Calm Your Gut During Stressful Times

Jul 30, 2025

Calming your gut during stress is all about soothing both your mind and your digestive system. Here’s a combo of quick tips and lifestyle habits that can really help when your gut is acting up under stress:

🧘‍♀️ 1. Breathe Deep, Belly-Style

  • Why: Deep diaphragmatic breathing activates your parasympathetic nervous system (rest & digest mode).

  • How: Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, hold for 4, exhale through your mouth for 6–8. Repeat for a few minutes.

🍵 2. Sip on Gut-Soothing Teas

  • Chamomile: Calms the nervous system and eases cramps

  • Peppermint: Relaxes intestinal muscles (great for bloating/IBS)

  • Ginger: Helps with nausea and inflammation

  • Licorice root: Calms the lining of the gut (DGL form is safest)

🥣 3. Eat Easy-on-the-Gut Foods

When stressed, go for:

  • Cooked veggies (carrots, squash, zucchini)

  • Bone broth or miso soup

  • White rice or oats

  • Bananas, applesauce

  • Yogurt/kefir (if you tolerate dairy)

Avoid: caffeine, alcohol, greasy/fried food, high-sugar stuff — they can inflame or overstimulate your gut.

🧠 4. Practice “Mindful Eating”

  • Slow down. Chew thoroughly.

  • Focus on your food — no scrolling or multitasking.

  • This helps digestion start properly in your mouth and signals your gut to work efficiently.

🐛 5. Support the Gut Microbiome

  • Take a good-quality probiotic

  • Add prebiotics like garlic, onions, asparagus, or oats (unless you’re super sensitive)

  • Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir (again, go slow if your gut is flaring)

💤 6. Prioritize Restorative Sleep

Lack of sleep = more cortisol = more gut distress. Aim for:

  • 7–9 hours

  • Wind down an hour before bed (no screens)

  • Consider magnesium or calming teas

🧍‍♀️ 7. Gentle Movement Helps

  • A short walk after meals improves digestion

  • Try yoga poses like child’s pose, cat-cow, or supine twist to massage the gut

📝 Bonus: Track Your Gut Triggers

Stress can make you sensitive to things that are normally fine. A short food + mood journal can help you catch patterns and avoid flare-ups.

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Hello and Welcome! My name is Carla Alpert, and I’m a Board Certified Functional Medicine Health Coach and Diagnostic Practitioner, focusing on the gut and how it affects your overall health. Think of me as a health detective and wellness coach working in partnership with you to restore your health. We work together to uncover the contributing factors to your chronic symptoms, to eat well, sleep well, move more and stress less.

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