How to calm an anxious stomach

Constipation

August 17, 2019 , Last updated: September 4, 2024

"Get butterflies in your stomach every time you’re nervous? Find knots in your gut after an intense brawl? Every time you get jittery, feel uncomfortable in the tummy? Why does it have to be your stomach, every time you are anxious? Why does it have to be that you need to frequent the restroom though it’s nothing you have eaten the previous night?"

Keep wondering - what is the connection between your anxiety and your gut?

Well, here it goes:

Research shows a powerful connection between your anxiety and your stomach. The brain is connected to the gut via the Vagus nerve (one of the largest nerves in the body), thereby sharing a common connection.

Be it a single episode of anxiety, or chronic worry and stress over time, the first symptoms to appear are of the digestive system. When stressed, or anxious, there is a disturbance in the hormones and chemicals entering the gut that interferes with your intestinal flora causing an upset stomach. Due to these chemical and hormonal imbalances, there is a decrease in the antibody production leading to several gastric complaints.

The common stress-related stomach complaints are –

Cramps in the stomach

Indigestion

Hyperacidity

Increased frequency of passing motions, be it diarrhea (loose motions) or constipation (hard stools)

Loss of appetite or increased hunger

Nausea

Irritable bowel syndrome

Bloating of stomach and accumulation of gases

Peptic Ulcer- this is more an outcome of the primary symptoms, i.e. repeated episodes of hyperacidity and indigestion over a period of time can lead to ulcers in the stomach or intestine.

How to calm an anxious stomach?

The best way to calm an anxious stomach is to calm yourself! Yes, you read it right.

Stress, though a part and parcel of life, when managed effectively, can help reduce tummy symptoms.

The anxiety or nervousness one experiences each time needs to be handled better so it doesn't go to the extent of giving tummy troubles.

Also Read: Gastritis & Its Homeopathy Treatment

Here are few techniques that can help reduce anxiety and stress -

Breathing:
This is one of the best nerve calming techniques. When done right, it can help reduce your stress to a great extent. Every couple of hours, even amidst a hectic schedule take few minutes out to do deep breathing. The results of this will amaze you.

Exercise or yoga:
Exercising regularly help you relax, thereby turning out to be a great way to reduce stress. Exercising releases the endorphins in your body that help you feel positive and happy.

Understand yourself:
Who knows ‘you’ better than you? Introspect as to who are you as a person and what are your limitations. Take on only as much responsibilities or tasks as you can fulfill without over stressing yourself. Learn to say "no" where-ever needed. As the saying goes, do not chew more than you can eat.

Eat Right:
Though the tummy troubles are anxiety-related, diet also has an important role to play. Eating right helps to keep the digestive process right, thereby keeping the gut strong to handle difficult situations. Eat smaller meals at frequent intervals that will help easier digestion. Some foods are known to irritate the stomach and trigger.

Acceptance of the problem:
Understand the problem and accept it. Rather than focusing on what you cannot control, focus on what you can do about it. Accepting that you have an anxious stomach will help you recover faster. Worrying and over stressing over it can only make it worse.

Also Read: What are the Homeopathic Remedies for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)?

Treating anxiety will help treat the tummy. Prolonged anxiety and worry needs medical intervention. Counseling and Cognitive Behavior Therapy help in case you are not able to handle your anxiety and stress yourself.

The conventional treatment involves administration of anti-anxiety medications that help reduce the feeling of being stressed.

Alternative to this, homeopathy treatment helps go to the root cause of the anxiety and treat it. These homeopathic medications help in bringing about symptomatic relief too. When combined with effective stress management techniques homeopathic medications can do wonders to calm your anxious stomach.