Ever found yourself clutching your stomach, wondering if that burrito you bravely tackled at lunch is to blame, or if it’s your swirling, twirling, anxious thoughts causing the uproar?
Identifying an anxiety stomach ache can feel like trying to solve a mystery where your body is both the detective and the scene of the crime.
Where do you even start?
I’m going to teach you how to recognize when a stomach ache is really stemming from anxiety, and I’ll share some heartfelt tips on reducing stress, starting with nurturing your gut health!
But first, we need to explore the profound connection between your gut and your brain—because, truly, that’s where it all starts!
What is the Gut-Brain Axis?
The gut-brain axis is a complex communication network that connects your digestive system and your central nervous system. This intricate connection allows your gut and brain to constantly send signals back and forth, influencing everything from your mood and emotions to your digestive function and immune health.
Think of it like a superhighway of information, with your gut acting as a second brain, constantly sending updates and feedback to your main brain. In fact, your gut contains over 100 million neurons, which is why it’s often referred to as your “second brain” or “belly brain.”
How Stress and Anxiety Affect Your Digestive Health
When you experience stress or anxiety, your body goes into “fight or flight” mode.
While this response can be life-saving in emergency situations, it becomes problematic when triggered frequently by the stresses of everyday life, especially when it comes to a nervous stomach!
In this heightened state, your body releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.
Cortisol, often referred to as the “stress hormone,” plays a crucial role in managing how your bodies use carbohydrates, fats, and proteins for energy, maintaining blood pressure, and regulating the immune system. Cortisol can increase the stomach’s acidity, potentially leading to heartburn or acid reflux.
Adrenaline, also known as epinephrine, ramps up your heart rate, increases your energy supply, and boosts oxygen intake in your lungs. This slows down or even temporarily halts the muscle contractions of the gut that move food along, known as peristalsis.
If you have an anxiety disorder, these reactions are not just occasional but can be a persistent issue. Chronic exposure to stress hormones can lead to inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, exacerbating symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and a whole set of other digestive-related conditions.
But here’s the thing – it’s not just your brain that can influence your gut health. Your gut health can also have a significant impact on your mental well-being.
How Your Digestive Health Influences Anxiety
Did you know that over 95 percent of your body’s serotonin is produced in your digestive tract?
Serotonin, well known as a “happy” hormone, is a vital chemical in your body. It regulates functions like your sleep, your mood, how your body heals itself, and even your digestion.
Serotonin controls peristalsis, or the contractions in your digestive tract.
So, in a way, how well your body digests food impacts your brain health.
Research has shown that an imbalance in your gut microbiome (the trillions of bacteria that live in your digestive tract) can contribute to mood disorders like anxiety and depression. It’s a vicious cycle – stress and anxiety can disrupt your gut health, and poor gut health can exacerbate your stress and anxiety.
What Does An Anxiety Stomach Ache Feel Like?
The gut-brain connection is a powerful one, and it’s not always easy to make the link. But don’t worry, beauty – there are some telltale signs that can help you tune in to what your body is trying to tell you!
Physical Symptoms of Anxiety-Related Stomach Pain
If you’re grappling with the physical effects of anxiety, the discomfort can manifest in various, tangible ways that can truly ruin your day!
An upset stomach, for instance, might not just feel uncomfortable but can actually involve sharp cramps or a persistent, tight sensation that feels like your stomach is in knots. Bloating and nausea are also common symptoms, making you feel full and uneasy even if you haven’t eaten much, which can disrupt your normal eating patterns. you might find changes in your digestion, leading to either diarrhea or constipation, which will only make your anxiety worse!
Acid reflux is another physical symptom, bringing with it a burning sensation that can rise up your throat, commonly known as heartburn. This can be particularly uncomfortable, adding physical pain to the emotional turmoil of anxiety.
Each of these symptoms not only affects your physical well-being but also has the potential to heighten your stress levels, creating a challenging cycle to break.
So, if you notice your tummy ache is flaring up when you’re feeling particularly anxious, that’s a good sign there might be a connection!
Emotional Symptoms of and Stomach Discomfort
In addition to physical symptoms, there are emotional signs to look out for that may indicate your stomach ache is connected to anxiety. Feeling nervous, restless, or on edge, having difficulty concentrating, experiencing irritability or mood swings, and struggling with sleep are all potential red flags.
If you find that your stomach pain tends to coincide with periods of high stress or anxiety, then your stomach ache might be trying to tell you something about your mental well-being!
