Urinary Urge Suppression: Managing the Constant Urge to Pee
Authored by Dr. Maryssa Steffen, PT, DPT, Board-Certified Women’s/Pelvic Health Clinical Specialist
Feeling the Urge to Pee All the Time? Understanding Urinary Urgency & How to Calm Your Bladder
Urinary urgency is often experienced as a sudden, compelling urge to run to the bathroom, even when your bladder is not truly full. This can feel stressful, intrusive, and confusing—especially when it happens repeatedly throughout the day.
Common situations that provoke urinary urgency include:
Seeing a bathroom
Anticipating that you’re about to pee and suddenly feeling your bladder “fill”
Hearing running water or taking a shower
Being cold
Worrying you’ll need to pee during a meeting and going “just in case”
During or after dilator exercises for vaginismus
During exercise, especially higher-impact activities like running, jumping, or walking downhill
Drinking a large volume of fluids at once
Not fully emptying your bladder
If you feel like you have to pee all the time, you are not alone—and this experience is very treatable.
What Causes the Feeling of a Full Bladder All the Time?
A constant urge to urinate or lack of bladder control can be driven by many factors, including:
Overactive bladder, where the bladder muscle contracts too often
Stiffness in the ribs and low back, limiting healthy communication between your autonomic nervous system and your bladder
Myofascial trigger points in muscles near the bladder—such as the rectus abdominis, iliopsoas, obturator internus, levator ani, and superficial pelvic floor muscles
These tissues may be asking for relief, mobility, or blood flow, and your brain may interpret those sensations as a bladder urge instead.
Other common contributors include:
Tense pelvic floor muscles that fatigue quickly during exercise
Stiff pelvic floor fascia and ligaments related to poor breathing habits or prolonged postures
Straining or pushing to pee, rather than allowing urine to flow naturally
Peeing in the shower
Habitual “just in case” peeing
If you experience the feeling of a full bladder all the time, a pelvic physical therapist will often recommend some form of bladder training and urinary urge suppression.
Why Bladder Training Helps
Strong urinary urges and lack of bladder control can significantly affect quality of life. While overactive bladder is often discussed in older populations because of the significant risk for falls when rushing to the bathroom in the middle of the night, urgency can occur at any age, especially when the pelvic floor and nervous system are involved.
The good news:
Bladder training and urge suppression techniques are highly effective.
It is never too late to retrain your bladder.
Urinary Urge Suppression: What to Do When the Urge Hits
When you feel a sudden, intense need to urinate, try the following steps to calm your bladder and prevent leaking:
1. Pause
Resist the urge to rush. Moving quickly toward the bathroom often amplifies urgency.
2. Breathe
Use slow, diaphragmatic breaths. Gently coach yourself to stay calm and grounded.
3. Add Gentle Movement
If urgency persists, try:
10 slow heel raises
Toe curls
Mindful movement of the feet and ankles can send calming signals to your bladder.
4. Change Position
If standing, try sitting down. The contact between the seat and your pelvic floor can help reduce urgency. Stay still. Breathe.
5. Distract the Nervous System
Try counting backward, singing lyrics, or focusing on a neutral mental task.
6. Use Pelvic Floor Muscle Activity
Ask yourself:
Can I relax my pelvic floor?
Can I gently squeeze as if stopping urine flow? Can I hold this squeeze for several seconds while breathing?
Can I relax again?
Try a gentle squeeze while breathing or humming. Hold if you can; if not, alternate squeezing and relaxing until the urge subsides. Pelvic floor muscle activity can help calm bladder contractions.
If you’re unsure whether you’re doing pelvic floor exercises correctly, internal pelvic floor therapy or guided instruction through online pelvic physical therapy can be very helpful.
Start Where It Feels Possible
If practicing urge suppression feels overwhelming, begin in low-stress situations—like at home, when a bathroom is nearby.
Practice consistently for at least two months.
Over time, your confidence and bladder control will improve, and you can apply these skills in more challenging environments.
Additional Bladder Health Considerations
Do not ignore true urges to urinate
Learn to distinguish between urgency and a true need to pee
A true bladder empty typically results in a steady stream lasting 8–10 seconds
Avoid multitasking or scrolling on your phone while peeing
It’s normal to urinate every 2–5 hours, or 4–7 times per day
Stay hydrated, but avoid chugging large amounts of fluid at once
Do not restrict water intake
Limit alcohol
Address constipation
Some people benefit from a timed voiding program. If you’re unsure how to begin or progress bladder training safely, a pelvic floor physical therapist can create an individualized plan.
Get Support With Virtual Pelvic Floor Therapy
If you feel the urge to pee all the time, struggle with urinary urge suppression, or feel a constant sense of bladder fullness, pelvic floor therapy can help—even virtually.
If you are in California, you can book a visit to learn more about online pelvic physical therapy and virtual pelvic floor therapy.
We offer Telehealth and in-person care at our office in Oakland, CA.
You deserve bladder care that is specific, compassionate, and grounded in how your body actually works.
