One of the biggest things that’s behind so many digestive issues is STRESS.

According to the New Oxford American Dictionary, stress is “pressure or tension exerted on a material object”, or “a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances.”

Eckhart Tolle has a different way of explaining stress. He says, “Stress is a sign that you’ve lost the present moment, and that the next moment has become more important than life itself.”

But do you even recognize the stress in your life, or how it is impacting your body and health?

The way our lives are today, most women have simply adapted to and normalized the amount of stress that is in their lives. You’ve become accustomed to it. It is what it is.

That is, until it begins to have an impact on your health – your whole body, and your digestion in particular.

When you are under persistent pressure, strain, or tension – be it physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, I honestly don’t think we can separate any of them out – your nervous system will go into some degree of fight, flight, freeze, or fawn.

This is what the body does when it is under pressure – be it imagined or real. And this kind of stress has a direct impact on your digestive tract.

When you are under stress and strain, the body will slow down or shut down digestion altogether to redirect its resources to your heart and your fight or flight muscles so you can either run away from or fend off the source of that threat.

When your digestion slows or stops, the food in your gut stops moving as well. This can be one of the biggest, but least recognized causes of gas, bloating, constipation and a whole cascade of other digestive issues.

Studies have shown that if you are stuck in a chronic state of survival, and the stress in your life is relentless – things like never-ending deadlines, parenting, perpetual guilt, trauma and more – you have a higher chance of developing chronic digestive issues.

Knowing how to regulate your nervous system can support your digestion, and therefore your overall health immensely.

Here are 6 ways you can soothe and regulate your nervous system whenever you feel yourself go into any kind of adrenalized state:

• • Slowing down
  • Breathwork practices
  • Humming
  • Lying with your legs up the wall (a yoga pose)
  • Listening to soothing music with binaural beats
  • Move your body in gentle ways – a walk, a swim, or even swaying from side to side

Addressing past trauma can also help your nervous system come into a more regulated state, primarily by helping the central nerve in your body  – the Vagus nerve – to strengthen and tone. This also supports healthy digestion.

The digestive tract is also known as the second brain. It is intimately connected to your brain, and your hormonal system through something called the Gut-Brain Axis.

Caring for your nervous system can have a whole host of positive effects on your entire body and health.

I have been engaged in some very deep nervous system work myself in recent years and have had incredible results. My health and energy have improved, and my overall well-being has been greatly enhanced.

Try one or all of my recommendations above to bring your nervous system into a rest and relax state. Watch how your digestion improves, and your overall well-being skyrockets, too.