My life has dramatically improved since realising that I have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
There is a huge body of research on the gut-brain health connection. This exciting and ever-growing area of science is telling us so much about how the body works and how interconnected everything is. Anything that helps your mental or physical health also has positive impacts on your gut health.
I outline some of the key areas of my life where I have tried to make some positive changes. When I try to implement changes in my life, I pick one thing at a time and try it for a few weeks to months until it feels like second nature. This may look like a lot to focus on, but when you start to feel the benefits, you won’t want to go back.
Stress is a major trigger of symptoms in people with IBS. Many of these areas address stress management and mental health in order to improve your overall quality of life with fewer IBS flare ups.
Self Love
My life transformed the day I decided to love myself. And while that may sound a bit hippy dippy, it’s really the key that has unlocked my unwavering commitment to my health and growth.
Part of self love is self kindness, so I only treat myself with the utmost respect and patience. I’ve found that striving for perfection and living by absolutes is not sustainable for me.
Therefore, the changes I outline below are my go to framework for stability and happiness. But I allow myself the freedom and lack of judgment to deviate from these whenever I want.
When I feel I have strayed too far and start to see the effects on my health, I gently nudge myself back on course to get back to my equilibrium.
Sleep
It’s well documented that in Western societies we are chronically sleep deprived. When I am tired, I get depressed, stressed and have essentially no control over my food cravings. All of this massively impacts my gut reactions.
Here are some of the things I have done to dramatically improve my sleep duration and quality:
- Stopped consuming caffeine. Caffeine was never my main thing but I know this step is hard for a lot of people.
- Going to bed at a fixed time every night, even on weekends, with a fixed routine to wind down. I manage this ~90% of the time.
- Keep my phone on silent, turn off notifications for most apps, remove social media apps, and turn on “do not disturb” from 8pm to 10am.
- Get rid of all screens an hour before bed and leave my phone out of my bedroom.
- Only use my bedroom for sleep.
- Make my bedroom as dark as possible, sleep with an eye mask, and cover all lights and clocks.
- Wake up naturally without an alarm. This is perhaps the hardest thing for most people, but this has been the thing that has helped me the most.
Exercise
Even just 10 minutes of high-energy movement in the morning is enough to get my blood pumping. This really helps my brain and gut.
The way I have successfully built regular exercise into my day was to first set my motivation; for me it was gut health and wanting to walk round the block when I’m 90. I also try to do a little every day (at least 10 minutes), I found the types of exercise I really enjoy, and vary the type of exercise I do (e.g., HIIT, yoga, walking, hiking, swimming, biking, strength training).
Also, yoga has been clinically proven to reduce symptoms in people with IBS as much as a change in diet.
How I Eat
This is a big topic that I will probably do a whole post on in future. I try to eat three meals a day at fixed times with no snacking in between. This helps keep my gut on a regular schedule and it is able to cope with food much better this way.
I try to moderate my portion sizes, as overeating can overwhelm the gut. I also try to slow down before a meal, drink some hot water, breathe, and eat more mindfully with no screens/TV.
What I Drink
Hydration is key, first thing in the morning I try to drink a full bottle/two large glasses of water and keep hydrated throughout the day. This helps with the brain, mood, health, fatigue, everything, and it all helps the gut.
I do drink alcohol in moderation on the weekends, and I know that it will irritate my gut if I do. I try to be honest with myself about what triggers my symptoms, this may be caffeine for some people. I can then weigh the pros and cons and evaluate each situation as it comes.
Meditation
I now meditate every morning and with some work, it has become a non-negotiable part of my day. This one did not come naturally to me at first and took many attempts over several years and mediums to really find my rhythm.
Meditation is often thought of as a period of time when you have to turn off all thoughts and sit in pure silence and calm. It’s not that. Given some good tools (meditation apps, Youtube videos, online courses), I found that it is actually an active daily mental exercise where all thoughts are accepted, and it takes practice.
If you have tried it and it didn’t really “work” for you either, I encourage you to try another medium until you find your groove. The benefits are cumulative and so very worth it. If you need any more motivation, listen to this ~13 minute podcast episode of Feel Better, Live More on the amazing benefits of meditation.
Journalling & Gratitude
Journalling may be something very natural to some and very foreign to others. I only started journalling regularly during the pandemic.
This has been clinically proven to benefit people’s mental health and outlook. It can be a great way to organize thoughts, reflect on life, and it also provides a valuable record of your growth.
I try and incorporate a gratitude practice, list three specific things I am grateful for in that moment, both into my morning meditation and journalling. I also try and think of three words or intentions that I want to bring into the day.
Studies have found that people report their lives and mood improving after just three weeks of gratitude journalling, so it’s definitely worth giving it a go to see if you notice any differences.
Connection & Support
Building up networks of support has been one of the most important factors to make it through the dark days, and when my IBS symptoms are at their worst.
My family, friends, therapist, and even nutritionist, made me feel a lot less alone going through the challenges of living with IBS and navigating a demanding diet.
I never turn down an opportunity for in person interaction or the chance to grow my networks of support, as they have helped me sustain and thrive while living with IBS.
Honesty
My biggest challenge was being truly honest with myself. I became quite sick when I was going through a stressful time at work. It was this time that led me to seek medical support for IBS in the first place (see My Story).
I have since come to the realisation that I was not happy in my job. The stress I was experiencing because of this was making me unwell. As part of my commitment to self love, I decided I had to choose a path that would not damage my health.
So I made the steps to actively change my situation and job. I keep following this same principle for choosing how I spend my time, who is in my life, and even where I live.
As Oprah tells me to, I am trying to “live my truth”, or at least work every day to get closer to it. I guess starting this bog is part of that journey too.
