Chronic illness and chronic stress can go hand in hand. When I was first diagnosed with Crohn’s, the more reactive I was to my environment, the more pain I felt, and the more pain I felt, the more frustrated I became. I knew I needed to learn how to soothe chronic stress – the root of illness.

We have so much power over our actions. When I learned I had Crohn’s, I had a victim mindset and believed everything happened to me. It was debilitating. Over the last few months, I’ve been reframing to see that just because things do happen around me, doesn’t mean I need to match their intensity. By reducing my reactiveness to my environment, I’ve lowered stress and lowered pain. Taking responsibility for myself has given me this greater sense of power over my life. While I don’t completely understand why I got Crohn’s, I don’t think getting angry about it is a healthy or useful way to spend my time.

Developing a resilience and mindfulness around events happening in my immediate life and the greater world has given me an amazing gift: I’m able to calmly access situations and make much more calculated decisions. While journaling, meditating, nourishing my body, doing yoga/pilates, and having a routine help me maintain homeostasis in my body and mind, the following helps me cope when the world outside is turbulent and I can feel it start to impact me:

1. Asking what my higher self would do

   • it’s very hard to imagine yourself at 70 getting angry at the things you think are real issues now

2. Asking my higher self to comfort me

   • In meditation, especially before bed when I’m most anxious, I will ask my higher self to give me wisdom. I was shocked to realize how much wisdom I already have in me, and you have that too.
3. Spending quiet, uninterrupted time alone
   • Spending time in solitude without phones is truly the only way to start listening to intuition. I typically spend 15 minutes a day closing my eyes and praying to God. I ask for His wisdom and guidance and lett my soul speak to me. At first, it’s more about listening to the silence and letting whatever feelings need to come up without judgement. The more you practice, you should start to receive intuition, or more immediate gut reactions.
4. Organizing chaotic thoughts on paper
   • Whenever stress keeps popping up, I write in my journal then burn the page. If they’re genuine things that need to get done, sort them into your calendar. I like taking time to do this at the end of the day. The minute I let go of trying to think of what I have to do, it all comes flowing out. I lay on my bed in silence and have a paper and pen or my calendar nearby.
5. Remind yourself of your goals
   • I have index cards on my cork board above my desk to remind myself of why I’m doing what I’m doing. It’s easy for me to get bogged down by immediate to-dos. When I’m frustrated, my index cards are there reminding me of the bigger picture. If I don’t get a ping of excitement to continue, I know I’m doing something that needs to be delegated or isn’t in alignment with my purpose.

Let me know below what your favorite thing to do when stressed is! Mine is to go for ice cream down the street with Mike (after taking a digestive enzyme of course) and watch Youtube and do my LightStim. A little indulgence while stressed can be a good way to reward yourself for all the hard work you’re doing, just make sure you’re balancing out that chaotic energy and returning to homeostasis at the end of the day!