The Gut-Brain Connection: How Stress and Anxiety Cause a Bloated Stomach

The SABI on 02/07/2025

If you’ve ever wondered why stress seems to settle in your stomach, here’s what’s happening inside your body—and how you can find relief.

The Gut-Brain Connection: How Stress and Anxiety Cause a Bloated Stomach

Hi, I’m Anna. For much of my life, I never thought much about how stress impacted my body. But in my late 20s, while juggling a demanding career, relationships, and the pressure to keep up, my body started sending clear signals that something wasn’t right. One of the most persistent symptoms? A bloated, crampy stomach that left me feeling uncomfortable and disconnected.

No matter how “clean” my diet was or how often I exercised, the bloating wouldn’t go away. It wasn’t until I started exploring the connection between my gut and my emotions that everything clicked. I realised that stress and anxiety were at the root of my discomfort, disrupting not just my mind but my digestion too. Understanding that connection transformed the way I approached my health—and ultimately inspired the work I do today.

As Co-Founder of The SABI and a Product Developer, I wanted to create something that addressed this mind-gut connection. That’s one of the reasons Hilary and I developed The Digestive Herbata—a calming tea designed to support digestion and bring relief when your gut feels out of balance, especially during stressful times.

If you’ve ever wondered why stress seems to settle in your stomach, here’s what’s happening inside your body—and how you can find relief.

How Stress Impacts Your Gut

Your gut and brain are deeply connected through a network called the gut-brain axis. This two-way communication system allows your brain to influence digestion and vice versa. When you’re stressed, this connection can become overactive, leading to physical symptoms like bloating, cramps, and even changes in bowel movements.

Here’s how it works:

1. Stress Activates the Fight-or-Flight Response

When you’re stressed, your body enters fight-or-flight mode. Blood flow is diverted away from your digestive system and toward muscles and other systems needed for survival. As a result, digestion slows down, causing food to sit in your stomach longer and leading to bloating and discomfort.

2. Cortisol Disrupts Gut Function

Cortisol, the stress hormone, increases during anxiety or tension. Elevated cortisol levels can:

Disrupt gut motility, leading to constipation or diarrhoea.
Increase inflammation in the gut lining, making digestion more sensitive.
Alter your gut microbiome, reducing the balance of healthy bacteria.

3. Stress Increases Gas Production

Stress can also trigger spasms in the gut, trapping gas and contributing to a bloated, swollen feeling.

The Gut-Brain Loop: How Your Gut Talks Back

It’s not just your brain influencing your gut—your gut sends signals back to your brain, too. When your digestive system is inflamed or unbalanced, it can worsen feelings of anxiety and stress. This creates a feedback loop that’s difficult to break.

How to Calm Your Gut and Mind

The good news? By soothing both your mind and your gut, you can break the stress-bloating cycle. Here are some strategies that have worked for me:

1. Sip on Stress-Soothing Herbal Teas

Herbal teas are a gentle way to support your digestion and calm the gut-brain axis. The Digestive Herbata is crafted with herbs that work specifically to ease bloating and manage stress:

Holy Basil: An adaptogen that lowers cortisol and soothes stress-related bloating.
Cinnamon and Cardamom: Stimulate digestion and reduce gas.
Nettles: Flush out excess water and reduce inflammation.

Drinking a cup in the afternoon or evening can bring both physical and emotional relief.

2. Practice Deep Breathing

Breathing deeply stimulates the vagus nerve, which connects your brain to your gut. This helps shift your body from fight-or-flight mode into rest-and-digest mode.

Try This: Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4, and exhale for 6. Repeat for 5–10 minutes.

3. Eat Mindfully

When you’re stressed, it’s easy to eat quickly or turn to comfort foods that might worsen bloating. Slowing down and focusing on your meals can make digestion smoother.

Tips:

Chew each bite thoroughly.
Avoid multitasking while eating.
Pair meals with a cup of this digestive-supporting tea.

4. Support Your Gut Microbiome

Chronic stress can alter your gut microbiome, but probiotics and prebiotics can help restore balance.

Probiotic Foods: Yogurt, sauerkraut, kefir.
Prebiotic Foods: Garlic, onions, bananas, and asparagus.

5. Move Your Body Gently

Exercise doesn’t need to be intense to help. Gentle movement improves circulation and digestion, easing both bloating and tension.

Recommended Activities: Yoga, walking, or stretching.

Reconnecting with Your Body

For years, I didn’t realise how much my stress was affecting my digestion. But once I started focusing on the connection between my mind and gut, I felt empowered to take control. Adding small rituals—like sipping on The Digestive Herbata or practicing deep breathing—made all the difference.

If stress and bloating have been taking a toll on your body, I encourage you to start small. Listen to what your body is telling you and give it the support it needs. Relief is possible when you care for both your gut and your mind.

References

"The Gut-Brain Axis and Digestive Health" - Nature Reviews Gastroenterology
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41575-018-0039-5
"Cortisol and Its Effects on Gut Motility" - American Journal of Physiology
https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajpgi.2002.284.4.G571
"Holy Basil as an Adaptogen for Stress Relief" - Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine
https://www.jaim.in/
"Breathing Exercises and the Gut-Brain Connection" - Frontiers in Neuroscience
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2019.00415/full