According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) anxiety affects almost 20% of the population. That was from a few years ago and the incidence is only increasing. You might ask why. The answer is both simple and complex.

We live in a soup of stress and that is only increasing. Our modern world is full of demands and uncertainty that our nervous systems are not equipped to face. As a result of chronic never ending stress we experience an imbalance in how our nervous system functions.

For some people this results in high blood pressure. For others it is acid reflux, indigestion, and ulcers. And, for some of us the consequence is disturbed sleep, anxiety, and depression. 

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The Development of Anxiety

There is no one single cause for why anxiety develops. Many who suffer from anxiety have a history of emotional trauma or abuse. Others simply have a history of longstanding stress. As I said above if you expose many people to the same stress they will experience a wide range of responses. Anxiety is simply one of them.

All who suffer from anxiety do have something in common. They have an imbalance of their Autonomic Nervous Systems. They have developed an overactivity of their Sympathetic Nervous System, commonly referred to as the ‘Fight-or-Flight’ system. 

Over time these people tend to live in a state of Sympathetic Dominance. This often results in a variety of effects such as:

• Higher blood pressure
• Elevated Heart Rate
• Impaired Digestion
• Increased Muscle tension and pain especially in the neck and shoulders
• Impaired quality sleep
• Systemic Inflammation

Over time this state of elevated Sympathetic Nervous System activity also causes a depression of the function of the Vagus Nerve. A healthy functioning Vagus Nerve is responsible for:

• Healthy lower heart rate and blood pressure
• Healthy Digestion
• Healthy Immune System
• Relaxation, Recovery, Healing
• Quality Sleep

It should be evident how important a balance of the Sympathetic System and Vagus Nerve is. Our modern world is full of stimuli that our nervous system interprets as a potential threat, activating the ‘Fight-or-Flight’ system.

The more this system is activated the easier it becomes to be activated and over time we begin to live in a constant state of Sympathetic activation. 

The 3 Critical Keys to Control Anxiety

I am not a mental health professional and in no way am I trying to dissuade you from seeking support from a qualified mental health professional. If you can find one trained in using Polyvagal Theory that will serve you well. I utilize many tools from polyvagal research in my practice.

Here are the 3 Critical Keys to Control Anxiety. Keep in mind the Autonomic Nervous System imbalance we’ve talked about. 

Critical Key #1: Remove Irritation to the ANS. Balancing the Autonomic Nervous System is critical to recover from anxiety. The first step is to remove any irritation that is perpetuating the imbalance. 

Both the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) and the Vagus Nerve originate in the upper neck. The Sympathetic System also travels down on each side of the spine. 

Correcting any sources of irritation and interference is the first step in controlling anxiety. 

Critical Key #2: Cervical Curve and Mechanics. The cervical spine is a delicate structure with a high density of nerves along with the job of balancing the weight of the head. 

Trauma like car accidents, falls, and athletic injuries all cause injury and imbalance to the cervical spine curve. Postures like sitting and texting also stress the neck. 

Over time the neck can easily lose its curve. This causes a number of reactions. The head moves forward putting tremendous stress on the joints and small muscles of the neck. The muscles of the neck tighten up and spasm. 

This activates the ‘Fight-or-Flight’ system triggering a cascade of reactions that supports anxiety like disturbed sleep, inflammation, and neck and shoulder tension.

Promoting a restoration of the Cervical Curve and proper joint mechanics in the neck is absolutely essential to turning down the Sympathetic System.

Critical Key #3: Activate the Vagus Nerve. Over time with repeated activation of the Sympathetic system the Vagus Nerve is inhibited. Many people with anxiety have lived for years, even decades, with lowered Vagus Nerve function.

Simply reducing irritation to the Vagus Nerve is not enough. You must activate and exercise the Vagus Nerve intentionally on a regular basis. Over time you will raise the tone or activity of the Vagus Nerve. 

This practice uses a principle in Neurology referred to as ‘Neurons that fire together, wire together’. The more you activate a neural pathway the easier it becomes to activate. That’s exactly how the Sympathetic System becomes overactive. And, it’s the strategy you should use to reverse this. 

Polyvagal research has discovered 3 broad types of activation of the Vagus Nerve:

• Embodied Practices: movement, touch, breathing
• Environmental: using calm, serene, and peaceful environments to soothe your nervous system. Nature has patterns called fractals that research has show to have a dramatic soothing effect on the nervous system
• Relational: this refers to your relationship with yourself and others. There are people in your life that seem to magically help you feel more relaxed and at ease.  

This is the framework I use in my practice to assist people in taking back control over anxiety. We correct any sources of irritation and interference to the Autonomic Nervous System, restore healthy mechanics to the joints of the spine with special attention on the cervical spine, and teach them practices to activate the Vagus Nerve. 

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