Vagus Nerve - Part 2
When its out of balance
Part 2: When the Vagus Nerve Is Out of Balance
This might be why you're doing all the right things...and still not feeling better.
One of the most frustrating things in the healing journey is doing everything “right” and still feeling... off.
You’re eating healthy food. You’re working on sleep. You’ve cut down on stress (as much as humanly possible). But your gut is still reactive, your energy’s still crashing, and your brain feels like it’s operating through fog.
That’s the moment when most people start asking, “What am I missing?”
If that sounds familiar, your vagus nerve might need some support.
Let’s look at what happens when it’s out of balance and how that might be showing up.
What is low vagal tone?
When your vagus nerve isn’t functioning optimally, we call that low vagal tone. That simply means the nerve isn’t sending clear, calming signals between your body and brain.
When vagal tone is low, your body can get “stuck” in stress mode even if nothing dangerous is happening around you.
This creates a kind of false alarm system, where your body is constantly bracing for impact, even if you’re just folding laundry or lying in bed.
It’s like your inner fire alarm is too sensitive, and it’s going off when someone’s just making toast.
Signs your vagus nerve might need support
Because the vagus nerve touches so many systems, its dysregulation can show up in ways that seem disconnected—until you start to see the pattern. These signs usually unfold in layers over time.
It often starts with subtle shifts that are easy to brush off or explain away, and gradually builds into more persistent or disruptive patterns. You don’t need to have every symptom on this list for your vagus nerve to need support. And wherever you find yourself, it’s not too late.
Stage 1: Early Signs (easy to miss, but important to notice)
These symptoms are your body’s first gentle nudge that it’s having trouble shifting into rest-and-digest mode.
Mild digestive issues like bloating, constipation, or food sitting heavily
Trouble falling or staying asleep, even when you feel tired
Low energy, sluggish mornings, or “tired but can’t rest” feelings
Feeling slightly more anxious, irritable, or emotionally sensitive than usual
Stage 2: Escalating Signs (your body is working harder to keep up)
When the vagus nerve stays dysregulated for longer, symptoms often become more layered and harder to ignore.
Stronger digestive symptoms: IBS patterns, reflux, inconsistent appetite
More pronounced fatigue or burnout, even with rest
Increased brain fog or difficulty concentrating
Heightened sensitivity to noise, light, or crowded spaces
Getting sick more often or experiencing frequent low-grade inflammation
Stage 3: Deeper Dysregulation (your system is stuck in survival mode)
This is where the nervous system begins to protect you by shutting things down. These signs are your body saying, “I’m overwhelmed.”
Chronic anxiety or a persistent sense of unease
Emotional numbness, zoning out, or feeling disconnected from your body
Difficulty feeling joy or motivation, even when things are “fine”
Physical symptoms that don’t seem to have a clear cause or don’t improve with usual treatments
A deep, ongoing feeling of being stuck—physically, mentally, or emotionally
Why does the vagus nerve stop working well?
Your vagus nerve can easily get overwhelmed and its doing its best to keep you safe based on what it’s experienced.
There are a few reasons this nerve can become dysregulated:
Chronic stress: When your system is always managing deadlines, worries, overthinking, or pushing through, the vagus nerve can stop getting the signal that “rest” is safe.
Unprocessed trauma: Whether big or small, trauma shifts the way your nervous system operates. It’s about how your body had to respond, not the actual trauma itself. You can be born with ancestral trauma that has travelled through your family line.
Gut imbalances: Since the vagus nerve is the main communication line between your gut and brain, poor gut health can weaken its function (and poor vagal tone can weaken your gut)
Infections and inflammation: Ongoing immune challenges (like viral or bacterial infections) can reduce vagal tone and keep your system stuck in defense mode.
Lack of safety cues: Your body needs consistent messages that say, “You’re okay. You’re safe now.” Without those, it may stay hypervigilant—even when you consciously know you’re fine.
This is biology, not mindset or willpower. And once you understand that, the whole healing picture starts to shift.
Why this can feel so defeating
Low vagal tone is sneaky, because it doesn’t always feel like a full-blown panic attack or stress meltdown. It can feel like being “just off” all the time. Low energy. Low motivation. That weird sense that you’re holding your breath, even when you’re not.
This is when people start second-guessing themselves. “Is this in my head?” “Why can’t I just get it together?” But the truth is, your body is running an ancient survival program and it thinks it’s protecting you.
It needs compassion, not correction.
And, please don’t forget
Vagal tone can be strengthened. This isn’t a one-way road. Your body knows how to come back into balance, it just needs the right signals.
In Part 3, we’ll talk about why vagus nerve dysfunction is often missed (even in holistic and functional medicine), and why this kind of nervous system support is the foundation so many people are unknowingly skipping.
You don’t need to do more. You need to feel safe. And we can work with that.
If you have any questions, jump to our private Facebook Group or the Ask Lisa page :)