One Year Later: What Really Changed in My Stress Level
By Carola Schröder
About a year ago, I wanted to understand better how my nervous system was actually doing.
So, I had an HRV measurement done by a naturopath. This measurement shows how well the nervous system can switch between stress and relaxation.
Now, a year later, I had another measurement taken. And honestly, the results surprised me.
If you prefer to watch the measurement in a video, I'll show you step-by-step how the HRV measurement works and what changes have occurred after one year.
Why this measurement interested me so much
I live with chronic conditions myself and know this feeling very well: the body is tense, sometimes without a clear reason.
Many affected people describe something similar. The nervous system seems to be constantly in alarm mode. Even small stressors can quickly lead to exhaustion or inner restlessness.
That's precisely why I wanted to know: Can changes in the nervous system even be measured when one works on regulation over a longer period?
Over the last year, I've tried many small things that consistently give my nervous system impulses towards relaxation.
What I do for my nervous system in everyday life
It's not a single measure, but rather many small things that complement each other.
Three of them have worked particularly well for me.
1. Breathing
Breathing was something I completely underestimated at first.
Meanwhile, I use various breathing techniques. The Wim Hof breathing method is particularly intense for me. It's strenuous, but afterward, I often feel significantly calmer.
Over time, I've also noticed that I can breathe deeper again. Previously, I often coughed when I tried to take a deep breath. Today, I can manage five to six seconds on an inhale. At the beginning, it was more like three.
That sounds like a small change, but in everyday life, breathing feels much freer as a result.
2. Cold
Cold is actually not my thing at all. I'm rather sensitive when it comes to that.
Nevertheless, I wanted to try if cold stimuli could influence the nervous system. Ice baths would have been completely unrealistic for me. So I started with something manageable: cold leg showers.
I spray each leg for about one minute, three times, up to the upper thigh. The first moment is cold, of course. But after that, it feels surprisingly good.
And precisely such small stimuli can help the nervous system to react more flexibly again.
3. Frequencies and vagal stimulation
One thing particularly surprised me: certain frequencies.
I found some audios on YouTube that I can listen to comfortably. I usually listen to them for about 10 to 20 minutes. I often combine this with my vagus nerve stimulation device.
I often notice my body slowing down during this. This combination has proven helpful for me in everyday life.
Vital Generation also offers several audios specifically developed for relaxation and vagal regulation. If you'd like to try them out, you can take a closer look at these audios here:
Such frequencies can be a simple way for some people to deliberately give the nervous system a calming impulse.
What an HRV measurement reveals about stress and the nervous system
HRV measurement examines the subtle fluctuations between individual heartbeats.
A healthy nervous system is flexible. It can quickly switch between activity and relaxation.
If the nervous system remains in stress mode permanently, this flexibility decreases. This is precisely what is shown in certain measured values.
In my measurement, among other things, three values were considered:
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Heart rate
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Stress Index (SI)
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Regulatory capacity of the nervous system
The Stress Index (SI), for example, indicates how much tension the body is under. High values mean that the body has difficulty getting out of stress mode.
In HRV measurements, terms like RMSSD or SDNN often appear. These values, simply put, describe how much the time intervals between individual heartbeats fluctuate. The more variable these intervals are, the more flexibly the nervous system can switch between activity and relaxation. Low values, on the other hand, often indicate that the body remains in stress mode for longer.
Many HRV graphs also show other abbreviations. The most important ones can be broadly classified as follows:
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HR (Heart Rate): the heart rate, i.e., how fast the heart beats
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RMSSD: a central HRV value for parasympathetic activity, i.e., for relaxation and vagal regulation
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SDNN: a general value for the overall variability of heartbeats
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Stress Index (SI): a calculated value that shows how much tension the body is currently under
For non-experts, the most important thing is: The more flexibly these values react, the better the nervous system can switch between stress and recovery.
My results after one year
First measurement 2024
First measurement 2025
This change, honestly, surprised me the most.
Compared to the first measurement in autumn 2024, a clear development is evident.
My heart rate has decreased. The stress index has significantly improved.
One value, in particular, made me very happy: The HRV regulation value (RMSSD), which shows how flexibly the nervous system can switch between tension and relaxation, has moved out of the red zone for me.
Not yet perfect, but definitely a step in the right direction.
And that's after a year of many small routines.
An interesting effect with the Vagus Nerve Stimulator
First measurement 2025
2nd measurement (2025) with Vitalnerv Stimulator without breathing aid
During the examination, it was also tested how my nervous system reacts when I use my vagus nerve stimulation device.
For this, one measurement was taken at rest and another with the device connected.
The comparison thus shows the same state of my nervous system – once without stimulation and once with the device activated.
The difference was astonishingly clear.
With the stimulator, several values shifted into the green range of the measurement. This means that my nervous system works significantly more towards regulation and relaxation at that moment.
For me, this was particularly exciting because it shows that vagal stimulation can indeed trigger measurable effects in the nervous system.
If you want to take a closer look at the stimulator, you can read here how it works and what it's intended for:
Discount code: fibro10
Small routines can change the nervous system
One point became particularly clear to me through this measurement.
Changes in the nervous system rarely happen quickly. They tend to arise through many small impulses over a longer period.
In the last year, there were also phases where I thought nothing was happening at all. Sometimes I even paused because I lacked motivation.
But I always returned to my routines.
Today I see: Even small steps can accumulate in the nervous system.
Changes I notice in everyday life
Some changes have caught my attention in everyday life.
For example, recently I was able to work with music in the background again. That would have been impossible before. My brain would have immediately shut down.
Even in stressful situations, breathing often helps me to calm down a bit now.
When my mother once had to go to the hospital with suspected heart attack, such a situation would have completely overwhelmed me before. This time, I was able to stabilize myself with breathing exercises.
This doesn't mean I'm suddenly completely calm. But I feel a little less under pressure.
Further small impulses for my nervous system
Besides breathing, cold, and stimulation, there are other things I use regularly.
For example:
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short meditations or body scans
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singing (which has a surprisingly strong effect on the vagus nerve)
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small massages in the diaphragm area
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ear or head massages
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movement spread throughout the day
I usually start my mornings with about 30 minutes of jogging. It's more of a very slow, adapted pace. I once coined the term "fibro-jogging" for myself, because this cautious pace is the only form of jogging that is even possible for me with fibromyalgia. The main reason for jogging is actually my osteoporosis, because regular impact can help maintain or improve bone density.
Besides this effect, I also notice that exercise benefits my nervous system. After jogging, I often feel a bit clearer in the head and calmer internally.
During the day, I also try to incorporate small exercise units repeatedly.
It's not about performance, but rather about repeatedly giving the nervous system small signals of movement and regulation.
Diet also plays a role
I also clearly notice that my diet influences my nervous system.
I eat as low-irritant as possible, with plenty of protein, vegetables, and good fats. Additionally, I supplement with certain nutrients, for example:
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Omega-3
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Magnesium
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Vitamin D
This combination of diet, exercise, and regulation helps me keep my nervous system more stable.
My Conclusion After One Year
HRV measurement showed me something I had only suspected before:
The nervous system can indeed change. Usually, however, slowly and step by step.
For me, this primarily means one thing: these small routines are not short-term tricks.
They need to become as natural as brushing your teeth.
Perhaps that is precisely the most important insight from this measurement: the nervous system rarely changes through a single measure, but through many small impulses that accumulate over a longer period.
For me personally, it was therefore helpful to try out different things and observe what truly benefited my body. Some of these routines seem inconspicuous – breathing, movement, cold stimuli, or short relaxation impulses – but over months, they can support noticeable changes in the nervous system.
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