There’s a lot of discussion online and in the media about the gut–brain connection especially in relation to what we eat and the health of our microbiome. However, I often find there’s less mentioned about the two-way connection between your gut and mental wellbeing. The impact of this two-way relationship is something I see in my work, especially in clients who live mostly in their minds. They can be unaware that their bodies have been signally distress long before their thoughts have caught up.
Most of us turn to our minds for answers when something doesn’t feel right, but the body often senses things long before the mind catches on. This means emotional shifts can show up physically, especially in the gut, before we have the thoughts or words to describe what’s wrong.
Clients in my counselling practice are often really focused on the worries or ‘noise’ coming from their mind. Because of this, they may be unaware of the messages their body is giving them.
How gut health influences mood, stress and anxiety
The impact of gut health on mood, anxiety and stress shouldn’t be underestimated. All three can originate in the gut and show up in the guise of bloating and digestive issues. For example, research has linked certain gut bacteria to mood issues, including symptoms of depression and anxiety1,2. Some of these bacteria are also being studied for their associations with conditions like IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), diabetes and obesity. This highlights how interconnected gut health is with overall wellbeing.
‘How is your digestion?’ is a question I regularly ask clients, especially those who are suffering with low mood, anxiety or disordered eating patterns. Stress can show up in the body through digestive discomfort, bloating and cramping. You might notice it in yourself – the unsettled stomach before a difficult conversation, the nausea which arrives from nowhere. It’s more common than you may realise for people to not link these symptoms with their mood. This happens because the gut and brain are in constant communication through the vagus nerve and stress hormones so your digestive system often reacts before your mind has formed a conscious thought.
It can also be helpful to consider what you are eating and how this might be impacting the quality of your gut bacteria and therefore your mental wellbeing. Very often when I talk to people with low mood, they’re not looking after themselves in terms of food. I may discover their eating habits are erratic, centred around snacking, or there’s not much fresh nutritious food in their diet.
Tuning into your body
Starting to pay attention to how you feel mentally when your gut is causing issues is a helpful start to becoming more emotionally aware. Simple practices could be monitoring how you feel after meals or noticing where you feel discomfort in your body when you’re stressed, Taking time to slow down and eat your meals in a calm environment can be valuable too.
I’ve seen the benefits clients have gained emotionally from making small tweaks to their diet. Sometimes it may be changes like adding in more fibre through eating some fruit and vegetables or reducing the processed food you’re snacking on that can make a real difference.
Your gut may be giving you clues about what’s unprocessed or unresolved. Taking time to notice these small signals can be the beginning of deeper emotional awareness.
Why not try pausing once today and noticing what’s happening in your stomach area. You don’t need to interpret it or fix anything. It’s just a way to start understanding your gut is part of your emotional landscape and impacts how you feel. And, if tuning into your body feels a bit strange or hard to begin with, that’s OK. It can take a little time to develop the skill of noticing and support is available if you need it.
1 London, K. C. (2021). Common factors within the gut associated with depression and bipolar disorder. King’s College London. https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/common-factors-within-the-gut-associated-with-depression-and-bipolar-disorder [Accessed 25th November 2025]
2 Radjabzadeh, D., Bosch, J. A., Uitterlinden, A. G., Zwinderman, A. H., Ikram, M. A., van Meurs, J. B. J., Luik, A. I., Nieuwdorp, M., Lok, A., van Duijn, C. M., Kraaij, R., & Amin, N. (2022). Gut microbiome-wide association study of depressive symptoms. Nature Communications, 13(1), 7128. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-34502-3
3 Notting, F., Pirovano, W., Sybesma, W., & Kort, R. (2023). Coprococcus in your gut: the secret of happiness? | Cambridge Core Blog. https://www.cambridge.org/core/blog/2023/12/13/coprococcus-in-your-gut-the-secret-of-happiness/ [Accessed 25th November 2025]
