How to Help Stomach Pains Caused by Stress

A commonly overlooked source of stomach pain is stress. Stress can affect your digestive health in a number of ways and, because of this, can end up giving you all kinds of abdominal pain. Stress can affect your levels of stomach acid or your ability to digest food. It can even produce excessive amounts of gas. So, before you begin investing in a bundle of prescriptions for your stomach trouble, consider using these stress-reduction techniques to alleviate your discomfort.

Instructions

• 1

  Eat healthily. While everyone knows that eating healthily can increase your life expectancy and keep you physically fit, few people realize the effects that nutrition has on their moods. According to www.integrativepsychiatry.net eating foods such as almonds and avocados can help increase the dopamine levels in your brain, which can decrease the amount of stressful emotions that you experience.

• 2

  Meditate. Meditation is not just for the deeply religious anymore. According to www.wellsphere.com, regular meditation has lasting effects that reduce levels of anxiety and help maintain a positive mood.

• 3

  Exercise. Just 20 minutes a day can work wonders on your stress levels. One of the reasons for this is that physical exercise causes your brain to release chemical endorphins that counteract feelings of stress and anxiety.

• 4

  Laugh. Sometimes laughter really is the best medicine, especially if the source of your disease is a mental one. Instead of choosing that hackneyed horror flick the next time you visit the video store, opt for the latest comedy. Your body will thank you for it.

• 5

  Sleep more. Lack of sleep can place unnecessary stress on your body because it doesn't allow for adequate recuperation time. If you are getting less than seven to eight hours of sleep each day, then it is probably time to rearrange your schedule to allow for a greater amount of rest.