Labor Day is a time to take a break from the daily grind and relax. Regardless of what type of work you do -- CEO or homemaker -- you work hard. And, if you suffer with
irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), taking care of your body can feel like a second full-time job. Unfortunately, our bodies and spirits were not designed for the constant demands of modern day life.
One way to help to return your body to a state of health is to use the Labor Day holiday as a jump-start for incorporating relaxation and ease into your life on a regular basis. Here are four areas you can focus on:
1. Start Your Day Slowly
If you are like many people, you leap up when your alarm goes off, jump into the shower, and run out the door to start your day. Alternately, if you have
IBS-D, your day might start by zooming straight to the toilet. The problem with this is that this urgent behavior sends an alarm signal to the body, which strengthens the
stress response and contributes to digestive symptoms.
Take a tip from my pet tortoise, who spends several minutes at the start of his day just looking around before heading off for sun and food. Plan to set your alarm 15 minutes earlier so that upon awakening you can take a few moments to do some deep breathing and gentle stretching. Your slower pace will help your digestive system to quietly awaken.
2. Make Healthy Food Changes
Use the long weekend to choose and prepare healthier meals for yourself, moving away from processed foods toward incorporating more fruits, vegetables and whole grains into your diet. (Remember to increase
fiber slowly, however.) If you are unsure of your
food triggers, use the extra day off to start keeping a
food diary. If you are heading out to an end-of-summer barbecue, make sure that you only eat food that has been well-washed, properly refrigerated and cooked thoroughly, in order to avoid complicating your digestive problems with an acute
bacterial infection. Follow these simple guidelines on a regular basis so that you can begin to make healthy eating a life-long habit.
3. Go Outside
Getting out of the house and re-connecting with the nature can be wonderful for lifting spirits that can be dampened by dealing with a chronic illness, such as IBS. If need be, make sure that you will have bathroom access during your outing. While you are out, try to distract your focus from what is uncomfortable to the beauty of the great outdoors. Take note of the vivid colors you see and how good the sun and breeze feel on your skin. Listen to the soft sounds of birds, leaves rustling, or waves crashing. Figure out how you can fit regular dates with Mother Nature into your schedule.4. Connect With Others
IBS can be socially isolating, which can put you at risk for depression. Use your time off Labor Day weekend to contact a trusted friend. Explain what you have been dealing with. Ask about what is going on in his or her life, which can help distract you from your concerns. You may also want to try to seek out other individuals who are struggling with IBS; with 10 to 20% of the population living with this condition, there are a lot to choose from. In-person support groups might be hard to find, but there are many online options, including the
IBS discussion forum right here on About.com, to choose from. Spending time connecting with others can help you to get back in touch with “your old self” -- the healthy person who lies within.
