How to deal with IBS, I have found my solutions to cope with stress and others

Around two months ago, I shared an article about stress management and its potential benefits for those with IBS. Today, I want to share my personal experience in the hopes that it can once again help fellow sufferers. Based on my current situation, I believe that stress management can be effective in managing IBS.
I have been struggling with IBS for about eight years. When I am feeling well, I experience symptoms about once a week. However, during flare-ups, I can experience symptoms every day for a week or more. I imagine that many of my fellow sufferers here have had similar experiences during IBS outbreaks.
How my IBS occurs
My IBS was caused by irregular diet in my early years, or eating spicy food, which often caused diarrhea. Later, my lifestyle habits were not handled very well, so my body became weaker and weaker, and finally I was afflicted with this disease.
From the beginning of my fight against IBS, my daily life became regular, my diet became healthy, my mindset became positive, and I exercised regularly, but I still did not find a way to deal with IBS.
Methods I used to combat IBS
Acupuncture and moxibustion, cranial therapy, taking probiotics, antidiarrheal drugs, anti-inflammatory drugs, montmorillonite powder, and taking Chinese medicine.
Healing essential oils provided by traditional Chinese medicine
In order to improve my physical and mental health, I practice meditation and fitness.
The effects of these methods on me
Acupuncture and moxibustion, tried for 2 months, I think that acupuncture and moxibustion is a good method, but in my body, the therapeutic effect is not obvious.
Cranial therapy, tried for 6 months, I cannot say that this is not a good method, it even helped me, for example, it helped my meditation state, but it did not help with my IBS.
Probiotics, tried for 8 years, I do not feel that probiotics are really effective for IBS.
Antidiarrheal drugs, anti-inflammatory drugs, montmorillonite powder, these drugs, tried for 8 years, I will take them when I have an IBS outbreak. Sometimes when it is severe, I will take more, it seems to control the severe condition. But their disadvantage is that they cannot help me stop the outbreak. Taking them only helps when the outbreak happened.
Healing essential oils provided by traditional Chinese medicine，tried for 10 months, I don't think this method works well for me, and applying essential oils is just too much trouble. There is no pleasure in it for me, and my clothes end up smelling like expired oil after I apply it. I don't like that feeling very much. Of course, the main issue is that it doesn't seem to be effective for me.
Chinese medicine, tried for 3 years, I don't think it helps with my IBS.
I have been meditating for more than 10 years, and I think meditation is effective.
Fitness, because I have learned that some people have overcome IBS by strengthening their physical fitness through exercise. However, fitness had side effects on me for a period of time. Because my body was weakened after a long period of IBS, the guidance given by the personal trainer at the time seemed to exceed what my body could bear. I would have insomnia after every workout, so I eventually gave up follow the gym trainer.
Emergence of Change
Due to my IBS, my body became very weak. So, I researched supplements for many years and started a small business selling health products. Later, in the health product market, I found a product called ashwagandha that I had never heard of before. As a Chinese person, I had always researched Chinese supplements, and ashwagandha is Indian, so I had never heard of it. However, I discovered that many people highly recommended ashwagandha, even calling it the "strongest stress-relieving medicine" ever.
After carefully studying various materials, including its traditional use in India, modern scientific research and theory, and various media reports and usage recommendations, I decided to give it a try. For me, or for someone with IBS, courage to try various possibilities is one of my best qualities.
I did not have high expectations, as the New York Times article pointed out, I should approach it rationally, as it is not a chemical drug that produces an immediate powerful effect. However, to my surprise, that night, I felt a subtle feeling that ashwagandha brought to me. I was walking in the park and could subtly perceive a change in my perception of the environment around me. I realized a very subtle calmness had descended. I was a little happy, thinking it might be having a special effect, but my reason told me it might just be my own illusion. However, the next day, after taking it, I still felt that subtle calmness. I told my friend, and she almost thought it was like marijuana but without the obvious ups and downs. Ashwagandha only brought a subtle feeling of tranquility without ups and downs. After that, I happily opened my ashwagandha capsules, smelled their scent, tasted their flavor, and stirred them into my drinks at all meals. Instead of following the usual recommendation of taking two capsules a day, I chose to enjoy the feeling of opening the capsules.
