5 Ways to Calm the Body's Fight-or-Flight Response

Learning to regulate the body's parasympathetic nervous system and the vagus nerve can help you manage long-term stress or anxiety better

- Aditi Sarawagi

Five years ago, Mitali Chauhan was burnt out. She was suffering from chronic fatigue, palpitations, and anxiety. What drew her out of her angst was regulating the vagus nerve through EFT or Emotional Freedom Technique, a powerful self-help method that involves tapping gently on specific acupressure points while voicing the truth of what you're feeling. Now, at 34, she is a trained EFT Practitioner and founder of Servingyouniverse, a global wellness platform based in Mumbai.

Chauhan found help through self-study and research, but across the country, more than 14 percent of the total population in India suffers from variations of mental disorders as per a Statista Research Department Report from December 2023.

To effectively manage overwhelming stress or anxiety, it is crucial to understand how the nervous system works. Dr Kersi Chavda, consultant, psychiatry, P. D. Hinduja Hospital & Medical Research Centre, Mahim, Mumbai, explains. "When you feel threatened, your sympathetic nervous system kicks in, triggering a cascade of physical responses: increased heart rate, rapid breathing, muscle tension, and heightened alertness. This response is useful for survival in short bursts but can be damaging when it becomes chronic. That is where the parasympathetic nervous system comes in—specifically, the vagus nerve, which plays a central role in calming the body and restoring balance."