Why Your Anxiety Lives in Your Stomach: Understanding the Gut-Brain Connection
Struggling with both anxiety and digestive issues like IBS, nausea, or stomach pain? Your gut and brain are in constant communication through the gut-brain axis and vagus nerve. About 90% of your serotonin—your mood-regulating neurotransmitter—is actually produced in your gut, not your brain. This means gut health IS mental health. Learn why anxiety disrupts digestion, how chronic stress changes your microbiome, and why holistic therapy that addresses your nervous system, psychological patterns, and physical symptoms together is most effective for lasting healing.
30+ Interventions For Anxiety Relief
Getting an idea of how intense the anxiety is feeling will be a good indicator for which types of strategies might be most helpful for you. For instance, if anxiety feels lower and more manageable, perhaps a meditation would be beneficial. If anxiety feels more intense, movement, grounding and more body-based strategies would likely help more. Ultimately, you get to be the judge of what is most helpful for you for the various levels of anxiety you experience.
ACT - A Gentler Approach To Anxiety
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy offers a gentle, compassionate and mindful approach to both our internal and external experiences. It empowers us to align with our values and to cultivate self-compassion as we respond to our inner world (ie. our thoughts, emotions, memories, etc.).
As we practice Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, whether it be for anxiety, depression, stress-management, self-esteem, etc., we are choosing to turn towards our experiences with curiosity and acceptance, rather than constantly trying to change them.