Growing and Changing Your Gut-Brain Connection With Kindness | Affirmations For Digestive Health
Digestive problems are not only painful but are unpredictable and can disrupt your plans at the drop of a hat. And when your gut feels off, your entire body and mind feels off balance too.
When you’re going through the pain, you’ll do almost anything to get rid of it. But would you try an affirmation for digestive health?
Let me take you back to 2008. I’d recently moved to the US and was taking a quick trip back to England to catch up with family and friends. It was a whistle-stop tour and there was one night where some old friends were all going to meet up in Birmingham from various places in the UK. One night!
And guess which day I woke up with a wobbly tummy and cramps? Yep! There would be no other chance to see these good friends of mine before returning to Florida. I got really frustrated with myself. Then finally called to cancel.
The friend I was cancelling with has IBS. She 100% understood. And at that point she said,
“Come on over, and if you feel unwell, we’ll just stay in. No pressure!”
We had originally planned a full-on, night out. But because I felt ill they were willing to gently work their plans around how I felt.
She did what I should have been doing. Be kind.
Be Kind To Yourself
Being kind to yourself can feel strange. When ill, we can’t do all the things we’d planned to do.
That’s where self-compassion affirmations and affirmations for digestive health can come in. Affirmations are a phrase to say to yourself in a kind and optimistic way. They can feel strange and clunky at first because we’re not used to talking to ourselves in that way.
By using affirmations you can teach your brain to look for signs of hope. And you can remind yourself to be patient with your body as it continues to heal.
Your brain makes new connections through learning, every single day. And the cells within your gut lining regenerate quickly, with stem cells replicating daily, generating new cells to maintain the tissue. And cells within your colon having a turnover of 3-5 days. It is for this reason, that affirmations for gut health can work well. Knowing that you can change the connections between the brain and your gut quickly and change your well-being for the better.
If your gut feels off I invite you to try these affirmations for digestive health on my YouTube channel to soothe your belly and put you back in control.
Why affirmations work
I don’t think we’re ‘reprogramming our mind’ as some people suggest. But there are a few things going on.
From limited beliefs to limitless mind
You’re giving yourself hope that there’s a different way things can be. In other words, you’re setting yourself up for what Professor of Education Dr. Jo Boaler calls a ‘limitless mind’.
Neuroplasticity
Through learning, our neurons (nerve cells) have the ability to change on a daily basis. Giving you opportunities to change not only what you learn and think but your physical body too.
Self-compassion
You’re taking time to speak kindly to yourself. This one simple change can have huge benefits for your mind and body. Being patient with yourself and comforting yourself through pain and suffering will give you a better outcome than fighting through the pain.
Positive Thinking
Positive affirmations can interrupt your natural thinking style, which may normally be more negative. And thinking positively can change your body physiologically. As I have mentioned before, affirmations are not meant to replace your automatic thoughts. But a positive affirmation will interrupt your negative thoughts to allow you to give yourself grace.
Affirmations for digestive health
So, affirmations can have a place in dealing with a chronic disease. But especially self-compassionate affirmations, where you replace your inner critical voice with a kinder, more friendly version. Here are some ideas, taken from my newest Affirmations for Digestive Health video.
I am free to let go of other’s or my own judgements.
I am at ease with my body and accept myself the way I am.
It’s safe to feel relaxed in my body.
I love and approve of myself.
I feel at home in my body.
I am perfect exactly as I am.
I trust my body to heal when it’s ready.
It’s safe for me to show kindness to myself.
I am worthy of compassion, tenderness, and empathy.
My body is producing healthy cells.
I feel at home in my body.
My digestive system is calm and relaxed.
I have enough time to get everything done.
How to make Affirmations stick
Practice affirmations over and over, like a child learning words for a spelling test. When you return to an affirmation, you’re slowly strengthening this new connection between your gut and brain. This takes deliberate practice.
Later today, try to recall some of these affirmations. Then come back to the meditation another day and try the same process. Every time you try to retrieve this information, it changes your brain, and these affirmations will become more accessible than the automatic negative thoughts.
Conclusion
Your mind and body is an amazing system. Instead of criticizing it when it fails you during a chronic digestive illness, treat yourself kindly using affirmations for digestive health.
