Stress Reared Its Ugly Head This Morning

[jlbattin]

Wow.........had no idea the impact stress can have on our MC. I've been doing great for several weeks now (unless I eat something I shouldn't or didn't realize I was eating). Today was my first day back to school with kids, and I had D and upset tummy for a couple of hours before I finally got out of the house. Once I got to school I was OK. I don't care if you're a first year teacher or have been going 36 years as I have, that first day with kids brings out the jitters and butterflies. Thank goodness I only work a half a day. I am feeling better now. I know it was totally stress as I have stuck to my safe foods and done nothing else out of the ordinary. I need to figure out some stress reducers for incidents just as this. What works for you? I've thought about Yoga. Does anyone do that? Does it help? What else do you do? Thanks.

[Vanessa]

Hey Jari,

I practice stress relieving techniques daily since I believe that is my major trigger. The 4-7-8 breathing technique is quick and easy. Dr. Andrew Weil has a youtube video which explains it in detail. I meditate, exercise, and do other energy works that relieve tension. You feel silly and weird doing these things at first but I had no choice. They have a cumulative effect and are effective if done daily (like calisthenics for the brain).

Another thing that has got me through my worst days is trying to stay in the present moment and become a silent observer of my body. Hope this helps. Find what works for you. EFT ( emotional freedom technique) is also a good one to look up on youtube. I thought it was crazy but these things actually work

[brandy]

Hi Jari,

Yoga, meditation, tai chi, walking biking are all stress relievers for me.

[Chemgirl]

I find any kind of physical activity helps for me. I especially like trail cycling.

About six months ago I decided to make the effort to do at least 30 minutes of physical activity per day. I try to do 3 days of resistance training, jogging, elliptical, and cycling. On days where I just don't feel it, I just walk around my neighborhood for half an hour.

I think it's helping with stress and MC symptoms. It's hard to tell because I'm generally normal now. However, my husband had a medical emergency not that long ago and I stopped working out to be home with him. Wow did everything come back with a vengeance. I was sitting in the ER and I could feel my stomach start to gurgle. Getting back to my workouts has helped settle everything down.

Edited to add: I realize this sounds all "oooh look at me being all healthy guys", but I have a stressful job and really the only thing that keeps me sane is physical activity. It really doesn't matter what it is, just burn off some of that stress. It's almost more frustrating to pick up yoga etc during times of stress because it's something that gets more enjoyable once you're used to it. I really think the best way to relieve stress is to pick out something you find fun and do it once or twice per week. Then you can add sessions if you're feeling particularly stressed out.

[Gabes-Apg]

I use guided meditation, audiobooks, podcasts etc....

A month or so ago I started colouring in for meditation.... There are adult colouring in books....

Gardening is good, combo of activity, sunshine, and the nurturing process of things growing....

[PamelaV]

I've just discovered an online "Mindfulness Meditation Camp." Free of charge, great for stress reduction.

http://happysmarts.com/mindfulness-camp/