Bryan Johnson’s Tips for Longevity: Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Stress Reduction

Highlights

• Using a vagus nerve stimulating device, Bryan Johnson believes he has lowered his stress, improved his mood, enhanced his digestion, and reduced his body’s inflammation.
• He partially attributes vagus nerve stimulation with increasing his heart rate variability (HRV) — a measure reflecting the heart’s adaptability and resilience to stress.

The entrepreneur and venture capitalist Bryan Johnson, also known for attempting to biohack his way to a longer life, has shared tips from his daily vagus nerve stimulation regimen. In using this routine, he believes he has lowered his stress, improved his mood, enhanced his digestion, and reduced his body’s inflammation.

Importantly, Johnson also uses vagus nerve stimulation to increase his heart rate variability (HRV) — measured as slight fluctuations in the time interval between heartbeats. Higher HRV is believed to be associated with increased heart adaptability and resilience to stress. According to some research, vagus nerve activity has been linked to improved HRV. Therefore, as the rationale goes, using vagus nerve stimulation devices may increase HRV to make our cardiovascular systems more resilient.

Vagus Nerve Stimulation May Alleviate Stress, Improve Mood, and Enhance Digestion

Bryan Johnson chooses to apply daily vagus nerve stimulation because high stress levels have been linked to more rapid aging. In line with this, inflammation that occurs at the cellular level has been shown to increase with chronic psychological stress, leading to signs of aging such as reduced HRV. For these reasons, Johnson uses a daily routine called the Blueprint protocol, which includes stress reduction techniques like applying a vagus nerve stimulation device.

The vagus nerve is a vast network of nerve fibers that relay neuronal messages between your brain and the rest of your body. Of the 12 cranial nerves emanating from your brain stem, the vagus nerve is the longest. With its extensive projections, it influences breathing, digestive function, and heart rate. Through its daily stimulation, we can potentially improve a multitude of body functions, making it a potentially powerful tool for biohackers.

The vagus nerve also has a direct line to your heart’s pacemaker cells, which play key roles in maintaining and determining your heart rate. Through stimulating the vagus nerve with a particular device that fits around the neck, we can increase the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system. As such, the parasympathetic nervous system relaxes your body after stress or danger. By doing this, we may increase our HRV.

Meditation, Deep Breathing, and Yoga May Naturally Stimulate the Vagus Nerve

Johnson has also listed some complementary practices to use in addition to vagus nerve stimulators to further increase his HRV. In that regard, Johnson uses mindfulness meditation, deep breathing exercises, and yoga, which he says are great ways to naturally stimulate the vagus nerve.

In fact, in an interview with Lifespan, Johnson said that he “…tried meditation for some time but couldn’t measure its effects.” For this reason, he switched to breathing exercises that he believes increased his HRV.

According to an article that featured Johnson, combining meditation, deep breathing exercises, and yoga can amplify the anti-stress benefits when used in addition to vagus nerve stimulation. Since Johnson emphasizes getting plenty of restful sleep, he also recommends wearing a vagus nerve stimulation device before going to bed. This may help to calm down your nervous system to induce a deep and restful slumber.

To use the vagus nerve stimulating device that Bryan Johnson utilizes, you need to make sure the device is charged per the manufacturer’s instructions. Once charged, find a comfortable place to sit or lay down.

Once in a comfortable position, place the device on the neck where the vagus nerve is accessible. You can then turn on the device by pressing a button and adjust the settings to a comfortable stimulation level. You can then relax during vagus nerve stimulation, undergoing the process for as long as the instruction manual suggests.

You can monitor your HRV to see whether you are reaping benefits from this technique. Devices like Garmin, Apple Watch, and Oura Ring possess features that allow HRV readings. Record your HRV before starting vagus nerve stimulation to see whether the readings improve. If vagus nerve stimulation is having an effect, you should be able to discern improvements in HRV readings within three to four weeks. Improved HRV readings may serve as an indicator of improved cardiovascular stress resilience.

Vagus Nerve Stimulation Is Considered Generally Safe

If you choose to use vagus nerve stimulation to biohack your way to stress mitigation and improved mood, this practice is considered generally safe. At the same time, you should also take note that temporary side effects associated with this technique include coughing and shortness of breath. Regardless, you should consult with your physician before engaging in vagus nerve stimulation. This will help to avoid any potential risks associated with the technique that may adversely affect your overall medical profile.