It’s that time of year again when everything begins to shift: the temps drop (or in some places rise), your routine adjusts to accommodate school and holidays, and you start getting less hours of daylight. Believe it or not, your gut health and bowel habits can also be shifting due to all of these changes. Let’s dive into why your digestive system can act up during seasonal shifts and high-stress times, how it’s all connected, and what you can do to stay comfortable.
1. Your Gut Changes with the Seasons
Yep, your gut microbiome (the trillions of gut microbes + their genes + their little chemical factories) shifts as the seasons shift. For instance:
- In one study of 60 members of a communal lifestyle group, microbiome diversity and major bacterial groups changed between summer and winter. PLOS+1
- A recent review points out how diet, environmental factors (temperature, humidity, sunlight), behavior (time outdoors, activity), and infections all play into seasonal gut-microbiome shifts. MDPI+1
Why this matters for your bowel habits:
- When your microbiome composition shifts, the balance of digestion-helpers, gas-producing microbes, mucus-layer maintainers and gut-barrier guards may shift too.
- Seasonal changes often bring changes in diet (less fresh produce, more preserved foods, foods higher in fats/oils), changes in activity (colder weather → less movement), changes in hydration (less thirst in winter), changes in daylight/circadian rhythm → all these ripple into digestion.
- So if you notice more constipation, bloating, or just “off” bowel habits when we move into fall or winter (or maybe when things warm up again) - there is a biological plausibility.
2. Stress: The Gut’s Uninvited Guest
Your gut and your brain have a hotline. It’s called the gut-brain axis (and yes, your poop is part of the conversation). Here’s what happens:
- Under stress, your body activates its “fight or flight” pathways, which can divert blood flow away from digestion, alter motility (either speed things up or slow them down), change gut-barrier permeability and stimulate immune/inflammatory responses. ScienceDirect+1
- Reviews show stress contributes to symptom severity in many digestive disorders (like IBS, IBD, functional gut disorders) because of these gut-brain-microbiome loops. Frontiers+1
- The gut microbiome itself is sensitive to stress — stress can alter microbial composition, reduce diversity, influence microbial metabolites that affect gut health. International Fellowship of Missionaries
So why do your gut & bowels take a hit when you’re stressed / during holidays?
- Holidays mean disrupted routines: eating at odd hours, heavier foods, more alcohol, travel, less sleep — all of which stress your gut.
- Seasonal changes + stress = “double whammy” for gut health: imagine your microbiome is already shifting because the season changed and you’ve jacked up your stress levels and thrown off your diet/routine.
- For someone with a sensitive gut (e.g., IBS, prior digestive issues), this can trigger flares: constipation, diarrhea, urgency, bloating.
3. Putting It All Together:
Let’s connect the dots:
- The season changes → your diet/activity/hydration/possibly daylight changes → your microbiome shifts (studies confirm).
- At the same time, if stress is elevated (holiday demands, family, travel, workload) → your gut-brain axis is activated → digestion is less efficient, gut motility might change, barrier/inflammation & microbial interactions might get less optimal.
- Result: Your bowel habits might take a hit (you might be more constipated, or maybe looser, bloated, feeling off).
- Note: This doesn’t mean everyone will have dramatic gut issues — but many people do notice “something’s off” during seasonal or holiday transitions.
4. The Squat-light: Tips for Supporting your Body during this Seasonal Shift
All these adjustments can be hard enough to manage even before adding gut/bowel changes to the list, but these helpful suggestions could help keep your bathroom operations flowing smoothly:
Routine & environment
- Try to keep a consistent eating schedule, even when meals are “holiday-style”.
- Prioritize hydration (colder weather or busy holiday times may reduce fluid intake).
- Keep moving, even short walks and gentle stretching ca help gut motility.
Diet & microbiome support
- Fiber-rich foods (vegetables, fruits, whole grains) support a healthy microbiome, which can help prevent “backlog” during shifts.
- Consider fermented or probiotic-rich foods (yogurt, kefir, kimchi) to support microbial balance.
- Limit excess alcohol, heavy ultra-processed foods, large meals late at night — all of which can stress digestion.
Stress reduction
- Try simple breathing/relaxation practices (even 5 minutes) to calm the gut-brain axis.
- Prioritize sleep (less sleep = higher stress for your gut too).
- Recognize your gut is part of the stress response: when you feel “butterflies” or “I have to go ASAP” after a stressful meeting — yup, your brain-gut axis is doing its thing.
Squatty Support: We’ve got your back(side)!
- Reduce stress on your bowels and pelvic floor muscles by using your Squatty Potty stool whenever you go. Even if you’re traveling, we’ve got compact options that can help improve your bathroom experience no matter where the season takes you:
- Original 7” Squatty - the OG for pooping comfort!
- Travel Porta Squatty - your travel companion that fits neatly into a suitcase or carry-on (under 15” when folded)
- Slim Teak - if you you and your guests want to poop in luxury, this stylish, modern stool gives you clean lines and a clear digestive tract!
- The perfect poop isn’t complete without the perfect wipe - our Flushable Wipes clean more effectively than toilet paper, and are gentle and safe (even for those with sensitive or eczema prone skin)
- 150ct Bundle - 50 per pouch, and plenty of pouches to put one in each bathroom.
- Grab ‘N Go Bundle - your travel bestie! Soothing, gentle, and perfect for any form of travel you might go on during the holidays.
Give Your Gut Some Grace During The Seasonal Shift!
Your gut is not in isolation. It’s tied to your diet, your brain, your stress levels, your environment. Seasonal changes and stress are like two sneaky companions that often come together and both silently tweak your gut ecosystem — altering microbiome, gut-brain communication, motility, and barrier function. When your gut ecosystem shifts, your bowel health can shift too.
If you tend to feel digestive changes during holiday seasons or when things get busy/stressful — you’re not imagining it. It’s real. And the good news: with a little awareness (hydration, fiber, movement, stress-management, and the right bathroom support) you can help your throne-experience stay smooth.
Citations (if you feel like diving deep)
- Davenport E. R. et al. Seasonal Variation in Human Gut Microbiome Composition. PLoS ONE (2014). Link: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0090731 PLOS+1
- Koliada A. et al. Seasonal variation in gut microbiota composition: cross-sectional evidence from Ukrainian population. BMC Microbiology (2020). Link: https://bmcmicrobiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12866-020-01786-8 BioMed Central
- Review: The influence of climate, weather, seasonal transitions, and diurnal cycles on human health via gut microbiome. Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10482-025-02097-6 SpringerLink+1
- Review: Stress, microbiota, and the gut–brain axis in mental and digestive health. ScienceDirect (2024). Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025775324007723 ScienceDirect+2Frontiers+2
- Institute for Functional Medicine: The Impact of Stress on Gut Health. Link: https://www.ifm.org/articles/gut-stress-changes-gut-function International Fellowship of Missionaries
