How I Discovered That Stress Was Wrecking My Gut

You know those moments where you think you've finally cracked the code on something, only to realize, “whoops” you were missing half the picture? Yeah. That was me with my gut issues. Come explore that with me. 

I knew stress wasn’t great for me. I had read all about how chronic stress could mess with digestion, weaken the immune system, and leave you feeling drained. And I was seeing it happen in real time.

My gut was in constant distress with bloating, constipation, diarrhea (TMI, but you get it), gas, and my personal nemesis: gastritis flare-ups. My digestion was all over the place, and when it was bad, my mood, energy, and focus were just as awful.

But when I found nervous system work I thought I’d found the answer.  

I joined a course that taught me how to process trauma and come back to safety in my body through healing my nervous system. And low and behold, when I started focusing on that work, my gut improved. I was less bloated, more comfortable, and having fewer flare-ups.

So naturally, my brain went: Ah-ha! This is it! If I can just regulate my nervous system enough, my gut will heal completely!

I latched onto that belief HARD. Because deep down, I didn’t want to admit that I needed outside help. If I could fix it all myself with nervous system work, then I wouldn’t have to deal with gut testing, supplements, or the possibility that my diet needed tweaking. Essentially I wanted an easier way out. 

Of course, that wasn’t the full story.

The Gut Issues That Wouldn’t Go Away

At this point, I was eating a relatively healthy diet, especially compared to the average person. I wasn’t downing fast food or living off ultra-processed snacks. I cooked most of my meals, included veggies, and paid attention to ingredients.

But I was still bloated, still uncomfortable, still hitting a wall with my gut health. I wasn’t digesting my food properly, which meant I wasn’t absorbing the nutrients I needed. My body was sluggish, my brain was foggy, and I just felt off.

I kept telling myself, I’m already eating well. My gut problems CAN’T be about food. My body must just be too sensitive.

Except… my gut issues were totally about food. Not because my diet was bad, but it also wasn’t supporting my gut microbiome. My gut microbiome was completely out of balance. 

How Stress Messes with Digestion

(And Why Your Gut Doesn’t Like Survival Mode)

What exactly happens in your gut when stress kicks in? Well, imagine you’re about to be chased by a bear. (Or, you know, just opened an email that starts with “Per my last email…”—same thing.)

Your nervous system instantly shifts into fight-or-flight mode, and here’s the kicker: digestion is NOT a priority when your body thinks it’s in danger.

Here’s what stress actually does to digestion:

• Digestion slows down or stops – Blood flow is diverted away from the gut to the muscles (because apparently, sprinting away from danger is more important than digesting your lunch. Definitely makes sense when its a tiger or a bear. Not so much when its an email.).

• Gut motility gets wonky – Sometimes, food moves too fast (hello, sudden bathroom emergencies), and other times, it moves too slow (hello, bloating and constipation).

• Stomach acid production drops – Your body doesn’t waste resources making acid if it’s focused on survival. But low stomach acid = poor digestion, bloating, and nutrient deficiencies.

• Your gut microbiome shifts – Chronic stress messes with the balance of good and bad bacteria, reducing the beneficial strains that support digestion and immune health.

• Inflammation skyrockets – Stress triggers gut inflammation, making conditions like IBS, leaky gut, and gastritis even worse.

When stress lingers, your digestion stays in distress—even if you’re eating all the "right" foods. That’s why I kept feeling stuck. No matter how healthy I ate or how much I tried to regulate my stress, my gut needed more than nervous system work alone to fully heal.

The Bad Gut Bacteria That Kept Me Stuck

Here’s the thing about gut health: you can’t out-regulate bad bacteria.

If you’ve got pathogenic bacteria hanging out in your gut, messing up digestion, creating inflammation, and preventing good bacteria from thriving, no amount of stress management is going to magically clear them out. It can help your body fight them but you’ll also need to support your body in other ways to clear them completely.

And that was my problem. I had a few bad gut bacteria that shouldn’t be there like Heliobacter Pylori and a bit of dysbiosis. They were messing with my gut, my wellbeing and even my hormones. And I had no idea because I hadn’t run any tests yet. Instead, I was stuck in this endless loop of regulating, eating well, still feeling awful. Rinse and repeat.

In addition to my own stubbornness I was also traveling a lot and thought I just wasn’t settled enough to test and heal my gut. I didn’t have a home base. But at a certain point, it became clear: I needed to get real gut testing done and target the actual imbalances, not just hope that stress work alone would fix everything.

When I Finally Got Functional Testing Done…

That’s when things really changed.

I joined Healing Guts and Shaking Butts by Hannah Aylward, a program that takes a root-cause approach to gut healing. One of the first things we did? A functional stool test.

And guess what? My gut was not okay. There were bad bacteria, imbalances, and gut infections that were keeping me stuck. No wonder I wasn’t making progress by myself. I was trying to heal my gut without knowing what was actually wrong with it.

Key lesson here: If you don’t know what’s wrong, you can’t fix it. So whatever it might be, get to the bottom of the problem and then you can find out what you need to do to solve the problem. Also, IBS is never the root cause.

What I Actually Needed to Heal My Gut

Once I knew what was going on in my gut, I could finally take steps that actually worked.

Here’s what made the biggest difference:

• Eradicating bad bacteria – I had to clear out the gut infections before anything else could truly improve. And let me tell you, the die-off symptoms were a killer. 

• Balancing my blood sugar – I learned that protein, fiber, and healthy fats with every meal were key to keeping my energy stable. That’s something that my relatively healthy diet was missing, balance. 

