There has been a lot written about colitis and how the role of stress affects those diagnosed.
But why are colitis sufferers interested and aware of stress and the effect it can have on them? It is because the effects of high levels of stress can be seen in increased symptoms.
Sometimes they only last a short period of time, even just part of a day or it can be the precursor to a full blown relapse.
There is one very crucial piece of information that anyone who has been diagnosed with colitis should be aware of, understand and life their life accordingly.
Colitis is not caused by stress.
The reason that colitis happens is still unknown.
What stress can create however are the familiar symptoms of abdominal pain, diarrhoea and the passing of blood.
Stress can be a factor in triggering these symptoms, but it is not the cause of them.
It can often be the case that a level of stress can build up without the person really noticing or being aware of it.
Rather than one significant event that causes immediate stress, the gradual build up of the levels of stress can be equally devastating in its consequences.
Yet there are methods of dealing with the resultant stress that does appear.
A little action to alleviate the build up is much easier to make happen than be at the mercy of what colitis can throw at you.
Once you recognise that you are under stress, however it may have occurred, there are effective yet simple steps to undertake to try and reduce it.
One successful one is the step back from the rigors of the day and just unwind yourself physically and mentally.
Now, whilst almost everyone says that they are busy, but what is, say, five minutes during the day to ensure you step back and effectively "build" that defense against an unwanted colitis attack? The secret to that is planning.
And the secret to planning is keeping it simple.
And the secret to keeping it simple is to focus.
Focus on your objective and the job will get done.
To undertake this, you should identify a five minute period during the day (as that is when you will most likely be at your busiest and potentially stressed) and designating it your unwind time, your quiet time, your at peace time, when you can rest and de-clutter your mind and feel both the physical and mental stresses start to reduce and melt away.
All it takes is to find a quite place and empty your mind of all the usual thoughts and just focus on one calming influence.
This simple exercise can have a lasting effect on your mind and body for the rest of the day.
It is a very easy stress busting method to undertake on a daily basis.
It's the little actions that can make a big difference together with using the knowledge of other sufferers and how they reduce the impact that stress, and thus colitis have on their lives.