The Health Review

The Vagus Nerve Explained: Calm Your Body & Rewire Stress

The Health Review

Show Notes

Chronic stress has become so normal that many of us no longer recognise when our nervous system is stuck in survival mode. If you feel wired but exhausted, struggle to switch off, experience poor sleep, anxiety, or constant overwhelm, the issue may not be mindset — it may be nervous system dysregulation.

In this episode of The Health Review, Emily speaks with Jane Ollis — medical biochemist, environmental scientist, Oxford business fellow, and founder of SONA, an AI-powered vagus nerve stimulation platform designed to retrain the body’s stress response.

Together, they explore how the nervous system really works, why modern life keeps us stuck in fight-or-flight, and what it actually means to feel calm and regulated. Jane explains the role of the vagus nerve, heart rate variability (HRV), and autonomic balance — and why true recovery requires retraining the body, not just managing stress.

They also discuss the future of adaptive neurostimulation, how personalised technology can support resilience and sleep, and why nervous system regulation may become one of the most important tools in preventive health and performance medicine.

🎧 Exclusive listener offer: Jane has kindly offered The Health Review listeners 15% off SONA. Use code THR at checkout or access the discount automatically here: https://sona.pxf.io/c/7022575/3799822/43388

Check out SONA: https://sona.help Follow The Health Review: https://www.instagram.com/the.health.review/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More from The Health Review

Oct 22, 2026

Our phones are rarely more than a few feet away from us. We wake up to notifications, spend much of the day moving between screens and increasingly turn to AI not only for information, but for advice, decisions and even emotional support. So what is all of this actually doing to our brains?

Oct 14, 2026

What if improving your health isn’t always about adding another supplement, protocol or wellness habit — but removing some of the things getting in the way?

Oct 8, 2026

What can ancient wisdom teach us about living well in the modern world?

Sep 30, 2026

What if feeling better isn’t always about adding more — but about slowing down, paying attention and getting to know yourself again?

Sep 24, 2026

What can therapy teach us about the patterns we keep repeating, the way we speak to ourselves and what happens when old wounds show up in our relationships?

See all episodes →