There Are Two Types of Poopers—Which One Are You?

Everybody poops—no shocker there. However, some of us have strong preferences and quirky habits regarding when or where we do our business.

A recent bathroom emergency of my own sparked a fun debate among friends on this very topic. As we wandered the city, desperately searching for a public restroom, we started discussing our, uh, toilet tendencies. Somewhere along the way, we developed a theory: There are two types of poopers in this world.

First, you’ve got the ones who go at the same time every day like clockwork—let’s call them time-based or “temporal poopers.” Whether the urge strikes, say, first thing in the morning, after dinner, or both, that’s your only window. Then there are “locational poopers.” What matters more than when they do their business is where—and for understandable reasons, it’s probably at home. Anywhere else—a communal office bathroom, your friend’s pristine apartment, a teeny restaurant stall—is a no-go.

I was curious if this theory held any weight, which is why I posed the question to the experts. Turns out, pooping is way more personal than we often realize, Benjamin Levy, MD, a gastroenterologist and clinical associate of medicine at the University of Chicago, tells SELF. After reading this, for instance, maybe you instantly know which one you are (I’m a temporal pooper, through and through). It’s also common to relate to both—like, you can only go at home and more specifically, after your morning coffee. Or maybe time and place are irrelevant, and you’re blessed (cursed?) with pure, chaotic flexibility. It doesn’t matter that it’s 4 p.m. and you’re at a grocery store—you’ve gotta find the nearest toilet, now.

While these tendencies can definitely fluctuate (depending on factors like your diet, stress levels, and hydration), there are fascinating reasons why lots of us fall into regular patterns. And if my friends’ spirited 3src-minute debate taught me anything, it’s that people feel very strongly about which kind of pooper they are.

So what’s a temporal pooper?

You’re not one of those people who can just go whenever. You’ve got a set poop window (or windows)—maybe as soon as you wake up and/or right after your lunch break. Either way, your body’s got a reliable schedule, and duty rarely (if ever) calls outside of that frame.

For what it’s worth, you don’t have to be a strictly temporal pooper to have a somewhat reliable schedule—science suggests our digestive systems often prefer certain times more than others, Kyle Staller, MD, MPH, gastroenterologist and director of the Gastrointestinal Motility Laboratory at Mass General Hospital, tells SELF. For instance, it’s super common to go first thing in the morning because “while we’re sleeping, the colon in general is quiet,” Dr. Staller says. “And when we wake up, it starts to contract,” triggering a natural, involuntary response called the gastrocolic reflex that pushes yesterday’s food remnants closer to your butt. Eating a meal also kickstarts this reflex, which is why many people experience that “gotta-go” sensation specifically after breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

But for temporal poopers, that window isn’t just a predictable habit—it’s a limited-time opportunity, which can be especially frustrating for folks who only go once a day. A big reason is that your mind and gut are more connected than you might think, Dr. Staller says. Even though your GI tract operates on its own biological, circadian rhythm (meaning, it’s more active at certain points of the day), your brain learns to anticipate that routine too—which explains why it can be difficult to go outside of that habitual window, physically and mentally.

How to break the pattern: Luckily, missing your predictable time slot(s) isn’t cause for concern, both GI docs agree. (“Some people poop multiple times a day, and that’s considered normal,” Dr. Staller says. “Others will only go three times a week, and that’s also normal.”)

Still, it’s not exactly pleasant to feel, uh, backed up for a few hours (or an entire day). As tempting as it might be to sit on the toilet for 3src minutes and induce a deuce by force, however, prolonged straining can put extra pressure on your pelvic floor and lead to more uncomfortable complications like hemorrhoids and anal fissures (paper-cut-like wounds on your butt—ouch).

Instead, consider these safer, gentler ways to facilitate a bowel movement outside of your usual time frame:

Sip on something warm and caffeinated. Caffeine is a tried-and-true way of stimulating peristalsis—muscle contractions that help push stool through your digestive tract and, eventually, into the crapper. But if it’s too late to order a latte, a mug of herbal tea or even plain hot water can also do the trick, since the warm temperature itself is enough to simulate a laxative effect as well.
Snack on fiber-rich foods. Think prunes, green kiwis, bananas, and some nuts like almonds or pistachios. According to Dr. Levy, these carbs add weight to your stool, making it softer and therefore easier to pass.
Chug some water. If you’re not drinking enough water (which lubricates your GI tract so your turd can slip and slide with ease), your stool can get dry, hard, and a lot tougher to pass. The classic advice is to aim for eight glasses a day, but even just keeping a refillable bottle nearby and sipping more intentionally should make a difference.
Work some light cardio into your day. Go for a walk. A quick jog. Maybe some relaxing yoga. Gentle physical movement, even for 1src or 15 minutes, can speed up your gut motility (how quickly waste moves through your GI tract), SELF previously reported.

What does it mean to be a locational pooper?

For you, it’s all about the setting. You need to be totally relaxed, comfortable, and alone. Otherwise, the urge doesn’t strike—not in public restrooms (at the library, office, or a random Target), in other people’s bathrooms, or anywhere that isn’t your home.

Unless this is a case of missing your personal Squatty Potty, much of this is probably psychological. For one, you could be suffering a common case of poop anxiety. “One of the biggest fears people have is being overheard or seen,” Dr. Levy explains. And while this might sound silly—uh, we all go number two, no???—for locational poopers, the idea of another person hearing the plop, catching a whiff, or just knowing what you’re doing in there is enough to trigger intense anxiety. “There are also people who have a fear of defecating in unfamiliar places because of the cleanliness,” Dr. Levy adds. So not only can these worries make it so you don’t want to poop, but the stress also prevents you from relaxing, making it physically hard to go too, GI docs agree.

How to break the pattern: First off, remember everyone poops. Normalizing this reality is one of the most important steps to feeling more at ease going wherever duty calls. While you work on that mindset, though, you can also consider these expert tips to calm your anxiety about sitting on unfamiliar toilets:

Pop in your earbuds. Even if you’re not truly alone, putting on your favorite song can at least create the illusion of privacy, both doctors say. Whether you need to fill the silence or distract yourself from the possibility of splashes or farts, a little Billie Eilish or Ariana Grande can theoretically help locational poopers be less self-conscious. “Another cool benefit of this is that music can actually relax you,” Dr. Levy adds, making it easier for nature to take its course.
Be strategic about your bathroom stall. In the case that you’re at work, choose a bathroom on a different floor than your colleagues, or at least pick the stall furthest from the entrance. This way, “it’s less likely for you to run into someone you know,” Dr. Levy explains, which can help you feel less paranoid about awkward encounters.
Pack your own DIY sanitation arsenal. If public restroom germs make your skin crawl (and your urge to poop vanish), Dr. Levy recommends bringing portable Clorox wipes, travel-size sanitizers, or even crafting a makeshift toilet seat cover from paper. These efforts may not kill all the germs on such high-touch surfaces, but they’ll at least make an unfamiliar one feel way less gross. “I also recommend carrying an odor-neutralizing spray like Poo-Pourri,” he adds—a game-changer for locational poopers who get stressed or self-conscious about the stench.

No matter when or where you feel the urge, the key takeaway is that everyone’s bathroom habits are unique and nothing to freak out about. (Of course, if you’re dealing with more serious symptoms like chronic pain or discomfort, definitely see a doc.) Pooping isn’t something to be ashamed or shy about—and perhaps silly debates about whether you’re a locational or temporal pooper are baby steps in the right direction.