Irritable bowel syndrome symptoms can be caused by stress even if you are eating a perfect low Fodmap diet so you need to take steps to reduce that stress. Watch my video for 5 ways to do that. This is not a simple topic, and everyone’s life is different, but you have to start somewhere or nothing will change. Small steps forward will eventually add up to a large change, so get moving.
The Transcript
Today I want to give you five tips for cutting back on the stress in your life. Stress affects IBS negatively, so we have to get it under control.
The first one is about clutter. We’ve heard a lot about minimalism. A cluttered house, a cluttered desk is going to be a cluttered mind, and that’s going to create overwhelm. And while that clutter remains, that overwhelm will remain. This is a big task that it’s good for you to consider. Start to declutter your home, and once you’ve done that, keep it decluttered to reduce your overwhelm.
Number two is that you have to learn to say “no.” Some people are not programmed to say “no” when they’re asked to help. But if you don’t want to be overwhelmed, you do have to say “no” to that committee, say “no” to the school asking you to be on yet another fund raiser. Say “no” to family and friends if you’re sure they can cope without you. Learn to say “no” and you’ll feel empowered by that.
Now the third is the flip side – it’s to ask for help. You don’t have to do everything yourself, so ask your family and friends for help. If they say “no” understand that and respect that, but you can still ask, but also ask for professional help. You want to paint your study in new bright color? You don’t have to do it yourself – you can get a professional in. Also here’s a radical thought, how about just not painting your study? Cross that off your list.
Number four is to clear out the clutter in your life from the point of view of committees, meetings, commitments of that kind. You’re on the tennis executive for the tennis club and you have to rush in from work and rush the kids so that you can get away to that meeting at 7:00 in the evening, and then it drags on and on and nothing is concluded. You really don’t enjoy it, but you feel obliged to be a part of the executive. What I do in cases like this, I think to ten years ahead and I think, “Will I feel guilty or bad about having made that decision in ten years’ time?” If not, then that’s the correct thing to do.
The last one is, and this is a rather strange one, it’s to scrap your to-do list. If you’re one of those people like me who makes a long list of things that you need to do, you cross them out, you keep adding on at the bottom, and the list is never ending. How about scrapping the list? Throw it away. Start a new list and the things that were important you’ll remember and will go down on the new list. You’ll be very surprised at how much shorter it is because some of those things were just not essential for your life or for your family.
Those are the five points for you to think about and to action if you need to reduce the stress in your life and the overwhelm. If you can do this, if you’re successful at reducing the stress, you’ll be surprised how that helps your IBS because, even if you’re on a perfect low FODMAP diet and your symptoms have been eliminated, stress will make them return, so work on those five points.
That’s a very good list. I really need to deal with the clutter – it seems overwhelming xx
I find that if my desk is cluttered that I work in a less focused way. My cluttered wardrobe used to drive me crazy. Now I know that I will be happy to wear every single garment in my wardrobe and that makes life simple. I used to have 3 wardrobes full of clothes all over the house. Now my clothes fit easily into my bedroom wardrobe and there is actually space between the hanging clothes.
I have already started doing some of the stuff on your list and I feel alot better already. I just need to quit procrastinating about all the clutter and clean it up. It might help also if I was not always on the toilet, so I could have some time to get it done. Thanks so much for the help and list.
LOL. Yes, it would help if you weren’t always on the toilet.
I think it’s best to start small with decluttering. Do a drawer or cupboard, rather than a whole room. You will soon catch the bug and be on your way to a decluttered house.
I think the “feeling obliged” part is the worst. I get this in my job. Alot of the people I work with are older and set in their ways, and don’t want to get involved in change or new projects. Because I am the youngest in the team and initially was eager to learn and be seen to be enthusiastic, I would volunteer for stuff (some of which I enjoy!). Now I have become the go-to girl for these “extra” things. This week I have been “volunteered” to give a presentation to students studying in my field of work, in honour of a day recognising our profession. It’s a lot of work to prepare and I don’t really feel like doing it (plus i am a little nervous, it’s a bigger group than i would usually address) but because no one else volunteered to do it, I felt like I couldn’t say no when the department head approached me. Really quite annoyed by it.
Rant over!
I am sorry this has happened to you. We do get taken for granted if we allow it to happen. There is probably little you can do about it at this point except accept it and put a happy face on it. At the end of the day, you can make it a pleasant experience by entering into it wholeheartedly or a miserable experience by being resentful.
The next time volunteers are asked for, be quick about saying, “Not me this time.I was volunteered last time.” It is time to say, “No.”
Good luck with your presentation.