Four simple habits to make you and your tummy happier (based on neuroscience)
Who doesn’t want to be happier? I don’t know anyone who would say no when asked if they want to feel happier than they do right now—even if they are blissfully happy! Happiness is an emotion we seek and promote and revel in. And for those of us with IBS, these practices will not only make your heart and brain happy, but they just might improve your relationship with your gut too. We’ve got you! Check out our guide to four simple happiness habits that will help take you from ho-hum to oh-happy.
Here’s one thing to keep in mind human life is 50/50. If we never feel sadness we can’t really know happiness. If we never feel pain, we can’t really feel pleasure. We don’t want to expect to be happy all the time because that’s not how life works. We can, however, stack the deck in favor of inviting happiness into our lives on a regular basis by adopting certain practices that have been scientifically proven to facilitate the experience of happiness.
Practice being thankful. Simply ask yourself this question “What am I grateful for?” Then, write down all the things you can think of. Keep in mind many of these things can be very basic. I’m grateful to be alive. I’m grateful to have a functioning body. I’m grateful to have a roof over my head. I’m grateful to have enough food to eat. I’m grateful to have a loving spouse, partner, child, dog, cat, iguana. Once you’ve covered the basics, you can look for the more nuanced things you are grateful for. How about a clean house, a mowed lawn, an oiled hinge, a beautiful sunrise, the sound of the ocean…I’m sure you can think of a very long list. And you can add to it every day because every new day is something in and of itself to be thankful for.
Make time for exercise. We cover this a lot in our program. Daily gentle exercise is really good for those of us with IBS because it keeps things moving, raises our spirits, in many cases gets us outside with a buddy or two (which compounds the benefits of the exercise), and keeps our joints and muscles working well.
The key to adding exercise to your life is not to make it too difficult! You can set yourself up for failure if you decide “exercise” means at least an hour with sweating and pain involved. That doesn’t sound very appealing. I think I would pass on that.
Too much exercise can take our body’s resources away from digesting our food and can cause us more stress than it does good. There’s a big range of what is “right” for each of us so listen to your body and monitor your own response to exercise. Then adjust the intensity and amount for optimum results.
I recommend people who don’t exercise at all start by walking around the block just once. Then increase it to twice. Then go from there. I myself walk about 3 miles a day. Some days I do less and some days I do more but I always get out for at least a short walk. It has become a habit. Like brushing my teeth. Once it’s a habit you don’t even have to think about it. It just happens. And guess what? YOU are the beneficiary!
Adopt a healthy diet. This is a big one for people, like you and me, who have IBS. About 80% of people can see a marked improvement in their IBS symptoms by switching to a low FODMAP diet followed by a specific protocol to challenge FODMAPs back into the diet. A healthy diet when you have IBS should be as broad and varied as possible — without triggering your IBS symptoms.
That’s why we constantly publish new Deliciously Low FODMAP™ recipes to inspire you to try new things, expand your palate, and delight your whole family. We emphasize eating less processed, more organic, and non-GMO foods when you have IBS because they are likely to have fewer hidden triggers that come from our industrialized food production system. Don’t forget, eating a healthy diet includes drinking plenty of water too.
Give someone else a helping hand. This is a wonderful practice that is scientifically proven to help you feel happy and connected. It benefits the person (or people) you’re helping too! Win. Win. It can be something easy and quick or long and committed but either way, it can help you feel connected and happy. For me, developing delicious simple low FODMAP recipes, IBS-friendly tips and tools, and sharing them with all of you makes me very happy and I thank you for your interest and your gratitude. It inspires me every day! I also volunteer my time and bring treats to my family, friends, and neighbors. Not every day but once in a while. It’s so easy and fun.
What is it for you?
How about volunteering your time, donating your talent and/or your treasure, to the local library, food pantry, charity of your choice? These are wonderful ways to help others. You can also help in small ways if you tune your attention to find and address small needs all around you. How about offering to walk your neighbor’s dog, mow their lawn, rake their leaves, bring them dinner? How about dropping off flowers or some treats when it’s not the holidays. Just for fun! How about sending a letter and making a connection with someone who might be lonely.
There’s so much we can all do to help ourselves and those around us feel happy. You don’t have to make major changes in your life to reap the benefits. Start small and let it blossom. And remember to appreciate the times you are not feeling happy too. That 50/50 balance will make you appreciate happiness so much more.
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