10 Tips for an Anxious Stomach
If you have anxiety like me, you know that it’s more than just a mental illness. Anxiety affects the body in some pretty intense ways. When anxiety hits, one area it hits hard is the stomach. Along with the brain, the gut has an incredible amount of nerves, making it a “little brain” of sorts. Because of this, the two are closely linked, and the digestive system can be upset by mental stress in the brain. It means that a healthy mind means a healthy body. Understanding this, it’s not difficult to see how constant anxiety can ruin the stomach. For me, I would throw up almost every day at my worst. I would be constipated or have the runs. Or worse, my stomach would just hurt, and I felt like I couldn’t eat or move. I was entirely helpless and even missed out on important dates, school, and hanging out with my friends as a result. It’s been a few years since I’ve felt that upset, but it’s all thanks to some incredible coping mechanisms. There’s nothing too special about them, but that’s the point. While they may not be easy to do when you're in the darkest of your anxious moments, they're easy in the sense that they're simple to do at home. You don't need special equipment or anything like that. With enough practice and baby steps, they can be daily practices.