HealthHealth Conditions

Could Someone Please Explain Why My Eye Won’t Stop Twitching?

Discover reasons why your eye won't stop twitching and effective solutions to make it stop. Explore causes and remedies for eye twitching.

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Photo: Getty Images/Su Arslanoglu
Updated Mar 26, 2024

Written by 

Allison Forsyth

Life is full of pesky little surprises. Some examples: learning your milk is expired after pouring it into your coffee, or finding out you wore your shirt inside out the whole day. Another fun one? Getting random eye twitches out of nowhere.

Experts in This Article

Robert Graham

board-certified internal and integrative medicine doctor, co-founder of FRESH Medicine

While they’re definitely annoying, and can make you look inadvertently pissed (or even like you’re an extra in a horror movie), the most common type of eye twitches (myokymia, per the Mayo Clinic) is rarely cause for concern. These twitches are basically muscle spasms around your eyelid that force involuntary eye movements. Most of the time, they crop up thanks to certain lifestyle habits, though in rare cases, can signal an underlying health issue.

No matter the cause, eye twitching can be pretty disruptive to your day-to-day life. Sure, they’re often too small for friends, coworkers, or partners to notice, per the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), but you can feel them, which is all the more reason to figure out how to get them to stop.

If this sounds like your life currently, here’s some possible reasons why your eye won’t stop twitching, and how to treat each one. Plus, home remedies to stop them in the moment, and when to see a doctor about twitching that lingers.

1. You’re not getting enough sleep

The CDC recommends that adults get between seven and nine hours of sleep per night. And not getting enough sleep could be contributing to that whole eye-twitching thing, according to Robert Graham, MD, internal and integrative medicine doctor and co-founder of FRESH Medicine. So if your eye’s been at it for days and you’ve also been staying up too late every night, your exhaustion might be the source of your persistent twitches.

What to do: Aim to go to sleep around the same time every night, and try to log between seven and nine hours of shut-eye. Try relaxation techniques before bed to help you fall asleep—like meditation, deep breathing, or a free sleep app. Keeping your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet (i.e., the ideal sleeping atmosphere), or using a white noise machine if you need a little background sound, can help, too.

2. You’re stressed or anxious

Stressed at work? Anxious about anything and everything? Dr. Graham says that both are common eye twitching triggers. If you suspect this is the case, try traditional stress-reduction tactics like hitting up your favorite spin class, meditating, going for a walk, or setting aside some quiet time with your favorite book—however you choose to relax, lowering your stress levels should help reduce your eye twitch.

What to do: Try implementing your favorite stress-relieving devices to help you relax throughout the day. Settle down in the moment with things like deep breathing, mindfulness, stretching, journaling, or making a cup of tea. If your anxiety is persistent, consider reaching out to a therapist for support.

3. You have an electrolyte imbalance

If your eye is twitching and you’re not sure the reason why, checking in with your electrolytes could be a good place to start. Electrolytes (namely, magnesium and potassium) help control muscle function, so when they’re out of balance, it’s possible you may feel twitchy, per Dr. Graham.

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Try loading up on foods high in electrolytes like bananas or sweet potatoes. Or replenish your electrolytes with hydrating beverages like coconut water or sports drinks.

Magnesium or potassium supplements may also be helpful if you think you have a deficiency. But talk to your doctor before trying these, as most healthy people aren’t deficient in either.

What to do: The best way to make sure you’re getting enough electrolytes and essential nutrients is by eating a balanced diet filled with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean protein. It’s also best to stay hydrated; aim to get 11 to 15 cups of water per day, through drinking and hydrating foods, per the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

4. Your eyes are strained

If you keep refreshing Instagram and checking your email a thousand times a day, your stress levels aren’t the only thing at risk—you’re also straining your eyes. And Dr. Graham says that eye strain could lead to eye twitching. Try things like:

  • Reducing your time on your computer, phone, or tablet
  • Taking regular eye breaks (where you look away from your screen and off at a distant point for at least 20 seconds).

