‘Nervous while’ or ‘fear poops’ are more common than you might think. If you notice that you poop more if you are stressed or anxious, don’t worry, you are not alone!
You may notice that you are running to the toilet for a large presentation, an interview or for an important day at school. If you are struggling with fear, you can notice that you use the bathroom more often on days when your fear is high.
It is not only in your head: stress and fear can actually influence your bowel movements. We will see why this happens and what you can do about it.
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Why do stress and fear do you poop?
Abdominal shaft
Your brain and digestive system are closely connected and can influence each other. Your emotions can have a major impact on your stomach.
This may sound a bit far -fetched, but if you really think about it, there are many examples. Do you know when you feel nervous or excited and you get ‘butterflies in your belly’? Or if you feel angry or upset and don’t feel like eating? These are all examples of this strong connection between your emotions and your digestive system.
This connection is called the ‘intestinal microbiota-breshaas “ Or just the “intestinal brainSas”. Research Show that when we are stressed or anxious, the hormones that release our body can disrupt the intestinal microbiota in our digestive tract. This influences the movement through our digestive tract, so we can poop more!
Interesting enough evidence Show that this connection is bidirectional, which means that the health of our intestine can also influence our brain function and mood.
Pain reports
Some research suggests that fear can change how our brains interpret messages of the visceral nerves, which are nerves in our stomach and intestines. Scientists believe that the brain can ‘think’ that the stomach and intestines send pain messages or indicate that movement should be accelerated. This can lead to diarrhea if we feel anxious.
Fight or flight response
You will probably have heard of the ‘fighting or flight’ response: it is how our body reacts when it is confronted for a ‘threat’ of any kind. Our nervous system prepares us for action by increasing our heart and respiratory speed. Sources are forwarded to parts of the body needed for action, and away from those who don’t do that (such as your digestive system).
This results in movements in the stomach and the small intestine are delayed, while movement in the colon is accelerated. Unfortunately, this usually leads to diarrhea.
The flight or flight reaction is useful and keeps us safe when we get a threat, but when it is activated for a longer period due to stress or anxiety, it can take its toll on the body.
Changes asleep
Often when we are stressed or anxious, we bring changes in lifestyle that can indirectly influence our digestive system. For example, if you have an important test or interview the next day, you can continue to practice late or you can notice that you are unable to sleep restless because of the nerves.
Lack of sleep Increase stress levels And the stress response in the body, which can contribute to digestive problems.
Some research shows a connection between sleep quality and digestive health, in which one study is determined that “bad sleep is associated with increased opportunities for multiple upper and lower GI symptoms”. This includes more frequent bowel movements, diarrhea and constipation.
Diet changes
If you are nervous, you can eat more or less than you usually do, which can understandably influence your digestive system. You can also make different food choices, for example to reach less healthy food because they feel reassuring or because they quickly grab.
If you do this, you are not alone and it is nothing to be ashamed of. However, these dietary changes can disrupt your digestive system and contribute to changes in bowel movements.
What you can do about it
Now that we know what ‘nervous pooping’ causes, you might wonder what you can do about it! Don’t worry, there are ways to tackle the problem by improving your intestinal health and reducing the stress levels. The tips below are a great place to start.
Change your diet
Changing what you eat and drink, especially before an event that allows you to feel anxious or stressed, can help you arrange your stomach. Try to avoid alcohol, tobacco and caffeine, because they can upset your stomach and play a role in increasing fear.
Avoid excessively spicy, rich or fat food for an important event. They are heavy on your stomach and irritate your digestive system. If possible, stay with balanced, healthy meals, especially you are confronted with times of stress.
Maybe you notice specific nutrition struggers who irritate your stomach. If you do that, you can start making them to see if they have this effect consistent, you can avoid these triggers to improve your digestion.
Improve your sleep
Because sleep can have such a crucial influence on your stress levels, you can tackle stress by working on improving your sleep. Actively make sleep a priority, even more if you know you have a stressful event.
Sleep hygiene, which simply means positive habits to improve your sleep quality, can be useful. This includes making time to settle down before bedtime; See what you eat and drink close to bed and make your bedroom a relaxed place.
Sleeping when you are stressed can be difficult, but it is possible. Here are some tips to guide you.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is an excellent way to reduce stress and anxiety, to help you regulate your emotions and to feel calmer. Mindfulness practices are about being present at the moment without worry or judgment.
