9 things you can do to help your Crohn's or colitis

So much of living with Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or microscopic colitis can feel out of your control, like having active disease, changing medications, or needing surgery.

Rather than focusing on the things you can’t control, focusing on the habits you can control can sometimes help you feel better overall.

9 things you can do to help your Crohn's or colitis

Some examples of habits you can control that can help your mental and physical health include

1. Adding a daily focus on stress management activities like meditation or yoga to help you feel relaxed and refreshed
2. Establishing a relaxing bedtime routine that will help you wind down from the day and get the highest quality sleep you can
3. Moving in ways that feel good for your body such as stretching, walking, or exercising
4. Working with a pelvic floor physical therapist to strengthen your pelvic floor which can help normalize your bathroom habits
5. Trying out gut-directed hypnotherapy to reduce your symptoms
6. Eating foods that make you feel good and are satisfying
7. Talking to your therapist to cope with medical trauma and food-related trauma
8. Devoting time to relax and rejuvenate each day, accepting that on some days you may need more time to relax than others and that’s okay.
9. Work with an IBD-focused registered dietitian to reduce your GI symptoms, expand your diet and restore your relationship with food.

While there are many things you can’t control with your IBD, focusing on the things you can control may help you feel better and improve your overall quality of life.