What to do: Alongside taking regular eye breaks from your screens, closing your eyes and gently massaging your eyelids could also help reduce some pain and discomfort. Wearing blue light glasses while working on your computer, for instance, may also help cut down on eye strain.

5. You’ve had too much caffeine

We know, we know—there are few things better than a steaming hot cup of coffee first thing in the morning. The only problem? Too much caffeine has been linked to eye twitching, says Dr. Graham and the AAO. So if you notice your twitch start up after your morning caffeine jolt, consider cutting back a bit and see if it makes a difference.

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What to do: Try slowly cutting down on the amount of caffeine you drink throughout the day—including drinks like tea, soda, and energy drinks. The FDA recommends limiting caffeine to 400 milligrams per day, which is equivalent to about four or five cups of home-brewed coffee.

6. You’re taking certain meds

Eye twitching can be a frustrating side effect of some medications, including some meds that are used to treat Parkinson’s disease, per the Mayo Clinic. Other medications that could cause eye twitching are ones with caffeine—like certain migraine medications, although this is a rare side effect, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

What to do: If you think one of your medications might be causing your eye twitch, don’t stop them cold turkey. Talk to your doctor about other medication options, or adjusting your dose.

7. You have blepharitis (aka, eyelid inflammation)

Persistent eye twitching could be a symptom of a condition called blepharitis‚ which is just medical speak for eyelid inflammation. It can be from a bacterial infection, or from a skin issue like rosacea or dandruff, according to the American Optometric Association (AOA). Other symptoms of blepharitis can include common eye health concerns like the following, per the AOA:

  • Swollen or red eyelids
  • Itchy, crusty eyelids
  • Tearing
  • Dry eye
  • A burning sensation in or around your eyes

What to do: Treating blepharitis will depend on what’s causing it. If it’s from a bacterial infection, you’ll need to get antibiotics from your doctor. If it’s from a skin condition or irritant, gently washing and scrubbing your eyelids with a non-irritating soap, and then applying anti-itch ointment can be helpful. You can also try eye drops to treat any burning and dryness, per the Mayo Clinic.

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Adding these steps to your daily skin-care routine could help reduce symptoms over time, which may also help reduce twitching.

8. You have a neurological disorder

In rare instances, eye twitching could mean you have an underlying problem with your nervous system. However, keep in mind that these conditions will almost always have other symptoms associated with them as well. Some conditions associated with eye twitching include the following, per the Mayo Clinic:

  • Bell’s palsy
  • Multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Tourette syndrome
  • Dystonia (a movement disorder that causes muscles to contract involuntarily—which can include cervical, facial, or jaw/tongue dystonia)

In extremely rare cases, you could have a condition called benign essential blepharospasm—or involuntary spasms of your eyelid, which can cause your eyes to close or blink uncontrollably. It can affect both your eyes and come with grimacing, jaw clenching, or tongue protrusion, per the National Organization for Rare Disorders.

What to do: Reach out to your doctor if your eyelid spasms are persistent and come with other things like face or whole-body spasms, vision changes, or eyelid swelling. They can check you for a neurological disorder, and treat you with things like oral medications, Botox, or in certain cases, surgery.

9. You have a hemifacial spasm (aka, a neuromuscular issue)

This is also rare, but eye twitching can be the first sign of a neuromuscular issue called hemifacial spasm—where you get spasms on one side of your face. This condition can cause your eyes to close, or your mouth to be pulled off to one side. Most often, it’s caused by a facial injury or tumor, or blood vessels pressing against major nerves in the face, per the Cleveland Clinic.

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What to do: If your face and eyelids are consistently twitching or getting worse, go to your doctor. They can figure out what’s causing it, and offer treatments like oral medication, Botox, or surgery, like with neurological issues.

