If You're Nervous For A First Date, Experts Say These Are The 7 Hacks That Can Help
By Emily Bell
And what is the Vagus Nerve, you ask? Well, it's a nerve that runs from your neck to your abdomen, and it works to turn off the whole paralyzing panic thing.
"Stimulating the Vagus Nerve can help reduce feelings of anxiety and overwhelm quickly," psychotherapist Christine Scott-Hudson, MA MFT ATR, who specializes in somatic therapy, tells Bustle. "When you are extremely nervous about your date, your body can actually begin to go into a fight, flight, or freeze state, as if you are being chased by a tiger! Your breathing gets shallow to prepare you to run."
You can trick your brain into feeling calm and safe by practicing bottom-up brain-wise breathing, Scott-Hudson says.
"To stimulate your Vagus Nerve before going on a first date to help your body feel calm and safe, take several deep, long breaths," Scott-Hudson says. "Allow your diaphragm to expand your belly as you breathe. Let your exhale be twice as long as your inhale to help you relax."
The Vagus Nerve is an activator of your Parasympathetic Nervous System, or PNS for short, Scott-Hudson says. Your PNS is responsible for keeping you safe and alive, and it handles all of the bodily processes you don't even have to think about, like controlling your heart-rate, helping you digest food, and getting a good night's sleep.
"These deep, long breaths stimulate your Vagus Nerve and spark your PNS to release acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that promotes feelings of general well-being and safety," Scott-Hudson says.
