How to Use Food, Breath and Natural Remedies to Calm Your Body
When a rumble in your stomach turns into a painful cramp, you know your irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is about to take over. Your body tenses, your worries spike, and your mind races to thoughts of the nearest bathroom. Whether you’re in your own home or in the middle of an event, it’s never fun to deal with a flare-up, and depending on your next steps, it can get worse before it gets better.
Since each body is different, it can be tough to know how best to proceed during an IBS flare-up, but there are a few methods to help calm your intestines, soothe your stomach, and make the pain much more manageable. These eight tips will help your body and mind get through the attack more comfortably.
Calm Your Mind
You may not experience the very same symptoms or triggers as the next person, but all IBS sufferers do share one common enemy — stress. Your first priority should be to cut down stressful situations; while you may not be able to get rid of all the stress in your life, you can certainly ease its impact by taking charge of your thoughts and emotions.
The calmer your mind, the calmer your symptoms, so learn techniques to soothe yourself and snuff out your worries. It’s natural to fear the worst when you feel that first sharp cramp, but it’s important to tell yourself to slow down and trust that your body will hold it in for at least a few minutes.
The idea is to give yourself time and mental space to control your symptoms while you find a bathroom — remember that panicking will make physical processes much more difficult to control.
There aren't many controlled studies on exercise for IBS, but there’s a good deal of evidence to suggest that activity can change things for the better.