How to treat a twitching eye in a pinch

In most cases, eye twitching will go away on its own after a while, especially if it’s caused by stress or caffeine. In the meantime, there are some home remedies for eye twitches you can try, to help stop them right away. This can include the following, per Dr. Graham:

  • Applying a warm compress to your twitching eye
  • Gently massaging your eyelid with your fingers
  • Taking a break from looking at screens
  • Closing your eyes for a bit
  • Applying a few drops of artificial tears to your eye if it’s dry

When to see a doctor

Most of the time, a twitching eye here and there is harmless and doesn’t require a trip to the doctor. It usually means you need to catch up on sleep, give your eyes a rest, or cut back on caffeine. But if your eye twitching is accompanied by other symptoms—like redness, pus, or crusty buildup around your eyelid—you may have an infection like pink eye that requires medicated drops from the doctor.

Very rarely, chronic eye twitching can be an early signal of a serious neurological disorder like Tourette syndrome or MS. If this is the case, you’ll likely have other symptoms, too, like cognitive, movement, or speech dysfunction, per the Mayo Clinic. Your doctor can help rule this out with tests like MRIs and CT scans.

Ultimately, the majority of eye twitching cases are benign (so try not to freak out!). Dr. Graham says if your eye twitching is persistent and you suspect you could have an infection or another issue, reach out to your doctor as soon as possible.

FAQ

What deficiency does a twitching eye mean?

While some people think that vitamin and mineral deficiencies lead to twitching eyelids, this is rarely the case. Some common deficiencies people think lead to eye spasms include the following:

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  • Magnesium: This deficiency may cause muscle twitching, per the Cleveland Clinic, but little evidence shows a link to eyelid twitching. Magnesium deficiency is rare in healthy people, but usually causes fatigue, nausea, and weakness.
  • B-12: It can cause anemia, but no evidence shows a connection to eyelid twitching. Instead, you’ll feel numbness/tingling in hands and feet, muscle weakness, fatigue, or shortness of breath, per the Mayo Clinic.
  • Potassium: There’s no link between potassium deficiency and eyelid twitches. And while potassium is sometimes a suggested eyelid-twitching treatment, there’s little evidence it stops them completely, per the National Library of Medicine.
  • Vitamin D: People who are severely deficient in vitamin D may get muscle twitches, per StatPearls, but there’s little evidence to show it causes eyelid twitches in particular. Vitamin D deficiency symptoms are subtle, but may include fatigue, bone pain, muscle weakness, or depression, per the Cleveland Clinic.

Can an eye twitch last for months?

Yes. Depending on the cause, eye twitching can last weeks or months on end. While under-eye twitching for a few days is usually just lack of sleep or stress, eye twitching for weeks could mean you have something like blepharitis, or a neurological issue. If it keeps up, and comes with other concerning symptoms, let your doctor know.

Do brain tumors cause eye twitching?

In some cases, yes. A brain tumor located in your occipital lobe, temporal lobe, or brain stem can lead to eye twitching, along with vision changes like blurred or double vision, per the Moffitt Cancer Center. These changes can happen over time or all of a sudden, depending on the severity and placement of the tumor. Keep in mind, though, brain tumors are rare, and will often come with other signs like cognitive, movement, or speech changes.

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If you’re unsure about your risk, talk to your doctor. They can offer guidance and recommend scans like MRIs to rule out cancer.

—reviewed by Jennifer Gilbert, MD, MPH 

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‘It’s Amazing How It’s All Connected.’ Here’s How Trauma Can Affect Your Pelvic Floor

Trauma and your pelvic floor are connected. Here's how trauma affects your pelvic floor, according to health experts.

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Photo: Stocksy/Marija Savic
Published Feb 2, 2025

Written by 

Heather Mayer Irvine

Content warning: This story contains references to suicide and physical and emotional trauma, which may be upsetting or triggering for some readers.

Experts in This Article

Alexandra T. Milspaw

an international consultant and educator for chronic pelvic and sexual pain

Lauren Garges

a women’s clinical specialist and the director of the pelvic health rehab program at St. Lukes University Health Network

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The only thing that stopped Zoe* from taking her own life was the love she had for her two children. But the indescribable chronic pain she was experiencing was all-encompassing. And none of her doctors—nearly a dozen—knew what was wrong. Worse, perhaps, they wrote her off, condescended her, passed her around from physician to physician. “They washed their hands of me,” Zoe, now 48, tells Well+Good.

