The Polyvagal Theory and Chronic Fatigue: A New Path to Recovery
The Hidden Link Between Your Vagus Nerve and Chronic Fatigue
If you’ve been struggling with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME) or fibromyalgia, there are high chances that your autonomic nervous system might be dysregulated. The Polyvagal Theory offers ground-breaking insights into further potential causes of chronic fatigue syndrome and how regulating your nervous system can pave your road to recovery.
Understanding Polyvagal Theory and Its Impact on Chronic Fatigue
The Polyvagal Theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, explains how our autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulates stress responses. It describes three primary states:
Ventral Vagal State (Safe & Connected) – A state of calm and balance. This is where you are tuned to rest, digest and socialise
Sympathetic State (Fight or Flight) – A state of alertnessand hyperactivity. This part of the ANS kicks in when we perceive a threat
Dorsal Vagal State (Shutdown Mode) – A state of freeze, disconnection and collapse. This pathway activates if we feel trapped and without way to escape or fight our threat.
Many people with chronic fatigue syndrome are stuck in the dorsal vagal state, where the body conserves energy by shutting down, leading to exhaustion, insomnia, headaches, and chronic pain. This may explain why conventional treatments, including some chronic fatigue medications, painkillers, anti-inflammatories and supplements offer only temporary relief.
How To Beat Chronic Fatigue With Polyvagal Practices
Becoming more aware of how our body shifts between these three states can strongly empower you are make the recovery from CFS possible. Instead of pushing through exhaustion, you can learn different techniques on how to regulate your vagus nerve and ANS, recreating a sense of safety and comfort within your body. Here are several effective ways to do it:
Deep Breathing: Slow, diaphragmatic breathing signals the body to shift from stress mode to relaxation. the 4-7-8 breathing (inhale for 4, hold for 7, exhale for 8) is especially useful
Cold Exposure: Voluntary cold exposure (take cold showers, wild swimming, cold plunges) can stimulate the vagus nerve.
Humming & Singing: Engaging the vocal cords naturally activates the vagus nerve and promotes relaxation.
Gentle Movement: Practices like yin yoga, tai chi, and gentle stretching improve circulation and help regulate the nervous system.
EFT/Tapping: This practices involves getle tapping on certain acupressure points to regulate he nervous system and recrete a sense of safety in the body
Meditation & Mindfulness: Guided visualization and Vipassana meditation shift the brain’s attention from intrusive thoughts to body sensations, leading to a calm, ventral parasympathetic state.
Gut Health Support: Prebiotics, probiotics, organic foods and an anti-inflammatory diet (read article here) can enhance a ventral vagal function and improve stress resilience.
Take Steps Toward Healing
Restoring balance to your autonomic nervous system and activating the vagus nerve can be life-changing, especially if you're dealing with chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, long COVID or other health challenges. By incorporating simple practices like deep breathing, cold exposure, mindful movement and supporting your gut health you can take meaningful steps toward better energy, mind sharpness and emotional resilience.
If you're looking for personalized guidance, I’m here to help! As a health coach and medical herbalist, I specialize in supporting individuals with fatigue, exhaustion or with a CFS/ME/Long COVID/fibromyalgia diagnosis to get their health back.
If you feel called to start a recovery journey through herbal medicine, nutrition and lifestyle coaching, let’s have a chat!
