to experience less the more you meditate.
Yoga similarly helps reduce anxiety as it uses both the meditative practice along with physical activity. It really is the best of both worlds.
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Improved emotional health
When you practice meditation, you’re a lot more likely to have a positive self-image and better emotional health. It’s known that meditative exercises can help reduce negative thoughts, especially when it comes to personal thoughts.
You might also experience reduced depression as less inflammatory chemicals are released into the body when you meditate. Your emotional health is very likely to benefit from meditation.
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Better self-awareness
Can meditation really help when it comes to self-awareness? You bet it can!
As you meditate, you’re very likely to develop a deeper, stronger, understanding of yourself. This will help you to become your best self. You’re likely to get more in touch with how you relate to others around you which will help you to develop a greater self-awareness.
Meditation is also known for its powers in helping you to reduce feelings of loneliness.
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Lengthened attention span
Do you find it hard to concentrate on one thing for any length of time? Attention spans have gotten shorter over the years. Luckily, meditation can potentially help lengthen your attention span.
Those who practice regular meditation have been known to have greater attention spans than those who don’t. It’s even possible for meditation to reverse the different patterns in the brain that could lead you to have a short attention span in the first place.
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Reduces memory loss
As we get older, we tend to lose our memories and see a reduction in cognitive function. Meditation helps by clarifying your ways of thinking and improving your cognitive performance so you can remember things more easily. It can even potentially help when it comes to developing better mental quickness.
It’s incredibly important to keep those minds sharp as we age.
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Improved sleep
If you’re not sleeping well, adding a bit of meditation into your routine could be just what you need. It’s known to help you get to sleep and stay asleep longer as you doze throughout the night.
As you get better at meditation, you’re more likely to be able to control your mind. You can put those racing thoughts to bed so you can get some shut eye.
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Helps control pain
Did you know your state of mind has a lot to do with your perception of pain? If you’re in a stressful situation then it’s possible for pain to feel elevated.
As you meditate you become more mindful which could potentially help reduce pain and improve your quality of life overall.
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Lowers blood pressure
Meditation doesn’t just benefit you mentally, but physically, too. If you have high blood pressure, it could lead to other unwanted problems. Meditation helps by keeping your blood pressure low and relaxing the nerve signals that play a part in things like heart function and the fight-or-flight response.
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Stress reduction
Last but certainly not least is of course, stress reduction. Meditation is known to help reduce the inflammation response commonly caused by stress.
When you get stressed, your body releases the hormone cortisol which can lead to other unwanted problems if too much is released. Meditation helps as it works to help with stress-related conditions and fight against things like depression and anxiety, fatigue, and increased blood pressure.
Combining nVNS and Meditation
Combining non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation with meditation is a great way to hit two birds with one stone! In fact, practicing meditation is one of the ways to stimulate the vagus nerve and increase vagal tone. It can help you to clear your mind and relax and will leave you feeling great overall.
If you wanted to double up, you could use a vagus nerve stimulation device while practicing meditation. The device will help you to focus your mind even more than you might have without it. You’re sure to release more positive emotions and promote feelings of goodwill. Consider adding non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation to your meditation routine to really take things to the next level.
Experiencing Non-Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation
Of course, meditation is a practice you can do on your own while at home. As we discussed earlier, non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation is too. And it’s something that’s made a lot easier with the use of a vagus nerve stimulation device.
Xen by Neuvana is an incredible non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation device that allows you to experience vagus nerve stimulation from the comfort of your own home. The headphones will stimulate the vagus nerve while you listen to your favorite music or sounds. It can even be done in silence as a tiny electrical signal is delivered throughout the earbuds.
If this incredible technology sounds like something you would like to try for yourself, be sure to click here to find out more.