After a year of medication and doctor visits and dismissed cries for help, for what was first suspected (never confirmed) to be a urinary tract infection that morphed into excruciating pelvic pain, Zoe found herself speaking with a pelvic floor physical therapist. She was diagnosed with a hypertonic—tight, overactive—pelvic floor. Now, the healing and treatment could begin.

What is the pelvic floor?

The pelvic floor is made of important muscles and tissues that hold pelvic organs, including the bladder, bowel, and uterus. Lauren Garges, PT, DPT, a women’s clinical specialist and the director of the pelvic health rehab program at St. Lukes University Health Network, likens the pelvic floor to a hammock of muscles. And, like the muscles in your neck, legs, or back, they can be too weak or too tight. But when a person experiences trauma, acute or over an extended period of time, it can lead to pelvic floor dysfunction, explains Garges.

Pelvic floor dysfunction is an umbrella term that refers to a host of issues, including urinary incontinence, pain during intercourse, constipation, and urinary frequency and urgency, Garges says. If left untreated, pelvic floor dysfunction can lead to chronic conditions, including back and hip pain. It can be hard to diagnose at this point because the root of the problem, in the pelvic floor, presents itself in the hip and back.

How trauma can affect the pelvic floor

Not only does the pelvic floor hold numerous organs, but it’s also where the vagal nerves are rooted. These nerves are part of the autonomic nervous system, which controls digestion, heart rate, and immune system, explains Alexandra T. Milspaw, PhD, an international consultant and educator for chronic pelvic and sexual pain.

The human fight-or-flight response to stress is linked to the autonomic nervous system, which means it’s impossible for a person to experience fight-or-flight without the pelvic floor tightening, Milspaw says.

Garges, who frequently refers her physical therapy clients to mental health professionals, says that trauma is incredibly individualized and subjective. Giving birth, for example, falls into the realm of trauma.

“Birth trauma would be the physical things that need to heal—torn muscles, stitches, nerve damage,” Garges says. “Some people recover quickly, in three to six months, but for others, it can persist for much longer, and that’s when you should see someone who can treat it.” Birth trauma can also be emotional, if, say, a woman’s healthcare team didn’t listen to her wishes, or the labor and delivery were traumatic.

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Garges also treats patients who have suffered from sexual assault or abuse, and she describes vaginismus, a type of dysfunction, as a protective mechanism—the body is literally closing itself off. (This can happen after other forms of trauma, too.)

But not all trauma, Garges explains, has to be physical for the pelvic floor to experience distress. “Emotional trauma presents physically in the body, tightness in the muscles,” she says, reiterating that the pelvic floor is made up of muscles. Someone who’s stressed or anxious might have tension in their shoulders and neck, others in their pelvic floor muscles.

Physical tension and stress create a cycle of inflammation that isn’t typically visible on imaging or through bloodwork, Milspaw says, which can make diagnosing these complaints and concerns incredibly challenging. “Anxiety or stress or a head injury can lead to a tight pelvic floor, which can cause [gastrointestinal] upset, which creates inflammation, which can be felt in the brain, and then we’re trapped in this cycle until we can turn off the switch at both ends at the same time,” Milspaw explains.

Eventually, Zoe started working with a pelvic floor physical therapist, who told her, “Your brain has learned this pattern [of pain],” Zoe recalls. “It goes far beyond the acute symptoms, which have resolved. Now your neurons are remembering this pain pattern.”

So in addition to pelvic floor physical therapy, which includes manual therapy, exercises, and breathing techniques, Zoe started seeing Milspaw for counseling. She says although she was surprised at the connection between mental health and pelvic floor dysfunction, “ultimately it made sense. If your nervous system is in constant fight-or-flight mode, it’s bound to have physical effects.”

What happens if trauma goes unchecked

The body is designed to protect itself, sometimes at all costs. This became apparent to Dianna B., 55, when she found herself begrudgingly speaking to a therapist at the request of her husband who was seeing a sex therapist. The couple, who had four children, had stopped having sex when Dianna was 43 and her sister was diagnosed with breast cancer.

