How to Urinate When You Can’t: 10 Helpful Ways

09/11/2025

In addition to this, many medications out there can result in temporary urinary retention, such as antimuscarinic drugs. These drugs are specified to treat Parkinson’s disease and an overactive bladder.

Forcing your body to pee without any actual need can be dangerous for a wide range of reasons. However, if you want to improve urination, you can opt for the following strategies:

Shift Your Focus to Running Water:

A wide range of studies found that listening to or paying attention to running water will induce a strong urge to pee by soothing your bladder muscles. Being unable to urinate once in a blue moon seems fine and doesn’t seem to be a cause for concern. However, facing this issue daily can signal an underlying condition that needs to be treated as soon as possible.

The sound of running water can also result in reflex action, causing your bladder to empty itself. In order to make yourself urinate, go to the washroom, turn on the sink faucet, and try to relax. Try to listen to the sound of running water with closed eyes while sitting on the toilet seat; it will create an urge to urinate.

Wash your perineum:

The area between your genitals and the anus is referred to as the perineum. As per the National Health Service located in the United Kingdom, washing this area may help you to urinate. This is considered one of the effective methods, especially for people who have recently given birth and are facing difficulty in passing urine. In order to rinse that area, try using a squirt bottle with lukewarm water.

Dip your hand either in cold or warm water:

Immersing your hand in water is another popular yet effective method of triggering urination. A study conducted by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases found that putting both hands in water can help create a strong urge to urinate.

In order to do this, you would require a shallow bowl filled with either cold or warm water. You have to immerse your fingertips in the water and hold them in the water till you get the strong urge to use the toilet. 

Go out for a walk: 

Opting for a mild to moderate physical activity can help stimulate the urge to urinate. In addition to this, physical activity also aids in minimizing constipation. Multiple studies found that immersing in exercises that target the pelvic floor will help you strengthen the associated muscles and minimize urinary incontinence. Go for a walk in your neighbourhood or a nearby park to create an urge to urinate.

Sniff peppermint oil:

If you are unable to empty your bladder or are facing difficulty urinating, don’t worry, peppermint has got you covered. Sniffing peppermint can be an effective way to induce the urge to urinate. Take a cotton ball and add some drops of peppermint oil to it. Sniff the cotton ball while sitting on the toilet seat to create a strong urge to urinate.

Changing your position while urinating:

Making a shift to your regular and typical position on the seat can also be beneficial in triggering the urge to urinate. As per the NHS, leaning forward when sitting on the toilet seat and opting for a rocking motion can help you empty your bladder.

Sit on the toilet seat and calm yourself. Whenever you get the urge to urinate, make sure to bend forward and rock, helping to stimulate your bladder.

Include relaxation techniques in your routine:

If you are having difficulty urinating, sitting on the toilet and relaxing as much as you can can help a lot. Doing so will help you relax your bladder muscles and facilitate urination.

To make it simpler and relaxing, try closing your eyes and starting a deep breathing exercise. Aim to relax all muscles in your body to relax your whole body. 

Opt for the Valsalva maneuver:

The Valsalva maneuver comes as a breathing exercise that functions by causing pressure in your chest, forcing you to strain and relax, which, as a result, helps in relaxing your whole body. Doing this may allow your bladder to relax and empty.

Go to the washroom, sit on the toilet, and bear down as if you are having a bowel movement. Use your forearms to press gently on your lower abdomen, but make sure not to press your bladder directly or indirectly. If you push on the bladder, it can push back the urine into the kidneys, increasing your risk of developing infections and damage.

The takeaway:

The best way to urinate on command is to relax your body enough to let it happen naturally. Although this can be difficult, it is sometimes required for medical reasons. Even after trying the aforementioned tips, if you are facing difficulty passing urine, get in touch with a doctor. You may have an underlying condition that may be affecting your ability to urinate completely. Ignoring or leaving it untreated can worsen the situation, making you prone to a broad range of infections. Therefore, get yourself checked to find the underlying cause.