It’s always really interesting to see how stress affects people, especially on an individual level. Some people will experience everything from insomnia, to increased anxiety, to crazy PMS, but a lot of people will see their guts affected when stress increases.
When I was in elementary school, I had a lot of “tummy aches” and looking back I definitely think it was more of a symptom of anxiety than it was an actual issue with my digestion or gut.
How does your digestion do when you’re feeling stressed out? Have you noticed how stress affects your overall body?
Common Digestive Symptoms that may ACTUALLY be from Stress
These are some REALLY common digestive symptoms that I see stress bring on or aggravate.
- Reflux or Heartburn
- Bloating
- Gas
- Indigestion or “upset stomach”
- Stomach cramps
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Lack of appetite
- Feelings of Constant Hunger
A lot of these symptoms are due to the body feeling like it’s stuck in “fight or flight or freeze” mode when the stress levels climb. Good digestion REQUIRES that you’re able to get into your parasympathetic (rest and digest) portion of your nervous system, but if you’re stuck in stress mode, this can be really challenging for your body to properly digest and absorb nutrients and to have your guts feeling happy.
As Naturopathic Doctors it’s so important for us to figure out the root cause of why you aren’t feeling well, so sometimes even though it seems like one area is affected (like your digestion in this case), we’re likely to do a whole bunch to support the actual issue of why it’s upset…which would be your body stress levels!
Need Extra Support?
If you’re feeling extra overwhelmed with the ridiculousness that is 2020, I’m here to help sort it all out with you. We’ll put together a plan that you can manage and get you back to coping with all of the craziness.