If you’re wondering how to calm down an IBS flare-up, you’re not alone. Sometimes it can feel like they strike at random, leaving you racking your brain trying to figure out how that happened. Maybe with a sprinkle of self reproach, telling yourself off for all the things you most certainly did wrong to bring this on. Sounds familiar? Yup. When a flare-up strikes, it can bring a range of symptoms that really affect your day-to-day life. Understanding these flare-ups better and having strategies in place when they hit can make a significant difference.

Understanding What is an IBS Flare-up

An IBS flare-up involves various symptoms. Gut-related symptoms can include abdominal pain, bloating, gas and changes in bowel habits like diarrhoea or constipation. Non-gut symptoms like fatigue, headaches, and muscle pain can also accompany these episodes. It’s unclear exactly what causes flare-ups, but research generally agrees that long and short term stress and anxiety, GI infections, eating ‘trigger’ foods, and anxiety and depression could all have a role in bringing on and worsening flare-ups. Recognising your triggers can help you manage these flare-ups better. Chances are, it is a mix of a few different things that create the perfect storm for your IBS to flare-up.

Relief Strategies to Manage an IBS Flare-up

Belly Breathing

Various relaxation techniques are vital in managing IBS flare-ups. Deep belly breathing exercises, for example, can help calm the gut-brain connection. Here’s a simple diaphragmatic breathing exercise that can help you switch on the relaxation response.

• Find a Comfortable Position: Sit comfortably in a quiet space where you can relax for a few moments without distractions. You can also lie down if that’s more comfortable for you.
• Set a Timer: Optionally, set a timer for one or two minutes to help you stay focused on the exercise, instead of wondering how long you should keep going for. You can close your eyes if that feels nice.
• Place Your Hands: Rest one hand on your chest and the other on your belly. This will help you monitor your breathing and ensure you’re breathing deeply into your belly rather than into your chest.
• Begin Deep Breathing:
  • Inhale: Take a slow, deep breath in through your nose. As you breathe in, focus on expanding your belly. You should feel the hand on your belly rise while the hand on your chest remains relatively still. Aim for a breath in that lasts about 4 seconds at first, playing around with what feels right for you.
  • Hold (Optional): If comfortable, you can hold your breath for a few seconds. This can help increase the effectiveness of the breathing exercise.
• Exhale Slowly: Gently exhale through your mouth, making the breath out is longer than the breath in. Aim for an exhale that lasts about 6-8 seconds. Feel your belly gently fall as you release the breath. The hand on your belly should move downward as you exhale.
• Repeat: Continue this pattern of breathing—inhale deeply into your belly and exhale slowly—until the timer goes off. If you’re not using a timer, aim for a few minutes of practice.
• Stay Relaxed: Focus on the sensation of your breath moving in and out of your body. If your mind starts to wander that’s ok, gently bring your focus back to your breathing.
• Finish: When you’re ready, slowly bring your awareness back to the present moment. Take a few deep breaths to complete the exercise and gently open your eyes if they were closed.

By engaging your diaphragm, and taking long inhales into your belly rather than short breaths into your chest, this super simple exercise can help promote relaxation and reduce stress. By focusing on deep, slow breaths, you can calm your nervous system down and alleviate some of the tension related to IBS symptoms.

Hypnotherapy for IBS

Hypnotherapy is backed by 40 years of research, showing it to be an incredibly effective tool for calming the gut-brain connection and reducing IBS symptoms.

In a typical hypnotherapy session for IBS, you’ll work with a therapist to enter a relaxed, focused state, where you’ll be able to use your imagination to work with suggestions and metaphors to create improvement in symptoms and regain control of your body.

Hypnotherapy works to help manage and reduce IBS symptoms by reducing gut sensitivity, reducing the pain signals sent up from the gut to the brain. It also addresses both the physical and psychological aspects of IBS, making it a comprehensive approach to symptom management. By helping you manage stress, and reduce levels of worry anxiety, it gives you the tools to better manage your condition. People often find that these learnings help in other areas of life as well, benefits go well beyond improving IBS symptoms.

Another evidence-based psychological approaches that help to improve the management of stress and anxiety related to IBS is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). CBT involves identifying and changing negative thought patterns that contribute to stress and symptoms. By addressing these thoughts, you can reduce the impact of anxiety on your digestive system. This is why I combine both hypnotherapy and CBT for best results when I work with IBS sufferers.

➡ Explore hypnotherapy and CBT for IBS

Mindfulness

Practicing mindfulness and meditation is a great way to shift your focus away from symptoms. Indeed, when we’re uncomfortable or in pain, we often focus all of our attention on it, creating what can be called a ‘spotlight of attention’ on the pain, making it worse in turn. Mindfulness is an incredible tool to help turn some of that attention away from the pain and discomfort.

