Dr. Trisha Pasricha

Why is that?

Yeah.

This is like, I think, a big cause of self-made constipation.

We have decided that some of the most natural times to go when our colon is contracting the most strongly, which would be like, for example, during or right after a meal.

Well, we've decided it's inappropriate, it's poor taste to get up and leave the table or to have to explain to your friends that you need to have a few minutes in the bathroom because that's just not good manners.

And so we suppress it.

We say, this is a bad time.

And one big reframe I want people to think about is that one, this is just your body.

There's nothing to be ashamed about.

And you are actually doing yourself a favor by responding to the call of nature when it comes.

Because the call of nature is simply this.

It is simply your colon contracting strongly.

If you ignore that...

And you say, you know what?

This is horrible.

I'm just about to get to work.

I don't want to deal with this.

I'm going to go later tonight.

Well, guess what?

At 8 p.m., your colon's not contracting.