What I think is the key idea
In the past, when using various supplements, I swallowed capsules, tilted my head back, dropped two capsules into my mouth, and then drank some water to swallow them. This made me feel like a patient, and the feeling of swallowing capsules unconsciously made me resist it, though I was hardly aware of it. So, I found it difficult to persist in using supplements made into capsules, such as a bottle of capsule supplements that I should have used up in a month, but in reality, I might have spent half a year or even a year, and they were still in the bottle. Therefore, I find it difficult to say whether these supplements have had any effect on me. As for when I opened ashwagandha, my thoughts changed.
In the past, we used these supplements by adding them to food, cooking for several hours, or even ten or twenty hours, to extract the essence of the supplement into the soup, and then drinking it. We enjoyed a delicious meal. However, modern science uses technology to extract the most effective ingredients from supplements to help people achieve health goals, but loses the happiness of enjoying delicious food.
Therefore, I think if I always open these capsules and add them to my meals, it also saves me the task of remembering to take medicine or supplements every day. I won't forget to eat, and I just need to put the bottle on the table and add the capsules to my drink like adding a seasoning. Everything becomes very logical, from opening the capsule to the fact that I haven’t forgotten to add ashwagandha in a meal. In fact, I have also added other supplements to enhance my physical fitness. I also really enjoy the rich flavor they add to my drinks. I enjoy doing this.
I think the biggest help of ashwagandha is that it helped me find the root cause of my IBS, which is caused by stress. Therefore, I no longer look for ways to deal with my intestines, but focus on how to deal with stress.
My current status
Unfortunately, I have not completely resolved my issue, but there have been some results.
During the past two months, I have experienced diarrhea twice, both times during my menstrual period (when my body is weaker than usual), but it was only a very mild occurrence and did not affect my physical strength at all.
In addition, when I feel like I might have diarrhea, I tell myself, "Oh, my old friend is coming back again. Come on in, it's been a while since we've seen each other." I choose to embrace it and accept it if it wants to come and play. This also relaxes my mind and I no longer panic when IBS occurs. I don't even expect it to be resolved anymore. I think it will happen anytime, but I can accept it with ease. It's like Socrates marrying a crazy wife.
My methods for coping with stress
I believe that everyone should find their own way to cope with stress. It is not necessary to use ashwagandha just because it is effective for stress relief. If you haven't found any other good ways to cope with stress, you can try it.
Stress is caused by situations that require us to be alert. The body secretes more cortisol to choose between fighting or fleeing. Therefore, we can give our body a message that we can rest now and don't need to fight or flee by placing ourselves in a safe and familiar environment.
Aromatherapy: I have been using aromatherapy for a long time, but I only remember to light a candle or incense when I am in a good mood and state.
Meditation: If you haven't tried meditation and start learning it, the fact is that "learning" to meditate will cause cortisol secretion and require us to be alert.
Reading: Not all reading is relaxing for me. When I read poetry, I am almost intoxicated and stress-free. If I read a subject I don't like, I actually feel a lot of stress. But I am a person who likes challenges and often puts myself in experiments with subjects I don't like. Therefore, I will choose whether to challenge myself depending on my recent physical condition to avoid a flare-up of IBS due to high stress levels.
Exercise: I recently learned how to exercise in heart rate zone 3, which is very effective for me. I can now do zone 3 exercise for almost an hour every day and feel that my body is undergoing significant changes. In the past few years, I couldn't even enter a room with air conditioning because I felt too cold. Now I feel comfortable and my performance in exercise has been improving.
Playing games: Playing simple games or games that I am familiar and good at. Recently, I have been playing with the children's toys made by McDonald's, Tetris, or any game that might make me feel stressed. I find that playing these small games is very similar to doing deep breathing, alternately relaxing and tense at a certain frequency.
All methods may or may not work. We need to find information that allows the body to rest based on our own preferences and past experiences with things we are familiar with and enjoy.