There are lots of ways to practice mindfulness, and it doesn’t have to be over-complicated or fancy. One simple technique involves setting a timer, closing your eyes, and concentrating on your breath. Every time your mind wanders, bring it back gently and patiently. Your mind will inevitably wander, that is completely normal and to be expected. When it happens, try to be kind with yourself, however many times it happens. With practice, it will happen less and less. Repeating a word with each breath out can help centre your mind.

Another method is the 5-5-5 technique. It can help you widen your attention and ground you to the present. It involves noticing:

• 5 things you can see around you
• 5 things you can feel (focus on the external stuff rather than what’s going on inside your body. For example, feeling your t-shirt on you, the wind on your skin, how the sun feels shining on you…)
• 5 things you can hear

By grounding you in the present moment, this exercise helps to ease anxiety. You can do this when you’re on the go, fit in your day like little grounding instants. No need to sit still for hours to get the benefits of mindfulness in your day to day, you can fit these exercises in at any time, multiple times a day.

Abdominal Massage

Incorporating abdominal massage into your routine can also provide relief. Using self-massage techniques can help alleviate discomfort and improve gut motility. To gently massage your belly, start by lying down in a comfortable position. Relax your body and take a few deep breaths. Place your hands on your abdomen, applying gentle pressure. Begin to move your hands in a clockwise motion, following the natural direction of your digestive system. Use slow, smooth strokes, and maintain a steady, gentle pressure. This motion helps stimulate digestion and can alleviate discomfort, cramping and bloating. Continue the massage for several minutes, focusing on your breathing and being mindful of the here & now. Combining this with other relaxation techniques enhances its effectiveness.

Trigger Foods

When an IBS flare-up hits, looking at dietary adjustments is often the first line of action for many, as it can provide some relief. Whilst avoiding your known trigger foods doesn’t tackle the underlying issue of your IBS, it can help alleviate symptoms temporarily. A diet low in FODMAPs foods can help people identify which foods are triggers, although it’s important to do this accompanied by a dietician and to re-introduce as many foods as possible after the elimination phase. Research found the low FODMAP diet to be as effective as hypnotherapy to reduce IBS symptoms and flare-ups. Other things you can do to help is to include soothing foods and drinks, such as peppermint tea, which can also offer some comfort. Staying hydrated is also essential during a flare-up. Drinking plenty of water helps ease digestive discomfort and keeps your system functioning smoothly.

Gentle Movement

Gentle exercise can also be really beneficial for managing IBS symptoms. Although exercise can feel challenging when you’re experiencing discomfort and in the middle of a flare-up, evidence overwhelmingly point to the fact that gentle movement helps alleviate symptoms. Activities like walking, yoga, cycling, and swimming can all help to relieve symptoms like constipation and trapped gas by helping to get things moving. One study even found that increasing daily step count from 4,000 to 9,500 steps could reduce IBS symptom severity by 50%. Gentle, low impact movement also reduce stress and improve overall digestion, helping you to better manage your IBS.

Long-Term Management of IBS

For long-term management of IBS flare-ups, keeping a symptom and thoughts diary can be beneficial to gain a better of your triggers and your patterns. Tracking your symptoms and associated thoughts helps identify these patterns and triggers.

A course of hypnotherapy sessions also contribute to long term symptom relief. Consistency is key in maintaining the benefits of hypnotherapy, you will be given recordings to listen to between sessions, and the more you practice, the more you will gain from it!

However you choose to go about it, developing a stress management plan is crucial for managing IBS. IBS causes stress, and symptoms are worsened by stress, this is what we call the vicious cycle of IBS and stress. Techniques for ongoing stress management and reduction, such as incorporating relaxation practices into your daily routine, and becoming more aware of your thoughts, can make a significant difference. This holistic approach ensures you’re addressing both the immediate and underlying root cause factors that are contributing to your flare-ups.

In conclusion

Managing an IBS flare-up often involves a combination of strategies. Relying on pills only, or on cutting out certain foods probably won’t cut it, even if it helps with some symptoms. Things like hydration, dietary adjustments, gentle exercise, abdominal massage, and relaxation techniques can all offer immediate relief. Psychological approaches like hypnotherapy and CBT provide long-term benefits by addressing the gut-brain connection and reducing stress. By finding a personalised plan that works for you, you can effectively manage your IBS symptoms and improve your overall quality of life.

If you are interested in learning more about hypnotherapy for IBS, you can read more here, and you can always book a free 30min chat with me and ask anything you’d like about using hypnotherapy for IBS.