On top of that, Dianna had a traumatic second birth, one that required 75 internal stitches. For years, she experienced unidentified pain near her where her stitches had been and bathroom accidents—bowel movement and incontinence. She was sure she had an anal fissure (tests showed she didn’t). “I sat there crossing my arms, saying, ‘I don’t have a mental health issue. I have a physical issue,” Dianna recalls.

Eventually, Dianna started to open up. She recalled being held down by her legs when she was 10 years old while doctors took bone marrow from her hips to give to her older sister who had leukemia. “She was going to die unless she got a bone marrow transplant,” Dianna tells Well+Good. “I was her donor.”

These repressed memories, Dianna says, came flooding back during therapy, and she started to see the correlation: She held trauma in her legs from her childhood and was retraumatized during her second delivery as an adult. “It’s amazing how it’s all connected.”

Milspaw, who has been working with Dianna for years, explains that if a person experiences intense stress, anxiety, or depression for a period of just 10 days, the hardware of the brain starts to change. For example, a 2021 study1 published in Translational Psychiatry, found that trauma exposure during childhood could contribute to structural changes in the developing brain. “It can shrink and deteriorate,” Milspaw says. “This hardware is specifically related to emotional regulation, memory, executive function, and communication.”

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Milspaw says this trauma is cumulative, that “the body keeps score.” She explains that people assume if there is pelvic or sexual pain, it has to be related to sex-related trauma, but that’s just not true. “People forget the nervous system is one whole system,” she says. “The pelvis is the center of the wheel.”

“People forget the nervous system is one whole system. The pelvis is the center of the wheel.” —Alexandra T. Milspaw, PhD

What to do if you have trauma that’s affected your pelvic floor

Once people know where to turn, trauma to your pelvic floor is treatable. But there are more than a few barriers to treatment, Milspaw says. “People don’t want to touch pelvic pain with a 10-foot pole,” she says. “There is a lot going on in the pelvis, and no one wants to be responsible for it.” The example she gives is the reality Zoe faced: See a gynecologist who sends you to a urologist, who passes you to a gastroenterologist, who kicks you back to a urologist.

Part of this problem, Milspaw says, is that most healthcare professionals are not trained in pelvic health. Another part of the problem is the taboo around sexual health and pelvic pain. People, especially women, do not want to discuss their concerns—Zoe and Dianna are examples of how even when they did try to seek help, they were treated like petulant children with no obvious illness or problem. “The shame piece is huge,” Milspaw says. “You can’t talk about how your vagina hurts as easily as you can talk about how your head hurts.”

Some women think what they’re experiencing is normal because they don’t know anything else. Milspaw gives an example of a high school girl who had incredibly heavy periods—soaking through five pads an hour. She was told, “It’s your period. Get over it.”

Savannah T., 25, suspected what she was experiencing was not normal. She was diagnosed with endometriosis in her late teens and has been through a pharmacy full of medications to manage her symptoms, including debilitating pain. Savannah, a nurse, slipped into a deep depression in 2021 because of her worsening health and working in the COVID-19 intensive care unit. She had to take a leave of absence.

She searched for a pelvic floor physical therapist—something not many people know to do. “My pelvic floor physical therapist educated me on what the floor is and what it does. She validated all of the symptoms I was having,” Savannah tells Well+Good.

Pelvic floor physical therapists provide treatment that can be a mix of exercises, stretches, breathing techniques, and manual tissue release. “When it comes to manual therapy, we have to be mindful of that trauma and maintain an alliance with the patient,” Garges says, noting that a physical therapist will follow a patient’s lead, and hands-on work might not happen for weeks or months.

Garges will prescribe yoga stretches that focus on the lower back to relieve tension, and pelvic exercises like lunges, squats, and hip work. Garges and Milspaw guide their patients through breathing techniques as well.

