You've probably noticed that I often talk about stress and the gut-brain axis. It's a recurring theme here on the blog and on my social media, and even though I’m risking sounding like a broken record, it's for good reason.
Through these discussions, many of you have shared a common experience: feeling significantly more bloated on workdays compared to your days off. It's fantastic that you've been able to connect this to the information I've shared about the link between bloating and stress.
Indeed, stress is a probably the biggest culprit in why you might experience bloating specifically on workdays. Stress can influence how fast your intestines move food and gas, which can lead to gas build-up and discomfort. Stress can also cause irregular contractions and relaxation of your abdominal muscles, causing a puffed up look. Lastly, stress can heighten the sensitivity of your gut. This means that on workdays, your gut may react more strongly to normal digestive processes, such as the presence of food, leading to feelings of discomfort and fullness. On your days off, when you're more relaxed, your gut might not even register these same sensations. This phenomenon is known as visceral hypersensitivity and it’s likely that your IBS might know it all too well too.
Beyond stress, other factors in your workday routine could be contributing to bloating. Here are four additional possibilities:
- Speed Eater Extraordinaire: Is your lunch break looking more like a pit stop? When you're "inhaling" your food in a hurry, you swallow a ton of extra air. Plus, when you feel rushed, your gut feels it too! And I bet you don’t end up chewing your food down enough to support your digestion. Those bigger chunks of food are hard to digest, leading to bloating.
- The Feast or Famine Rollercoaster: Whether it's skipping meals due to lack of time or grazing on small amounts of food throughout the day, both of these eating patterns can disrupt your digestive system's natural rhythm, potentially leading to bloating.
- Desk Jockey Blues: Let's be honest, most of us are glued to our chairs at work, which isn't your bloated belly's best friend. Sitting for long stretches can trap gas and make you feel like you've swallowed a balloon (and maybe even look like it!). You might even get gas pains from big gas bubbles that are desperately trying to find their way out.
- The Processed Food Parade: When time is tight, those ready-made meals and processed snacks can seem like a lifesaver. But sometimes, our guts just aren't fans of all the extra ingredients and preservatives. They can be harder to digest than those lovingly prepared meals you make at home.
So, what can you do to minimize workday bloating?
You guessed it - do the opposite to what you feel is the problem.
⭐ See if you could batch cook meals to take to work instead of relying on ready-made meals. If this is too much, don’t worry too much about it, I always recommend against thinking that your food is unhealthy or bad for you. Give yourself a break – ready-made meals are fine if that’s what you need to do. Eating food is better than skipping meals!
⭐This brings us to the importance of regular meals, ideally every four hours or so. This timeframe allows your stomach to finish digesting the previous meal before more food is introduced - having to mix newly eaten food with partially digested food is not ideal! You're also less likely to be ravenous, which can lead to eating a lot of food quickly.
⭐ Explore ways to dedicate more time to your meals during the workday. Could you block out time in your calendar or discuss a slightly longer meal break with your supervisor? Think about your specific circumstances and creatively think of potential solutions. If there’s nothing you can do about the length of your meal break, at least cultivate a sense of calmness when you eat. Imagine that there’s no rush. Chew your food thoroughly, almost to a puree. Sip water with your meal, avoiding large gulps, and ideally, avoid ice cold drinks.
⭐ Make an effort to take breaks from sitting every hour. A brief walk around the office, a short stroll outside, or even just walking in place next to your desk are great. Some gentle stretches or a yoga pose can also get the gases in your gut moving.
⭐ Regarding work-related stress, explore potential solutions such as discussing your workload and tasks with your supervisor to make sure you have everything you need and aren't feeling overwhelmed. If a workload overhaul isn't in the cards, see if you can change the way you respond to your work tasks. Cultivate a sense of confidence that you’ll get everything done in time. Every time you feel stress lurking behind your back ready to take over, stop for a bit to take a few deep breaths, or take a few minutes to do a breathing exercise. Breathing exercises are excellent as a stress release routine also even when you don’t feel stress – pick a time in your day, like bedtime, to spend a few minutes practicing. When you calm your nervous system regularly, unconscious stress melts away and you can avoid getting stressed out as often.
Don’t know any breathing exercises? Here’s a very powerful one from my facebook page.
Have you noticed this workday-bloat phenomenon yourself? I'd love to hear about your experiences and what you've found helpful in managing it. Email me at [email protected], use this contact form, or just leave a comment below!
But listen, if this bloating is becoming a real problem and affecting your daily life, it's definitely worth taking a closer look. That's why I've created my brand new FREE Ebook: "Why the Balloon Belly?".
Inside, you'll find a practical table outlining more than ten potential causes of bloating, which can help you compare your symptoms to different gut-related issues. If anything in there resonates with you, it might be a good idea to connect with your doctor or me to discuss the next steps and whether further investigation is warranted.
Ready to explore the potential reasons behind your discomfort? You can download the free Ebook here.
While bloating is a common experience, and some bloating is completely normal for a well-working digestive system, persistent discomfort doesn't have to be something you simply accept. Understanding the possible underlying problem is the first step towards feeling better and regaining control. I hope this post has been a helpful starting point.
Love,
Anna-Kaisa