Consistency Will Help Your IBS During the Holidays

Regardless of whether you have a busy holiday season or a quiet one, you’re likely to be taken out of your regular routine. This can be a good thing… seeing people you wouldn’t usually see, going to places that you wouldn’t usually go, and enjoying a companionship that’s quite unique to the holiday season. But, being out of your routine may make your IBS unstable.

How consistency helps in the management of IBS

Since there are so many different things that can trigger IBS, juggling all the things that can set off your symptoms is hard work. The best way of dealing with this, at any time of the year, is to create daily routines designed for your needs.

While the concept of routines sometimes feels stifling, the reality is that they give you more freedom. That’s because routines keep you doing the things that help to manage your IBS and also help you to avoid things that will trigger your symptoms. The other advantage of having a consistent routine is that you don’t have to consciously think about your choices each day. This means that you can spend your precious mental energy on something else.

Changes in your routine, no matter how enjoyable, could impact the stability of your IBS. Sometimes that impact will be small, but other times it will be big. And at a time when you’re constantly being pulled out of your routine, the instability has a higher chance of triggering your symptoms.

But don’t worry, that doesn’t mean you have to give up all the fun. Instead, you need to be careful to ensure that some consistency remains.

How you can create consistency during the chaos

The first thing you need to do is to work out which parts of your daily routine are most important for managing your IBS. This will look a little different for everyone, but could include things such as exercise, sleep, stress management or food selection. These are the things that you need to hang on to as much as possible to create the stability you’ll need.

The second thing to do is to work out which parts of your daily routine are least important for managing your IBS, which could easily be removed. Look for things that you do each day that seem to have nothing to do with your IBS. A good example is watching a TV show (or two) each night. In this case, watching TV is part of your daily routine, but giving it up isn’t likely to affect your IBS.

Once you know what’s most important and what’s least important, you can make a plan to create consistency. Start out by making a list of non-negotiable things that need to be done each day. For example, getting 8 hours of sleep each night, having time to prepare meals, and going for a morning walk. Then make a list of the things that you’re prepared to give up each day if holiday activities need that time. For example, watching TV. You can then use these lists to shuffle your day and maintain the consistency you need to keep your IBS under control.