5 Joy Practices to Reset Your Vagus Nerve

As nature bursts into bloom and light stretches longer into our days, May is a quiet invitation to celebrate life. But for many of us, especially those living in survival mode, joy can feel distant or undeserved. We wait to feel it “once the stress is gone,” or “when things calm down.” But what if joy isn’t something we earn after healing, but a pathway into it?

At the core of my upcoming book, Holistic Vagus Nerve Reset, is a science-backed approach. This approach focuses on relieving stress, restoring sleep, and rewiring the brain. These steps help with emotional regulation and long-term well-being. The research is clear: joy is not just a fleeting feeling—it’s a powerful physiological state. It is a biological signal of safety, a nervous system upgrade, and a radical act of healing.

Joy and the Vagus Nerve: A Bridge to Emotional Safety

The vagus nerve is the body’s communication superhighway between the brain and body. When toned and activated, it signals that we are safe, calm, and capable of connection. This state, parasympathetic dominance, supports digestion, sleep, immunity, and emotional regulation.

Joy lives in this regulated state. But here’s the secret: we don’t have to wait for everything to be perfect to feel pleasure. We can practice it. And in doing so, we strengthen our vagus nerve, increase emotional resilience, and invite a new rhythm of well-being.

Joy Is Not a Personality—It’s a Practice

Many people think of joy as something you’re either born with or not, like a fixed personality trait. But neuroscience and polyvagal theory show otherwise. Joy is a trainable state. Tiny, repeated moments of safety, awe, and delight rewire the brain’s emotional circuits and build what’s known as positive neuroplasticity. In other words, the more you practice joy, the more your nervous system learns how to live there.

We’re not talking about fake positivity. We’re talking about micro-celebrations. It’s the joy when you notice the morning light. It’s when you hum softly to yourself or smile at a child’s question. These moments are like tiny sparks—enough to remind your body: I’m safe now. I can feel this.

Your May Joy-Reset: 5 Simple Practices to Celebrate Being Alive

Here are a few joy-based nervous system practices you can try this month. Each one is simple, yet powerful. You don’t need hours—you just need willingness and presence.

1. Celebrate the Small

Jot down three things that made you smile or feel grateful each evening. They don’t need to be big—just honest. This will rewire the brain’s attention from survival scanning to celebration.

2. Joy Breath

Inhale through your nose for a count of 4. Exhale with a soft, audible sigh. Repeat three times. This breath not only signals calm, but it also stimulates the vagus nerve.

3. Dance or Shake

Put on your favourite song and move freely for two minutes. Shake your arms, bounce on your toes, or sway slowly. Movement releases tension and helps energy flow through the body.

4. Smile Meditation

Sit quietly and bring a gentle smile to your lips—even if you don’t feel joyful. This subtle act sends a message of safety to your brain, activating parasympathetic relaxation.

5. Gratitude & Awe Walk

Take a slow walk and challenge yourself to find five beautiful or surprising things. Add soft humming as you walk for bonus vagal activation.

These are more than feel-good practices. They are physiological resets. Each gently brings your body and brain into a regulated state where healing becomes possible.

From Survival to Celebration: My Invitation to You

There was a time when joy felt out of reach—when stress, burnout, and sleepless nights left no room for celebration. But choosing small moments of joy, even during those hard seasons, became part of my healing. I didn’t wait to feel better—I began celebrating the possibility of feeling again.

This May, I invite you to do the same. Don’t wait for permission. Don’t wait for perfection. Choose one joyful practice today. It shouldn’t be seen as a task on your to-do list. Instead, view it as a sacred act of self-connection. Joy isn’t frivolous. It’s your body’s way of saying, I belong here. I’m safe. I’m alive.

If you’d like the printable Joy Reset Protocol, you can grab it here: 👉 The Joy Reset Protocol.pdf.

Coming Soon: Holistic Vagus Nerve Reset

If you’re ready to go deeper, my book Holistic Vagus Nerve Reset is coming soon. It’s a guide to nervous system healing grounded in compassion, science, and daily practices that work. Together, we’ll explore how to restore balance. We will rewire your brain. You will reclaim your well-being—one breath, one joyful moment at a time.

You deserve joy, not later, but now.