Wendy Leung: Do you have a good gauge of your daily stress level?
Watch this video to learn why this is so important for your IBS health, and how your stress awareness
can actually help you get better.
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If you've ever heard that stress can cause IBS, but you don't know what to do about it.
By the end of this video you'll know where to start.
I'm Wendy Leung: Holistic Health & Happiness Coach, Licensed Acupuncturist, and Powerhouse
IBS Conqueror, and I used to struggle with IBS and stress too.
Now I teach my clients how to reign them both in, and now I'm teaching you too.
You might have been told by your doctors that stress can contribute to your IBS.
But how many of you head that and had a few of these thoughts, "Well wait, I'm a master
when it comes to stress management, cool as a cucumber no matter how busy I am.
So what are they talking about?"
"Everyone has stress, but not everyone has IBS, so that can't be right."
"Yeah, but I'm so overwhelmed with stress right now, I don't even know where to start
to get it under control."
I have nothing to be stressed out about in my life, so I can't be stressed, can I?"
What's your daily stress level on a scale of one to ten, ten being extremely stressed?
Let me know by dropping a number in the comments below.
Stress is a funny thing.
If you're a go getter, strong work ethic, multitasking genius then you might think that
your stress is pretty low.
Stressful situations happen, but you pride yourself on being able to tackle anything
that comes at you, and you keep your head well about water.
So your mind might be clear, but what about your body?
On the flip side, you might be drowning in stress, and feeling like everything in your
life might crumble at any minute, and it's taking everything you have just to get up
and keep going in the morning.
So where do you even start to tackle it?
Or you might look at your life and think, steady job, roof over your head, good friends
and family, everything you should want, so there's no reason for stress in your life.
But if you're not feeling overjoyed and grateful for what you have, are you stressed out because
you're feeling stuck?
So how do you really get a good gauge on your stress level?
First, take a moment to tune in so you can really evaluate.
I'm gonna lead you through an exercise right now, and I want you to set aside whatever
else you're doing in the moment and just focus in.
Okay, ready?
Here we go, close your eyes, root your feet to the ground, and take a deep breath in,
and out, and ask yourself, how stressed do I feel right now on a scale of one to ten?
Now, before you answer this question take a moment to tune into your mind.
Are your thoughts racing a mile a minute?
Are you wondering how long this is gonna take?
Did you already tune me out and you're already thinking about the other things you need to
do today?
Okay, now take a moment to tune into your body.
How are your IBS symptoms right now?
Do you feel your gut clenching?
Are you uncomfortably bloated?
Are your insides yelling at you?
Is your chest tight?
How's your breathing?
Does your jaw hurt?
Is everything tense and stuck?
Are you in pain?
Are you restless?
Lastly, tune into your spirit.
What emotions are coming up?
Are you irritated, impatient, frustrated, sad, defeated?
Now try smiling, does it come easily, or are you just moving your muscles?
Can you feel happiness and joy radiating form you, or is it a struggle?
Now I want you to ask yourself again, what's your mental, physical, spiritual stress level
on a scale of one to ten?
Now take a deep breath in, and out, and thank yourself for tuning in, and for your honesty,
and now you can slowly open your eyes.
Did your stress number change?
Drop the new number in the comment below, and let me know if it did.
Stress is a monstrous beast, and it's not something we can erase with one full swoop.
But here's my tip for today, tackle your stress with consistent practices from three different
angles; mind, body, and spirit.
For your mind, you can de-stress your mind with a regular meditation practice.
If you want help starting a daily meditation practice, you can sign up for my newsletter
and I will send you the first track from my album of guided meditation for active minds,
and the link is in the description box below.
For your body, de-stress your body with some light exercise to promote circulation, and
relax your muscle tension.
You can go for a daily walk, or you can do some full body stretches before you get into
bed.
For your spirit, feed your spirit on a regular basis by planning weekly activities that really
light you up.
Talk to friends that really make you laugh, visiting with animals, or even just dancing
around to your favorite tunes.
On your bad IBS attack days, you may not be able to do all of these things.
But on days where you're feeling better, you should really take the time out and really
learn how to de-stress.
By tackling your stress and diet together, you'll be well on your way to an IBS free
life.
Now that you've got a better gauge on your stress, if you're ready to really take that
leap and get your IBS, and your stress under control for good, visit my website and check
out my online coaching program, because I dive deep with my clients to really make sure
they don't just get their IBS under control, but that they develop resilience, and they
really truly handle stress with ease, and from a healthy place.
And, don't forget to sign up for my newsletter to get that free guided meditation, the link
is in the description box below.
If you like this video, please let me know by liking it below, and definitely let me
know what your stress number ended up being, and also share this with your fellow IBS conquerors
because I wanna make sure that we're spreading the word that IBS is not a forever thing.
So I can help you guys beat this together.
But wait, there was one last question from earlier that we didn't really get to, and
that was if everyone has stress, how come not everyone has IBS?
Well stress is such an important IBS topic that I'm gonna continue this conversation
into the next episode.
So make sure that you stay tuned, that you subscribe to my channel, and that you hit
the bell to make sure that you get those notifications every time I release a new episode.