Have you ever had to rush to the bathroom right before a big meeting or found your stomach has tied itself in knots after a stressful day? That’s not just coincidence; it’s your nervous system at work.
If your gut acts up when your stressed, the bloating, cramps, urgency, or discomfort may actually be your body’s stress response in action. Understanding how your nervous system works, and how to calm it, can make a huge difference to your digestion and your overall wellbeing
What is Fight or Flight?
Your body has a built-in survival system called fight or flight. It’s designed to help you respond to danger:
- Your brain senses a threat and signals the body to prepare
- Blood supply is diverted away from the digestive tract to prioritise the heart and lungs
- Stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol are released and blood sugar rises for quick energy
- Heart rate and breathing speed up
- Your senses switch to high alert
This primes your body with sharper awareness (including in your gut) to identify the source of danger and extra energy to fight or flee. Afterall, you don’t need to eat a sandwich to run away from a tiger.
While this system was essential for our ancestors’, it’s not so helpful today when everyday stressors like deadlines, traffic or even worrying about food, can trigger the same response.
The problem is that if this energy has nowhere to go it can leave your body stuck in fight or flight mode. Over time, chronic lingering stress can amplify gut symptoms making bloating, cramping or urgency more intense.
Why Using the Energy Matters
When your body is in fight or flight, it’s ready for action. If you don’t use this extra energy, your nervous system stays activated. Over time, this can contribute to:
- Muscle tension
- Racing heart or shallow breathing
- Anxiety or difficulty relaxing and falling asleep
- Difficulty digesting food
- Magnified gut sensations
- Digestive discomfort
Here’s how moving your body makes a difference:
- Moving your body burns off the energy that your body has created allowing it to exit the fight or flight mode and switch into rest and digest.
- Your nervous system doesn’t communicate with words; it speaks in sensations and responds to actions. Activities like singing, dancing, or rhythmic walking send a clear signal of safety. That’s why movement is one of the most powerful ways to calm stress.
Step 1: Use the Energy
Quick, simple movement is surprisingly effective:
- March on the spot or dance for 4-5 minutes
- Shake out your arms and legs for 1-2 minutes
- Take a brisk 5–10 minute walk
Even small bursts of movement can help your body burn off adrenaline and stress hormones.
Step 2: Send Safety Signals
After movement, it’s important to give your nervous system a clear message that danger has passed. You can do this with calming exercises:
- Slow, diaphragmatic breathing: Inhale for 4 seconds, exhale for 6 seconds, repeat for 2–3 minutes
- Humming or gentle singing: Activates the vagus nerve, which supports relaxation
- Grounding exercises: Focus on 5 things you see, 4 things you feel, 3 things you hear, 2 things you smell, and 1 thing you taste
- Connection with others: A brief supportive chat, hug, or touch can signal safety
Quick 3-Minute Routine
Try this simple sequence the next time you feel stressed:
- 1 minute of marching or shaking out
- 2–3 minutes of slow breathing or humming
That’s it! A few minutes can help your body move out of fight or flight and into a calmer, more relaxed state.
Why This Matters for Your Gut
Your digestive system is highly sensitive to stress. When you’re in fight or flight:
- Digestion slows
- Gut sensitivity increases
- IBS symptoms can worsen or even flare
By learning to calm your nervous system, you support digestion and reduce gut discomfort. Over time, practicing these strategies daily can improve both your gut health and your overall sense of calm.
Daily Tip
Practice these techniques even when you’re not stressed. You don’t wait for a fire to do a fire drill, so don’t wait until you need self-care to practice it. The more you train your body to return to calm, the faster it will respond in real-life stressful situations.
Takeaway: Stress is normal, but chronic fight or flight activation can affect your gut and overall wellbeing. Using simple movement and calming strategies helps your body discharge excess energy, signal safety, and support better digestion.
Your gut deserves calm, not chaos. If you’re ready for tailored support to manage stress and digestion, book an appointment with me today and take the first step toward feeling better.”