Practicing mindfulness regularly has a whole series of wonderful benefits, including:
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- A sense of promoting calmness
- Help you regulate your emotions
- Improvement of the cognitive function
- Improving your physical health
You can view more about the benefits of mindfulness in our detailed article.
Impressive, research Show that mindfulness has the power to reduce the combat or flight response, which actively reduces the impact of stress.
There are many types of mindfulness that you can try, for example meditation, guided visualization, breathing exercises, conscious movement (such as yoga and tai chi), and even conscious food!
Yes, that’s right, you can take on mindfulness while you prepare food and eat it. It can even improve your relationship with food and promote better digestion. View our guide about Mindful Eating if you want to learn more.
Excercise
Exercise is a fantastic way to tackle stress and fear, and to regulate your digestive system. Of course it also has a wide range of other health benefits!
Research Show that when we exercise, stress hormones are reduced and ‘feel good’ hormones called endorphins are increased. This helps us to feel calmer and promotes a sense of well -being.
Exercise also helps us to tackle the battle or flight reaction, and in turn, Protects our digestive system of the harmful effects of stress.
Stay hydrated
Study Show that if you have dried out, this can increase the stress response of the body, including levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Fortunately, that means that keeping hydrated is a simple but effective way to lower the stress levels in your body and keep yourself healthy.
If you have diarrhea, it is really important that you keep yourself hydrated because you lose more liquid than normal. So keep drinking that water!
Without prescription Medication
There are freely available medicines that can help you tackle diarrhea and constipation at home. They can also help with other symptoms of digestion, such as bloating and cramps.
Always follow the label carefully, so that you know how to take the medication safely. It is always best to contact your doctor before you are freely available, especially if you have other health problems or use prescribed medicines.
Dealing with stressors frontal
If you can identify specific stressors in your life, you can handle them head -on to tackle the problem and reduce stress in your life. For example, if you have a problem at work, you may be able to talk to your colleagues or manager, or if you have a problem with a friend or partner, open communication can solve things.
Although it is natural to prevent difficult situations, this only leaves your emotions on bottles and increases stress over time. Even if it makes you a little nervous, having things to do and make proactive changes can be useful!
View our article about how you can lead a stress -free life for more tips on how to reduce stress.
When you need to seek help
When health problems become too much, it’s time to reach professional help so that you can get things on the right track again. Let’s see when to seek help.
Getting help for fear and stress
If your stress or fear of long periods, for example months, lasts at the same time, and you notice that it disrupts your life and makes it difficult to function, then it is time to ask for help.
You can start going to your doctor and they can refer you to services that can help if necessary. You may try to help medicine to help you cope, and therapy to give you the tools you need to deal with your emotions.
When you need to seek help for digestive problems
If you experience one of the following, it is best to be checked by your doctor to ensure that your digestive problems are nothing more serious:
- Ongoing diarrhea or constipation that lasts days or weeks at the same time
- Severe stomach
- Poop that contains blood or pus
- Poop that is black or looks ‘tarry’
- Inexplicable weight loss
Running, extra symptoms of disease such as vomiting, feeling dizzy and severe fatigue
If you feel that something is wrong, it is always best to be checked by a professional. You know your body best!
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No more fearful pooping!
By reducing stress in your life and improving your digestive health, you can reduce fearful pooping or even stop them together! Try some of these tips the next time you have a hard time and see if they make a difference.
References:
1. Rachel Nall, MSN, CRNA, (2020), “Can fear cause diarrhea?” Medical news today.
2. Jane A.Foster, Linda Rinaman, John F.Cryan, (2017), “Stress & the Gut-Brain As: Regulation by the Microbiome”. Neurobiology of stress, part 7, December 2017, pages 124-136.
3. Division of sleep medicine at Harvard Medical School, (2008), “Sleep and mood”.
4. Cremonini, F., Camilleri, M., Zinsmeister, AR, Herrick, LM, Beebe, T., & Talley, NJ (2009). “Sleep disorders are linked to both above and lower gastrointestinal symptoms in the general population.” Neurogastro -Centerology and Motility: The Official Journal of the European Gastro -Intestinal Motility Society, 21 (2), 128–135.
5. Tom Ireland, (2014), “What does mindfulness meditation do with your brain?” Scientific American.
6. Mayo Clinic, (2020), “Exercise and stress: start moving to manage stress”.
7. Gina Shaw, (2009), “Water and stress reduction: sip stress away”. Webmd.