Anxiety is closely linked to changes in brain activity. In addition to anxiety, the activity of the gut plays a significant role. Our gut health has a tremendous impact on our happiness, anxiety, and overall well-being. This means that taking good care of the stomach and the gut-brain axis can help alleviate anxiety. Learn why this is and how to use your digestive system to relieve anxiety in the following paragraphs.
Anxiety and the Gut-Brain Axis: What's the Connection?
Because the mind and body are intertwined, everything happens in one has an impact on the other. In addition to the brain, the stomach has its own neural system, which communicates constantly with it via a channel known as the gut-brain axis. In the gut-brain axis, anxiety can be caused by digestive problems.
Gut disorders can be both a cause and a result of worry, and their health can influence mood and anxiety1,2,3. It's becoming increasingly clear to scientists that we have two brains: a primary one in the skull and a secondary one in the gut (thus the term "second brain"). You can manage anxiety by taking good care of your gut. It's a shocking fact, but it's true. Despite the fact that this isn't a cure-all for anxiety, it can significantly improve your overall well-being.
How to Reduce Anxiety by Taking Care of Your Gut-Brain Axis?
Any method aimed at improving gut health and gut-brain axis function aims to calm inflammation and lessen the body's stress response. The sympathetic nervous system's fight-or-flight reaction puts the entire body on high alert for issues, including the gut. Cortisol and other stress hormones overflow our systems, wreaking havoc. Because the immune system is heavily dependent on the gut neural system (the enteric nervous system), stress has a negative impact on it as well. Many people are irritated or inflamed, which leads to physical discomfort and digestive problems as well as direct effects on the brain and mental health.
The gut-brain axis functions better when you use any of these tactics, and anxiety is reduced when you do. When used regularly and consistently, they function on all three levels and can help you relax.
Dietary changes can help to reduce inflammation. Food has an effect on our mood. In part because it harms the digestive system, food can add to anxiety. Processed, fried, and high-fat foods have been linked to inflammation and general poor performance. Reduce your anxiety and stress levels by eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other calming foods. Choose healthful foods and consume them consciously rather than on the run or distracted by devices to further ease your tummy and anxiety.
You may reroute your thoughts by practicing mindfulness. In order to practice mindfulness, you must be fully present in the situation you're in, even when it's difficult or problematic. It doesn't get rid of difficulties, but it can help you get out of your head and focus on the task at hand. Stress, worry, and sadness can all be reduced with mindfulness. This is because you get to choose and choose what you pay attention to (your present moment rather than thoughts about the past or future).
Try focusing on your breathing and doing some deep breathing exercises. When you meditate, you're intentionally paying attention to one thing, such as your breathing or a specific sight/sound/texture/odor/taste. It's possible to perform it while sitting or while moving about (like walking or yoga). A key component of meditation is calm, deep breathing. However, you may cultivate this habit no matter what you're doing, even in the midst of an anxiety-inducing scenario. Switching activity in your sympathetic, parasympathetic, and enteric nervous systems8 helps relax the stress response as well as soothe both your stomach and brain.
Learn how to stimulate your vagus nerve (VNS). One of the most important parts of the gut-brain axis is the vagus nerve. It's critical for reducing stress and promoting healthy digestion. Deep breathing and meditation will immediately improve the functioning of this nerve. The VNS benefits from light activity as well. Alternatively, you can hum or gargle to activate the nerve and other cranial and enteric nerves by constricting the throat9
