Why Anxiety Ties Your Stomach in Knots (And How to Untangle It)”

 

Episode 2 — The Anxiety–Stomach Link

Why your gut knots up during exams, interviews, or heartbreak

You know that weird twisty feeling in your stomach before an exam, a job interview, or when your crush takes forever to reply? That’s not random—it’s biology in action.

Across cultures, we’ve all got phrases for it:

• In English, it’s “butterflies in your stomach.”

• In Urdu, it’s more like “pet mein ghabrahat” (restlessness in the belly).

• In Spanish, “nervios en el estómago.”

Different languages, same story: anxiety shows up in our gut before it even reaches our head.

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🌍 The Global Nerves Club

Imagine:

• A student in Tokyo waiting for test results.

• A young woman in Lagos pacing before a first date.

• A father in São Paulo sweating through a big presentation.

None of them are “thinking” with their stomachs—yet their bellies are in on the drama.

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🧠 The Gut–Brain Hotline (No Wi-Fi Needed)

Here’s the fun science bit: your gut and brain are basically texting nonstop through a special line called the gut–brain axis.

• Your brain feels stress → sends a quick “alert” to your stomach.

• Your stomach replies → “Got it, shutting down appetite for now.”

Why? Because your body thinks stress = danger. And if you’re “running from a tiger,” you don’t need lunch—you need survival mode.

That’s why:

• Before exams → you feel too queasy to eat.

• During heartbreak → even chocolate tastes like cardboard.

• In interviews → your belly growls louder than your answers.

It’s not weakness. It’s ancient wiring.

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😂 A Little Humor

Let’s be honest, though: our ancestors’ stress was “Oh no, a lion is chasing me.”
Ours is “Oh no, I sent that email without the attachment.”

Same cortisol. Different jungle.

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🌱 Try This Tonight

When anxiety tangles up your stomach:

• Brew a calming herbal tea (like chamomile or mint).

• Sit down. Hold the cup with both hands.

• Take five slow, mindful sips, noticing warmth traveling through your chest to your belly.

You’re telling your body: “No tiger here. You’re safe. You can rest now.”

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✨ And just like that, you’ve given your gut a little peace treaty with your brain.