Step 2 - Month 1 | Calm the Nervous System for Digestion

therhythmofhealth
Nov 21, 2025
3 min read

If your gut never really feels settled, even when you’re eating well, there’s a good chance your body is stuck in a state of nervous system overdrive.

This just means your body’s on high alert too often. The system that’s meant to help you fight, run, plan, and push through things is still switched on when you sit down to eat.

When that happens, digestion takes a back seat. Your stomach acid doesn’t release properly. Bile flow slows down. Food sits heavier. And because the gut and brain share a nerve highway (the vagus nerve), your body can’t tell the difference between emotional stress and physical stress - they both turn digestion off.

How to Know If This Might Be You

You might notice one or more of these:

You feel tense or rushed when eating, even if you don’t mean to be.
You eat standing up, in the car, or while multitasking.
Your stomach feels tight or full quickly.
You burp a lot or get reflux not long after eating.
You crave sugar, coffee, or snacks between meals just to keep your energy up.
You get gut flares around stressful periods or big deadlines.
You don’t feel your body soften or slow down when you exhale.

If that sounds familiar, the issue isn’t the food, it’s the state you’re in when you eat it.

What’s Happening Inside

When your body is in “fight or flight,” blood leaves your stomach and intestines so it can go to your muscles and brain. The message to digest gets delayed. So even if you eat the perfect meal, it won’t process properly because your body didn’t get the memo that it’s safe to rest. That’s why some people find they can’t digest even simple foods when they’re anxious, but can eat almost anything when they’re on holiday.

How to Switch Back to “Rest and Digest”

You don’t need fancy techniques, you just need to tell your body it’s safe before you eat. Here’s how to do that:

Before meals

Humming, gargling, or cold face rinses before meals help stimulate the Vagus nerve.
Unclench your jaw. Soften your shoulders. Sit upright but relaxed. A slumped posture compresses your stomach and slows digestion.
Take five slow breaths through your nose. Lengthen the exhale. Be calm and present.
Smell and look at the food, this alone stimulates stomach acid release.
Say out loud (or quietly), “Okay body, it’s time to eat, it's safe to eat.”

During meals

Eat slowly. Put the fork down every few bites.
Chew more than feels natural, until food is liquid.
Keep your phone away.
If you feel tense, pause and breathe again.

After meals

Sit still for a minute or two, avoid lying flat. Try gentle warmth on your abdomen if you feel tight.
Then take a short, 5 - 10min gentle walk, to stimulate calm digestion.

If You Start Doing This Consistently

You might notice that bloating reduces, nausea fades, and food feels lighter even without any supplements or change in diet. This is often the first layer that needs to shift before anything else will hold.

Once you’ve given your nervous system a few weeks of calmer eating, you’ll be able to tell whether the next layer, Step 3 | Reset Your Stomach Acid, needs attention. If food still feels heavy, or you notice reflux or undigested pieces, that’s the next place to look. If calming your nervous system was enough to make your digestion feel smooth and easy, move straight to Step 7 | Build a Lasting Gut Rhythm.