Journaling for Stress Management

Aug 11

Stress affects our overall wellbeing negatively, but if you have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) it totally wreaks havoc.

Stress can be short term or longterm depending on the situation that affects us negatively. Short term could be intense project deadlines that affects our lives and puts a great deal of pressure to deliver. Longterm could be personal events like loss of a loved one, change in relationship status, loss of job.

Daily stress is encountered when situations don’t flow well, like computer breakdown at work, or car accident or other events that interfere with the ‘smooth’ running of our work or personal lives.

Studies have shown that journalling is an effective tool in helping to manage stress.

Journaling allows you to download the emotions of the moment or the day. Think of it as a data dump of all the emotion and thoughts associated with those stressful events. Better than internalizing and aggravating your IBS! Through journaling you can release the emotions and clear your mind to better manage the situation.

Key parts to journaling:

Regular- pick a time of day that would be best to journal, regularity is important if you do not already journal.

Type of journal- what you are most comfortable with.. notebook, journal or APP on your smartphone.

Guide to journalling: pick a topic, anger, anxiety or gratitude , noting ‘wins’ of the day to feel more accomplished.

Journaling can be a regular exercise to write down the thoughts for the day, it can also be done in a moment when you need to release negative thoughts to clear the mind. It is very powerful and effective practice to keep you calm. By journaling you identify patterns of how you are feeling to create constructive solutions for the problem. When you track something then you can measure, see it then you can transform your life.

Back to IBS, so we talk a lot about the gut-brain-axis, that which affects our mind affects our gut. If you are someone who suffers from gut health then you know your overall wellbeing is affected. Stop the cycle by taking a small step and start journaling your thoughts and feelings. Notice how you start transforming how your gut reacts.

Marica Gaspic

Living with IBS can quietly take over your life — not just through pain and bloating, but through the constant uncertainty, loss of confidence, and fear of not being able to trust your own body.

I help high-performing women with IBS move from symptom-chasing to true physiological stability — by understanding IBS as what modern gastroenterology defines it to be: a disorder of gut–brain interaction involving the nervous system, microbiome, immune function, and stress physiology.

As a pharmacist and gut health coach — and as someone who has personally lived with IBS — I bring both clinical expertise and lived understanding to the work we do together. My clients don’t just “manage” IBS. They rebuild trust in their body, regain energy and confidence, and create a sustainable system of support that fits their real life.

This is not about restriction or short-term fixes.

It’s about building a body that finally makes sense.

Why Work With Me

Personal Experience

I have lived with IBS and successfully stabilized my own health — giving me deep insight into both the emotional and physiological realities of this condition.

Clinical Expertise

As a pharmacist, I bring evidence-based understanding of human physiology, gut–brain signaling, microbiome science, and medication interactions into every plan I create.

Proven Results

I have guided women through sustainable, personalized recovery frameworks that improve symptoms, restore energy, and dramatically elevate quality of life.

Together, we build a personalized, sustainable gut health strategy that supports your body, your lifestyle, and your long-term wellbeing — so you can live with calm, clarity, and confidence again.

https://www.gutwellnessbymarica.com

Journaling for Stress Management

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