Milspaw teaches her clients a variety of tools, including emotional freedom techniques—a type of tapping that can assist with anxiety relief—bilateral stimulation music2 to help balance brain activity between the two hemispheres, and pendulation, which can help regulate the nervous system by alternating, or pendulating, between feelings of safety and discomfort.

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Once Milspaw establishes balance and a feeling of safety in her clients, then more traditional forms of therapy, including talk therapy, she says, are more effective.

Savannah didn’t realize how much her depression, stress, and anxiety connected straight to her pelvic floor. Whenever she had feelings of distress, they could be directly correlated to an increase in her pelvic symptoms. “With the combination of pelvic floor physical therapy and working with Dr. Milspaw, I’ve seen a huge difference,” Savannah says. She still takes medications for her endometriosis, but she knows what her life looks like without her physical and mental therapies. It’s dark.

There are brighter days ahead for Savannah, Zoe, and Dianna. They encourage others to advocate for themselves, even if a doctor—or doctors—is dismissive. They knew something wasn’t right and wouldn’t quit until someone took them seriously. “It’s been a journey,” Zoe says. “I’ve learned a lot about myself. I’ve rebuilt myself from the ground up, from the floor up.”

Dianna, who resented her husband for insisting she see a therapist because they weren’t having sex, now says it was the best gift he could have given her. They’re not quite on the same page yet, but Dianna says there’s hope. “That’s what I’m striving for.”

*Names have been changed, where indicated, to protect privacy.

  1. Jeong, H.J., Durham, E.L., Moore, T.M. et al. The association between latent trauma and brain structure in children. Transl Psychiatry 11, 240 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-021-01357-z

    ↩︎

  2. Amano T, Toichi M. The Role of Alternating Bilateral Stimulation in Establishing Positive Cognition in EMDR Therapy: A Multi-Channel Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study. PLoS One. 2016 Oct 12;11(10):e0162735. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162735. PMID: 27732592; PMCID: PMC5061320.

    ↩︎

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How a Yoga Practice Helped Me Navigate My Relationship With Alcohol During Dry January

Read one writer's experience with how yoga helped them navigate their relationship with alcohol during Dry January.

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Photo: Stocksy/Jayme Burrows
Published Jan 31, 2025

Written by 

Colleen McNally Arnett

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Whether unwinding after a long day with a cocktail, toasting a celebratory moment with bubbly, or sharing a bottle with friends over dinner, alcoholic beverages—when enjoyed responsibly in moderation—have long been a one of my favorite rituals for bringing people together and feeling present in the moment.

Experts in This Article

Courtney Scott

medical director of Momentous Recovery Group

Rosalie Kennedy

a yoga instructor and director of marketing at Athletic Brewing Company

Rostislav Ignatov

chief medical officer at The Haven Detox and a board-certified expert in general psychiatry and addiction medicine

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But the soaring popularity of the sober-curious movement in the past decade, however, has led more people—myself included—to reevaluate the role alcohol plays in our lives and our health.

Trends like Dry January encourage people to reimagine how they drink and navigate their social lives. And with new health guidelines in the U.S. warning that even moderate alcohol consumption is linked to an increased risk of cancer, staying dry—or at least damp—beyond January is becoming increasingly common.

Still, like breaking any habit, going dry can be challenging at first. Even with the rise of delicious, zero-proof beverages becoming more easily available, cutting back on up booze requires strong mental stamina, clear intention setting, and a community support system.

Enter: yoga. While the Western world most commonly associates yoga with exercise, the ancient practice is so much more than physical postures. As the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health teaches, in accordance with the Bhagavad Gita, “yoga is skillfulness in action—a reference to a yogi’s capacity to act dynamically in ways that reliably produce positive life results.” Another definition drawn from the Yoga Sutra teaches that “yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind, a reference to a yogi’s capacity to see life and reality as it is, without the filters of fears, fantasies or other distortions.”

Considering alcohol can color our reality, a yoga practice can be a helpful tool for those learning to navigate a sober-curious life.