Common Triggers of an Anxious Stomach
Stress, especially chronic stress, is a huge trigger for anxiety-related stomach issues. It could be something significant like a career change or personal loss or something more chronic like ongoing work pressure or caregiving demands.
Past emotional traumas can also linger and manifest physically. Plus, lifestyle choices play a part—things like inadequate sleep, minimal physical activity, and certain foods or drinks (yes, even that morning cup of coffee or your favorite spicy meal) can exacerbate your symptoms.
That’s why it’s so important to take a holistic approach to managing anxiety-related stomach pain, focusing on both your physical and emotional well-being.
3 Ways to Help Reduce Stress and Stomach Pain
The good news is, that there are plenty of natural, holistic strategies you can use to support both your gut health and your mental well-being.
Here are three of my favorite methods for reducing stress and soothing your troubled tummy:
1. Holistic Approaches to Managing Anxiety
When it comes to managing anxiety, I’m all about taking a holistic approach that nourishes your mind, body, and soul.
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Prevention is your strongest ally against stress, and there are effective strategies to halt it in its tracks before it begins! Check out my podcast to learn 6 Practical Ways to Avoid Stress
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Simple meditations every day can truly help with your anxiety, especially if you’re focused on incorporating your whole body from the inside out! Check out some of my favorite meditations to incorporate them into your daily routine!
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Incorporating yoga and gentle exercise into your daily routine to release tension and boost your mood. My favorite yoga routine is my Simple Yoga Godness routine, which you can watch and follow along with right here!
Managing anxiety is a journey – and it’s all about finding what works for you and your unique needs!
2. Nourishing Your Gut to Calm Your Mind
What you eat can have a huge impact on your anxiety levels and gut health!
One of the best ways to ease anxiety-induced stomach discomfort is by nourishing your body with a natural, wholesome diet. It’s not just about eating right—it’s about making sure your body gets the nutrients it needs to handle stress gracefully.
Stress can disrupt how well your body absorbs nutrients. Eating a balanced diet helps ensure that your digestive system is equipped to deal with anxiety’s impacts effectively.
Here are some of my favorite recipes to help inspire a natural diet filled with greens!
But I know getting enough greens can be a tall order some days. Solluna’s Glowing Greens Powder makes it super simple, packing a nutrient-rich blend of greens into a quick, easy-to-use powder.
How Glowing Greens Powder Can Help
Packed with Goodness: Ingredients like spirulina, chlorella, and moringa aren’t just ordinary greens; they’re super greens! They’re loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants essential for balancing your body and supporting your nervous system when you’re feeling stressed.
No-Fuss Nutrition: When you’re feeling anxious, preparing meals might be the last thing on your mind. Stirring a scoop of Glowing Greens Powder into your smoothie, juice, or even water is an effortless way to boost your nutrient intake without the stress of cooking.
3. Supplementing for Your Gut
There is one key supplement that can work wonders for your gut health and can help balance out your anxiety along the way: probiotics!
The right probiotic supplement introduces billions of beneficial gut bacteria into your digestive system, where they go to work on keeping your body healthy and strong. Not all probiotic supplements are the same though— many supplements use dairy-derived probiotics.
This isn’t ideal on a plant-based diet, but they’re also not hardy enough to survive in your gut! And if probiotics can’t survive in your gut, then they can’t give you their health benefits.
Soil-based probiotics, like those found in Solluna’s Feel Good Probiotics, offer distinct advantages for maintaining and restoring your gut health effectively. These probiotics originate from the soil and are naturally more resilient and stable than other types. This means they have a natural protective coating that keeps them dormant until they reach the right conditions in the gut to become active.
By fortifying your gut with robust probiotics, you’re ensuring a more dynamic and responsive microbiome. A balanced microbiome means a higher production of Serotonin!
Basically, if you use probiotics that are resilient and effective, your “happy hormone” will thrive, your mood will stabilize, and your anxiety will be reduced! Happiness all starts in your gut!
Read More about Soil-Based Probiotics
When it Comes to Your Mental Health, Trust Your Gut!
Your gut health and your mental health are more closely connected than you might have originally thought. Your gut-brain axis is a direct line between your stomach and your brain, transferring vital information between the two like a telephone line. Your gut and your brain keep each other healthy, so it’s super important that you do your part to keep them as healthy as possible!
So remember, Beauty, when it comes to taking care of your mental health, you should always go with your gut. :
All my love,
