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When you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome, just the thought of going out can lead to anxiety and stress. What if there are no bathrooms? What if you eat something that triggers an attack? What if you embarrass yourself in front of people who don't understand?

The secret of controlling the stress and anxiety of going out with IBS is to prepare ahead of time. You may have figured out what foods are safe for you so you know what to eat; you might have packed your self-care kit with digestive enzymes, peppermint tea, wet-wipes or a washcloth in a plastic bag, spare underwear and whatever else you need; and you may have thought of ways to make a quick exit when you need to. But there's one important preparation you could be missing.

Have you prepared yourself emotionally for the stress of going out? The biggest secret to going out despite IBS is to reduce your anxiety level BEFORE you go. This will help to reduce the possibility of a stress-related flare up.

So how do you do that?

The most effective way I've found to relieve anxiety and stress is to use the Emotional Freedom Technique or EFT tapping. If you don't know how to do EFT, you can watch a Youtube video showing how to tap by clicking on the link for "Instant Pain Relief from IBS" in the resource box with this article. (It's usually below the article. If the link is not active, simply copy and paste it into your browser.)

In the video, the focus is on IBS pain relief, but the tapping method is the same for any issue. Watch the video to learn the method. Once you've learned it, you can tap using the words below instead of the words in the video (feel free to adapt the words to your own situation).

Start tapping on the side of your hand, like Kathy does in the video and say:

Even though I feel stressed about going out, I choose to feel calm and relaxed
Even though I'm worried my IBS will act up and embarrass me, I choose to have a calm, quiet, comfortable body
Even though I feel nervous and anxious about what might happen while I'm out, I prefer to feel calm and relaxed.

Now tap through the points on the face and torso that Kathy taps on, using these reminder phrases. (One reminder phrase for each point you tap.)

Round One:
I feel anxious about going out
I'm worried my IBS will flare up and embarrass me
I'm stressed about going out
What if something happens that I can't control?
I don't trust my body
I'm nervous about going out
I'm scared of being embarrassed and humiliated
I'm anxious about going out

Round Two: Repeat Round One

In the video, only two rounds are tapped. But now you know where the points are, you can tap the following Round Three to install some confidence:

What if I don't have to feel so anxious?
What if I could feel calm and relaxed?
I've had problems before
This time can be different
I choose to go out and stay calm and comfortable
I'm willing to release my stress and relax
I prefer to feel calm and relaxed
I choose to have a calm, quiet, comfortable body

Take a deep breath, hold it for a second, and let it out.

To relieve the stress on your body and nervous system and reduce the chance that anxiety will trigger your IBS symptoms, tap every time you feel anxious about going out.