The benefits of taking a break from alcohol (during any time of the year)

“Alcohol is a depressant, and even moderate drinking can contribute to anxiety, low mood, or mental fog,” says Rostislav Ignatov, MD, chief medical officer at The Haven Detox and a board-certified expert in general psychiatry and addiction medicine. “When you stop drinking, your brain starts to balance itself, and many people feel more focused, emotionally stable, and even happier. It’s like lifting a weight off your shoulders.”

According to Dr. Ignatov, one of the first things many people notice when taking a break from alcohol is better sleep. “Alcohol might help you fall asleep, but it actually disrupts deep, restful sleep, leaving you tired the next day,” he explains. “Without it, your sleep cycles improve, and you wake up feeling more refreshed and energized.”

Physically, you’ll likely see changes over time, too. “Your liver gets a much-needed break, which can lower inflammation and help your body work more efficiently,” Dr. Ignatov adds. “People often notice reduced bloating, better digestion, and even healthier skin. If you’ve been dealing with high blood pressure or sluggish energy levels, you might see improvements there as well.”

How a yoga practice can help you navigate your relationship with alcohol

For Rosalie Kennedy, a yoga instructor and director of marketing at Athletic Brewing Company, a non-alcoholic beer company, opting for a non-alcoholic beer instead of booze allows her to be social and enjoy whatever the occasion might be without the typical next-day pitfalls of alcohol consumption. “I can give 100 percent to the next activity whether that’s yoga, work, or taking care of my family,” says Kennedy.

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After casually practicing yoga for 15 years, Kennedy opted to pursue her 200-RYT certification in 2023. As a result, she says she has not only elevated her understanding of her body and mental health, but has improved her overall quality of life. “Now, I can bring that mindfulness into other facets of my life, like alcohol consumption,” Kennedy says. “I’ve noticed that I’m more aware of how my body reacts to alcohol, how I’m enjoying the taste, or whether I even want to consume alcohol at a given moment.”

On a biological level, one of the best things yoga does is reduce stress, which in turn, can reduce the likelihood of wanting to drink alcohol. “Yoga relaxes the nervous system and lowers cortisol—the stress hormone,” says Courtney Scott, MD, medical director of Momentous Recovery Group.

Dr. Scott points out that when we’re less stressed, we’re less likely to rely on alcoholic substances as coping mechanisms for life challenges. “Cravings often come when you’re feeling overwhelmed or anxious, and yoga helps calm your mind and body,” Dr. Ignatov adds. By focusing on your breath and movement, you can activate your body’s parasympathetic nervous system (PNS)— also known as the body’s relaxation response—a network of nerves that helps the body relax and digest food. Simply put, this state makes it easier to handle stress without reaching for a drink.

“Yoga also teaches mindfulness, which is all about staying present in the moment,” says Dr. Ignatov “When a craving shows up, yoga helps you pause and acknowledge it without reacting right away. That moment of pause can be all you need to choose a healthier way to cope, like taking a walk or calling a friend.”

A yoga practice helps individuals to understand themselves better physically and emotionally, explains Dr. Scott. “This enables them to be mindful about what triggers their emotions hence evading an urge for alcohol.” From my own personal experience, I know that if I have more than a couple of drinks in the evening, I will feel the effects when I show up on my yoga mat the next day.

The bottom line

For those who are re-evaluating their relationship with alcohol and are interested in deepening their yoga practice, Kennedy advises to focus on what makes you feel good.

“Yoga is for you, not anyone else,” Kennedy says. “You’re always allowed to modify a posture to suit your preferences, and alcohol consumption should be no different. I recommend checking in with yourself during a night out or a social occasion where alcohol might be involved. Ask yourself, ‘Does this feel good?’ If not, what adjustments do you want to make in the moment?”

Reaping the benefits of yoga, however, will require a consistent practice. “Whatever chemicals make you feel good, such as endorphins, will naturally rise when you become used to practicing yoga every day, which provides a safe, alternative mood-booster compared to a temporary alcohol high,” says Dr. Scott. “Consistent training brings about an enduring feeling of joy and stability in one’s life.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or go to FindTreatment.gov for resources and treatment options.

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