Bathroom Delay

I often hear stories of people, women especially, struggling with urinary and bowel urgency.  For some it happens at a predictable time or place - every time they do the dishes, turn on the shower, or pull in the driveway.  For others the feeling hits out of the blue and creates a panic - during a workout or shopping trip.  If you're still reading, I reckon you're fed up feeling controlled by the bathroom.  I'd love to help you get back some of that control.

1. Your bladder is trainable

Bowels and bladders are a lot like toddlers in that they like routine and will learn to listen over time.  If you regularly pee when you have that first urge (usually when the bladder is half full), your body will learn to create a panic if you don't respond to the first urge.  On the flip side, if you teach your bladder what it is to feel full, your signals for urgency will become more appropriate.

2. Mindset matters

What you say to yourself internally during those moments of urgency can make the difference between leaking and not.  If you think, "I just need to make it to the bathroom," you can't fault your body for leaking as soon as you cross the threshold of the bathroom.  Instead try, "My body is not allowed to release until I am calmly sitting on the toilet."

3. Habits can help or hurt

Sometimes the problem isn't muscular but just habitual.  Unhelpful habits I see on a regular basis include peeing "just in case", power peeing, peeing when half full, regularly waiting too long to pee, and hovering.

The delay technique

1. Sit if you can
2. Relax and take a few deep diaphragmatic breaths
3. Perform 5-10 quick kegels
4. Distract yourself with an activity. The urge may go away.
5. If the urge continues, slowly make your way to the toilet, repeating the above steps as necessary.

If you want to learn to fully harness the power of your bladder and regain total control, The Bladder Project is right up your ally.  I created it to help women go from the very foundations of rebuilding their core and bladder habits, all the way to running and jumping leak-free!