Things I think need attention
Diet: Because I can't handle alcohol, my body needs a lot of energy to deal with the toxins produced in my body every time I drink a little. Any food that is difficult to digest, eating too much in one meal, raw or spicy food or drinks, in other words, any diet that puts a burden or stress on the body is what I need to avoid.
Over-exercising or not exercising enough.
Sleep: Occasionally, work stress or excessive exercise can cause insomnia. But I have also found a way to cope with insomnia. I ensure that I go to bed and wake up early every day.
Mental stress: I think not everyone has IBS due to mental stress. But if you cannot find a solution to IBS, or if you want to try this method with me, you can relieve it by noticing mental stress.
My current status
Unfortunately, I have not completely resolved my issue, but there have been some results.
During the past two months, I have experienced diarrhea twice, both times during my menstrual period (when my body is weaker than usual), but it was only a very mild occurrence and did not affect my physical strength at all.
In addition, when I feel like I might have diarrhea, I tell myself, "Oh, my old friend is coming back again. Come on in, it's been a while since we've seen each other." I choose to embrace it and accept it if it wants to come and play. This also relaxes my mind and I no longer panic when IBS occurs. I don't even expect it to be resolved anymore. I think it will happen anytime, but I can accept it with ease. It's like Socrates marrying a crazy wife.
My methods for coping with stress
I believe that everyone should find their own way to cope with stress. It is not necessary to use ashwagandha just because it is effective for stress relief. If you haven't found any other good ways to cope with stress, you can try it.
Stress is caused by situations that require us to be alert. The body secretes more cortisol to choose between fighting or fleeing. Therefore, we can give our body a message that we can rest now and don't need to fight or flee by placing ourselves in a safe and familiar environment.
Aromatherapy: I have been using aromatherapy for a long time, but I only remember to light a candle or incense when I am in a good mood and state.
Meditation: If you haven't tried meditation and start learning it, the fact is that "learning" to meditate will cause cortisol secretion and require us to be alert.
Reading: Not all reading is relaxing for me. When I read poetry, I am almost intoxicated and stress-free. If I read a subject I don't like, I actually feel a lot of stress. But I am a person who likes challenges and often puts myself in experiments with subjects I don't like. Therefore, I will choose whether to challenge myself depending on my recent physical condition to avoid a flare-up of IBS due to high stress levels.
Exercise: I recently learned how to exercise in heart rate zone 3, which is very effective for me. I can now do zone 3 exercise for almost an hour every day and feel that my body is undergoing significant changes. In the past few years, I couldn't even enter a room with air conditioning because I felt too cold. Now I feel comfortable and my performance in exercise has been improving.
Playing games: Playing simple games or games that I am familiar and good at. Recently, I have been playing with the children's toys made by McDonald's, Tetris, or any game that might make me feel stressed. I find that playing these small games is very similar to doing deep breathing, alternately relaxing and tense at a certain frequency.
All methods may or may not work. We need to find information that allows the body to rest based on our own preferences and past experiences with things we are familiar with and enjoy.
Things I think need attention
Diet: Because I can't handle alcohol, my body needs a lot of energy to deal with the toxins produced in my body every time I drink a little. Any food that is difficult to digest, eating too much in one meal, raw or spicy food or drinks, in other words, any diet that puts a burden or stress on the body is what I need to avoid.
Over-exercising or not exercising enough.
Sleep: Occasionally, work stress or excessive exercise can cause insomnia. But I have also found a way to cope with insomnia. I ensure that I go to bed and wake up early every day.
Mental stress: I think not everyone has IBS due to mental stress. But if you cannot find a solution to IBS, or if you want to try this method with me, you can relieve it by noticing mental stress.
I may update my situation later if anything good happens.
If there is any other information that needs to be added, I will update it.
Also, if you have any disagreements, please leave me a message.

Finally, here is a mantra from the Chinese Taoist tradition for physical and mental health.
五星之气，六甲之精
三真天仓，清云常盈
黄父赤子，守中无倾
Qi of the Five Stars,
Essence of the Six Shells,
Three True Heavenly Storehouse,
Clear clouds always full,
Yellow Father, Red Child, Guarding the Center without Tipping.
Wishing everyone happiness and good health.