• Prioritizing sleep – If I wasn’t sleeping well, my digestion suffered immediately. 

• Actually addressing stress (the right way) – I needed to find balance in my life again and that included the right kind of stress in the right amount. I started to challenge myself again. And in that process I released and processed whatever stress came up thanks to what I learned in the nervous system programs. 

• Eating for gut health – Not just avoiding inflammatory foods, but also nourishing my gut microbiome with variety, prebiotic foods, and fermented foods.

• Incorporating herbs – I started using marshmallow root and aloe vera juice to soothe my gut lining and support digestion. The start of my love for herbs.

Gut-Friendly Solutions That Actually Helped

Okay, so stress was affecting my digestion—big time. But what actually helped when I was in the middle of a gut meltdown?

Here are some of the biggest game-changers that helped me calm my gut and support digestion when stress was messing things up:

Herbs That Made a Difference

• Marshmallow Root & Slippery Elm – These were lifesavers for soothing inflammation and coating my gut lining. If my stomach felt raw or irritated from gastritis, a tea or slurry with these herbs helped almost instantly.

• Tulsi (Holy Basil) – Not only does it taste amazing in tea, but Tulsi is also an adaptogen, meaning it helps the body handle stress better. A win for my gut AND my brain.

• Dandelion Root – Supports bile production, which helps break down food and support liver function (super helpful when digestion felt sluggish). It helped me with my low stomach acid issue.

• Chamomile – A classic for a reason. It helps relax the nervous system and calms gut spasms—perfect for those days when stress and digestion were in a standoff.

Foods That Supported My Gut

• Fermented foods (kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir) – Helped replenish beneficial gut bacteria and improve digestion over time.

• Leafy greens & root vegetables – I used to under-eat veggies. Once I started prioritizing fiber and variety, my digestion noticeably improved.

• Bone broth – This was a game changer for gut healing. Packed with amino acids and collagen to support gut lining repair.

• Healthy fats (avocado, olive oil, nuts) – Helped with inflammation and gave me sustained energy without the blood sugar rollercoaster.

Practices That Actually Helped My Digestion

• Eating slower – I’ve always been a pretty slow eater but what I didn’t do is really focus on eating. I’d watch TV or read a book instead of actually tasting my food. But turns out tasting your food is really good for digestion. 

• Chewing more – Digestion starts in the mouth. Actually chewing my food instead of rushing through meals made a big difference.

• Breathwork before meals – A few deep breaths before eating helped shift me into “rest-and-digest” mode instead of “rush-through-this-meal-so-I-can-do-more-things” mode.

• Journaling stress triggers – Writing things down helped me recognize patterns (like “Oh hey, my digestion is awful every time I overbook my schedule—maybe I should stop doing that”).

The Biggest Lessons I Learned About Stress & Gut Health

Looking back, I realize I had fallen for some of the biggest gut health myths out there.

1. "If you just eliminate stress, your gut will heal itself." — Nope. Stress is a huge factor, but gut infections, diet, and lifestyle all matter too. Many people assume that if they quit a stressful job, move to a calmer environment, or start meditating, their gut will magically fix itself. But stress isn’t always the root cause—sometimes gut imbalances, bacterial overgrowth, or nutritional deficiencies need direct intervention. Healing requires a combination of stress reduction, gut-supporting nutrition, microbial balance, and sometimes medical or functional testing to address underlying issues.

2. “If you just eat healthy, your gut will heal.” — Not always. You have to know what’s going on inside your gut. Especially if you have pathogenic bacteria or parasites. 

3. "You can regulate your way out of gut issues." —  Nervous system work is essential, but it’s not the whole picture. If your gut is out of balance, you need to address both the nervous system and the gut directly. If you have an overgrowth of bad bacteria, low stomach acid, or an infection like H. pylori, no amount of deep breathing is going to clear that up. A truly holistic approach means combining nervous system work with nutrition, lifestyle changes, and functional support if needed.

4. "Stress is the biggest factor in gut health." — While stress is a major player in digestive issues, it’s not always the most important factor for everyone. Some people have gut problems primarily due to poor diet, gut infections, hormonal birthcontrol use or even long-term antibiotic use. Others might experience digestive struggles from hormonal shifts, lack of movement, or chronic dehydration. Stress makes everything worse, but assuming it's always the main issue can cause people to overlook key contributors to their gut health struggles. Healing the gut requires looking at the full picture—not just stress.

What I’d Tell Someone Struggling Now

If you’re dealing with gut issues, take a step back and look at the full picture. It’s not just about what you eat, or how you manage stress, or your lifestyle in general—it’s all of it together.

• Get tested – Don’t guess what’s wrong with your gut. Find out what’s actually happening inside.

• Prioritize digestion, not just elimination – It’s not about cutting out food groups but nourishing your microbiome.

• Learn how to process stored stress – It’s not just about “removing” the external stressor. You have to let your body release what’s already there.

• Don’t assume gut issues are just food-related – Lifestyle, movement, sleep, and emotional health all impact digestion.

Final Thoughts

Gut healing isn’t a straight path, and it’s never just one thing. Stress affects digestion, but so does your gut microbiome, diet, lifestyle, and emotions.

Looking back, I wish I had understood that healing happens in layers. It’s about testing, tweaking, and giving yourself time to recover. It’s not about expecting one solution to fix everything overnight. Slow down and get help.

If you’re on this journey, be patient. And if you’re feeling stuck, get the help you need—because sometimes, the missing piece is something you never even considered.

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