Back‑to‑School Stress and Your Gut: Simple Ways to Keep IBS in Check 

The notebooks are labeled, lunches are packed, and suddenly your stomach is in knots. If the back‑to‑school rush flips your gut upside‑down, you’re not alone. Stress is one of the biggest triggers for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), and the season’s new routines can pile on plenty of it. The good news? A handful of small, doable habits—plus the right probiotic—can help you sail into fall with a calmer mind and a happier belly.

Why Stress Hits Your Stomach So Hard

Your brain and digestive system hold a constant “text thread” called the gut‑brain axis. When you feel anxious, overwhelmed, or sleep‑deprived, stress hormones such as cortisol surge into your bloodstream. Those chemicals can speed up (or slow down) gut movement, increase pain sensitivity, and even disturb the balance of helpful bacteria in your intestines—all of which can make IBS flare‑ups more likely and more intense.

4 Quick Stress‑Busters You Can Start Today

Move Your Body—Gently and Often: A brisk walk, short yoga flow, or a few laps in the pool lowers cortisol and literally massages the intestines. Sneak movement into your day by walking the kids to the bus stop, stretching while you watch homework time, or queuing up a 15‑minute yoga video before bed.

Soak Up a Little Nature: Just twenty minutes outside has been shown to drop cortisol levels. Trade one indoor study session for flash cards on the porch, or plan a weekend park visit.

Make Sleep a Non-Negotiable (~ 8 hours): Overnight rest allows your gut to reset and makes you more resilient to daytime stress. Try setting a household “digital curfew” 30 minutes before lights‑out so everyone winds down together.

Eat Whole Foods and Keep Blood Sugar Steady: Ultra‑processed snacks and sugary drinks send stress hormones on a roller‑coaster ride. Aim for Mediterranean‑style meals—colorful veggies, lean protein, healthy fats—and avoid skipping meals so your blood sugar (and mood) stay steady.

Where Probiotics Fit In

Because stress can disturb the mix of “good” and “bad” bacteria in your intestines, adding a high‑potency probiotic acts like a friendly reinforcement squad. Visbiome® delivers billions of live beneficial strains clinically shown to help maintain a healthy microbial balance and support normal digestive function—exactly what your gut craves when life gets hectic.*

Your Back‑to‑School Calm Plan

1. Pick one of the stress‑busters above and practice it daily for seven days.

2. Fold Visbiome® into your morning routine to fortify your gut.

3. Check in with yourself every Friday—celebrate wins and tweak what isn’t working.

By mid‑semester you’ll have a toolkit that eases stress, steadies digestion, and frees up energy for the things that really matter—like cheering in the stands or mastering long division.