Methods to control stress?

I take an antidepressant and I think it has helped to bring down my stress levels. Some do yoga. I personally walk a lot and I've learned not to let silly little things bother me. It's just too stressful to get upset over little things.

I honestly think stress is a HUGE trigger on this disease (for me anyway). My friend had given me some bad news about another friend and my stomach immediately responded horribly. Infact many times I was younger and was under stress like that caused so much trouble with my stomach. To reduce, try yoga & meditation, go for walks everyday, get Vitamin D, talk to people, do relaxing things, practice deep breathing and give your body plenty of restful sleep.

meditation & yoga, without a doubt. They've both helped me tremendously, with my UC & other areas of my life.

Since I cannot do any exercise at all, thanks to recent surgery and avascular necrosis of both knees, I have a prescription for Xanax and take it as needed. I find that it helps with spasms frm my Crohn's colitis also.
My dose is usually .25mg prn.

Stress in def a trigger for me. I started having a mild flare a few months back. Got it under control & about a week ago, my kids mom & I started arguing heavily about money issues & other stuff. I was really stressed out. The next day I was having bubble guts like crazy, bowels went from formed to broken. I left home for a couple days to chill out an get everything off my mind. Came home clear headed & we kept everything chill. Feeling back to normal this week :)

meditation , but it's specific. if u really want to follow they way they do it in the eastern philosophy, then u have to do it early morning on an empty stomach chanting a word in your mind slow breathing. preferably after you finished your BM and brushing your teeth but no food. try it for 20 min and lay down for2-5 min after. it takes about a wk to feel relaxed. during meditation, you can have other thoughts in your mind too don't force yourself to keep your mind clear.

I've probably said this before, but stress really buggers the immune system and its regulation. While it doesn't cause UC it can definitely act as a trigger.

I personally try to avoid situations that put me under certain kinds of stress. I'm a grad student so I can't outright avoid generalized stress, but I've noticed certain things stress me out in a bad way. For example, having to come in on weekends is stressful (I want a weekend) but my body and mind can deal with it. But when I had a poor relationship with one of my rotation mentors, I ended up in a minor flare (and got myself out of that situation as soon as was feasible). I've also learned to say no to too many extra things.

To reduce stress, I try to exercise regularly (I aim for 3.4x/week, and a treadmill run with my headphones on can be as zen as doing yoga for me) and make sure to schedule some designated 'me' time. If possible I try to take one day a week to just relax, read, play video games, etc. Getting enough sleep is also important, but I tend to have a hard time with this one.

I started seeing a therapist for this very thing, and alot of the stress factors of my life were pent up for a long time. Alot was from the UC itself.. the anxiety and the feeling not 100% all the time and the not being able to over extend myself for everyone around me... etc... and thru talking it out and cognitive thinking strategies I feel like I have lifted alot of weight off myself.
Also, started spending 10 minutes a day, in a quiet room laying flat on the floor with my feet up on the wall with my arms out to the sides... just laying there and not trying to meditate, but more accepting the events of the day I guess. It really makes a great difference for my evenings and sleeping..
I take xanax as needed, if I get really stressed and I feel it in my stomach right away it is a xanax day...
Hope this helps... :)