Managing digestive issues while at work can sometimes feels like a full-time job itself. Between meetings and deadlines, your gut symptoms can feel overwhelming and disruptive.
The good news is that with the right strategies, you can support your digestive health throughout your workday without sacrificing your productivity or comfort.
I'm Manny, founder of Fifth Ray and a certified Gut Health Coach. After battling Crohn's Disease for 16 years and undergoing emergency surgery that removed 30cm of my intestine, I understand firsthand how difficult it can be to manage gut issues while maintaining a career.
I worked in IT for 10 years while dealing with severe digestive symptoms, so I've developed practical approaches that work in real workplace settings.
This guide shares seven actionable tips you can implement immediately to create a gut-friendly workday routine. These strategies helped me transition from taking 14 tablets daily to living completely medication-free, and they've supported thousands of people managing conditions like IBS, Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, and general digestive discomfort.
Start Your Day Right
Wake Your Body Up Gently
How you begin your morning sets the tone for your entire digestive day. When you wake up, your gut needs gentle support to start functioning smoothly.
Begin with a glass of warm lemon water. This simple step helps stimulate your digestive system and provides gentle hydration after your overnight fast. The citric acid in lemon can support your body's natural digestive processes without overwhelming your system.
After your lemon water, prepare a cup of Cosmic Hue. This plant tea blend contains seven herbs specifically selected to calm your gut and reduce inflammation. Drinking this before breakfast gives these plants time to work with your system.
Follow your Cosmic Hue with a light breakfast that agrees with your gut. During my recovery, I found that rushing into heavy meals first thing caused unnecessary discomfort throughout the day. Choose foods you know work well for your system.
This morning routine will help settle your gut before you commute to work. If you travel regularly, you might find additional strategies helpful in our guide on travelling with digestive issues.
What To Do At Work
Manage Stress Levels
Your gut and brain are directly connected through the vagus nerve. When you feel stressed at work, your gut feels it immediately. This connection works both ways, which is why managing workplace stress is essential for digestive comfort.
Visualisation can help reset your nervous system in moments of high stress. When I worked in IT and faced difficult meetings or tight deadlines, I would take two minutes to visualise my gut as calm water. I would picture the inflammation settling, the muscles relaxing, and the system finding its natural rhythm.
Breathing exercises provide another powerful tool for gut support throughout your workday. When stress triggers your fight-or-flight response, your digestive system essentially shuts down. Conscious breathing activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which relaxes you.
An example breathing technique is to breathe in through your nose for four counts, hold for two counts, then exhale through your mouth for six counts. Repeat this cycle three times.
Get Up From The Desk Regularly
Sitting for extended periods slows your digestive system and can worsen symptoms like bloating and constipation. Your gut needs movement to function properly.
Try to stand up and move every hour. Even a brief walk to get some water or a few stretches at your desk helps. When possible, step outside into natural sunlight. Sunlight exposure supports your circadian rhythm, which regulates your digestive processes throughout the day.
Stay Hydrated and Avoid Caffeine
Proper hydration supports every aspect of digestive health. Water helps break down food, absorb nutrients, and move waste through your system. Most people with gut issues improve simply by drinking more water throughout the day.
Keep a water bottle at your desk and sip regularly rather than gulping large amounts at once. Small, consistent amounts of water support your gut without overwhelming it.
Many people reach for coffee at work to boost energy, but caffeine can trigger anxiety and worsen digestive symptoms. Consider replacing your coffee with Cosmic Hue. It is caffeine-free and provides sustained energy through adaptogenic herbs like astragalus and ashwagandha.
Eat Lunch and Snacks Mindfully
Your midday meal can either support your afternoon productivity or leave you uncomfortable and sluggish. Choose your lunch carefully based on what you know works for your gut.
Avoid refined carbohydrates that make you feel bloated and heavy. White bread, pasta, and processed foods often contain ingredients that cause bloating and discomfort. These foods digest quickly, causing blood sugar spikes and crashes that affect both your energy and your gut.
When hunger strikes between meals, reach for whole foods like fruits and nuts instead of sugary treats. Processed snacks often contain additives, artificial sweeteners, and inflammatory ingredients that trigger digestive symptoms.
Pay attention to how you eat, not just what you eat. Taking time to chew thoroughly and eating at a relaxed pace supports proper digestion. This helps your body shift into rest and digest mode.
Wind Down After Work
Enjoy Your Evening Meal
After a long workday, you deserve to enjoy your food without worry. Whether you eat out with friends or prepare a light meal at home, focus on foods that nourish your gut rather than stress it.
If you're cooking at home, choose ingredients you tolerate well and prepare them simply. Complex, heavy meals late in the evening can disrupt sleep and cause overnight discomfort.
Dining out requires more planning when you have digestive issues, but it's absolutely possible to enjoy social meals. Check menus in advance, communicate your needs clearly, and don't feel pressured to explain your choices to others.
Prioritise Good Sleep
Quality sleep is one of the most powerful tools for gut healing. Sleep and gut health are deeply connected. Your gut repairs itself during sleep, and poor sleep directly worsens digestive symptoms.
Try to relax before bed and avoid blue light from screens for at least an hour before sleep. Blue light disrupts your melatonin production, which affects both sleep quality and gut function.
Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep each night when possible. Research shows this is the optimal range for gut health and overall recovery. During my healing journey, improving my sleep quality made much of a difference than I was expecting.
Drink Cosmic Hue to Support Your Workday
On top of the tips above, you can consider drinking Cosmic Hue to support your gut daily.
Thousands of satisfied customers have benefited from drinking Cosmic Hue before work, at work, or after work. The seven-plant formula works throughout the day to support your gut health, give you sustained energy and calm your mood.
Real Cosmic Hue Stories
Lee T: Feeling anxious always makes my stomach hurt, especially at work. Thought I'd give this a try to help settle my stomach and I've been drinking it for 2 months now and it has helped me feel calm and more focused. I've nearly finished my second bag. Thanks!
Caroline T: Amazing stuff! My Son takes it every single day for work to support with gut health, pure natural superfood ingredients and it tastes great too! Would definitely recommend and packing is fab too!
Shirley T: I'm taking Cosmic Hue to work in my flask every day and loving it. Added ice for hot days once it's brewed.
Mr Martin: I have been suffering stomach pains for a long long time now, sometimes I am in so much pain I have not been able to go to work. After 3 weeks it has started to feel a little better not as much wind, so I am hoping that in 4-6 weeks it will be so much better.
These stories reflect what I experienced during my own journey. Consistency matters more than perfection. The people who see the best results are those who make Cosmic Hue part of their daily routine for at least 90 days.
Conclusion
You don't need to overhaul your entire life to support your gut at work. Small, consistent changes add up to significant improvements over time. Start with one or two strategies from this guide and build from there.
Your gut health directly affects your work performance, your energy levels, and your overall quality of life, so taking time to support your digestive system isn't excessive. It's necessary self-care that allows you to show up fully in your career and your life.
Author: Manny is the founder of Fifth Ray and a certified Gut Health Coach. After battling Crohn's Disease for 16 years, he transformed his gut health through plant-based healing. His story has been featured on BBC, ITV, and Daily Mail.
Disclaimer: This information is for education only. Cosmic Hue is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always speak to your healthcare provider before changing your routine.