Anxiety, the Vagus Nerve, and Why Sound Helps You Feel Safe

I’ve lived with anxiety for as long as I can remember.

It started in childhood. I was bullied at school—not physically, but with constant name-calling, the kind that slowly chips away at your sense of safety and self. It stayed with me. Even now, I still feel it when I walk into a room full of people or try to speak to someone I don’t know. There’s always a moment where I freeze.

I’ve built a life where I can manage it—carefully planned, well-structured. It even serves me well in my day job, where my ability to spot risks and overthink everything makes me good at what I do. But that same overthinking mind is also the root of my overwhelm.

And there’s one fear that still grips me, no matter how much work I’ve done:

Driving over bridges.

It’s instant. Chest tightens, breath shortens, vision narrows. Full-body panic. The only thing that helps?

Sound.

I hum. I chant. I sing softly under my breath. It’s not a performance—it’s survival. If you ever pass me on a bridge and see me mouthing words with the radio off, you’ll know why.

What Is the Vagus Nerve, and Why Does It Matter?

The vagus nerve is the main nerve of the parasympathetic nervous system—the part that helps us feel calm, safe, and settled.

It runs from the brainstem through the face, throat, lungs, heart, liver, and gut. When we feel safe, the vagus nerve helps slow the heart rate, deepen the breath, soften the gut, and release tension. But when we’re anxious, this system shuts down and our fight-or-flight response kicks in.

In people with anxiety, trauma, ADHD, or autism, the vagal response often doesn’t switch on easily. The body gets stuck in alert mode. And even when the danger has passed, the system doesn’t reset.

This is where sound comes in.

How Sound Helps Calm the Nervous System

Sound is one of the fastest ways to stimulate the vagus nerve—especially when it involves the voice or low-frequency vibration.

Here’s how it works:

1. Humming, Chanting, and Singing

When we hum or sing, we activate the muscles in the throat and face connected to the vagus nerve. This sends a signal to the brain: “We’re safe. You can relax now.”

It also slows the breath, lengthens the exhale, and helps regulate the heartbeat. Even a gentle hum can shift the whole state of the nervous system.

This is why, during panic, my instinct is to hum. It gives my body an anchor.

2. Sound Baths and Low-Frequency Vibration

Gongs, singing bowls, and drums create low-frequency sound waves that travel deep into the body. These vibrations are picked up by receptors in the skin, muscles, and even the bones.

They don’t just sound calming—they feel calming. They lower blood pressure, slow brainwaves, and invite the body into the parasympathetic state.

3. Brainwave Entrainment and Safety

When we listen to rhythmic sound—especially around 4–8 Hz, like in gong baths—it encourages the brain to shift into theta or alpha brainwave states, which are associated with deep rest, calm, and emotional release.

It’s not about zoning out—it’s about helping the brain feel safe enough to let go.

Safety Is the First Step to Healing

For those of us who live with chronic anxiety, neurodivergence, or past trauma, safety isn’t a given—it has to be created.

Sound gives us a way to do that. It’s not intellectual. It’s not about talking. It’s a physical, vibrational reminder to the nervous system: you are safe, you are held, you can breathe now.

That moment on a bridge, when I’m humming to myself with the windows closed, is more than a coping tool—it’s a reminder that I can return to safety, even in fear.

Let’s Leave You with This

You never really know what someone’s carrying. The person next to you in traffic might be in fight-or-flight just trying to get over a bridge.

Sound doesn’t fix everything—but it offers a path back to the body.It reminds us that safety isn’t just an idea—it’s a feeling we can create, one breath, one note at a time.

So next time your heart races, your chest tightens, and the world feels too loud…Try a hum. A chant. A soft song to yourself.Not to perform. Just to come home.