Self-help techniques: to calm that urge to pee

From my previous post, we talked about urgency and urge urinary incontinence and the potential causes for this: abnormal bladder contractions, bladder irritation or poor bladder support. We can also experience ‘sensory urgency’, where the need to pass urine increases based on what you see, hear or do. Whether it’s putting your keys in your front door, seeing the toilet or even hearing running water – these common triggers for urgency are as a result of our brains making links with these things to cause bladder panic EVERY time we hear, see or do them.

Why does this happen? Usually there is an experience that your brain remembers: Perhaps you got home from work and you were desperate for the loo; you then frantically search for your keys in the bottom of your bag, run to turn off the house alarm and dart to the bathroom. By this point the urge to pee is really desperate and you dance around trying to undo your trousers but before you know it, you are leaking urine before your bottom has hit the toilet seat. This experience or even just one aspect of it becomes the trigger and your bladder responds in the same way every time regardless of your bladder being full or you actually 'needing' to go.

I am about to share with you some tried and tested techniques that could help you control your urge to pass urine and retrain the bladder. These techniques stimulate nerves which calm the bladder so it's important to recognise your trigger and use them every single time. Consistency is key!

1. Stop

2. Cross your legs

3. Scrunch up your toes

4. Squeeze your pelvic floor muscles or if you’re somewhere private – hold inbetween your legs

5. Take a couple of deep breaths

6. Think about something else/distract yourself

When you get the urge to pee, instead of dashing to the loo, stop and complete the techniques. Urges come in waves and so it's important you do these techniques for about 30seconds and wait for the urge to settle before making your way to the bathroom. At the beginning, you may need to stop x2-3 enroute to the bathroom to maintain control – this is normal and will improve in time. Stick with it as it will be worth it in the end!