Bipolar Self-Care Tips

Practicing self-care can lead to personal growth.

This blog post comes from one of our group’s wonderful hosts and leaders, Yvonne.

The notion of self- care is all of the rage these days. I consider it a positive trend but it can be overwhelming to someone that struggles with bipolar disorder, or any other mental illness. Adding just one more thing to your to-do list can feel like too much, especially for those struggling each day just to complete basic tasks.

When you struggle with bipolar disorder, each and every day can feel different. It’s very hard to predict daily moods, at least it is for me. Adding more tasks to my to-do list, such as self-care, can feel like added pressure but it doesn’t have to feel that way. It can feel healing, empowering, and comforting.

When your mood is often all over the place and life gets chaotic, self-care is one of those things that definitely falls by the wayside. There are days and weeks in which I consider it a triumph that I manage to feed and clothe myself properly. I’m personally quite stable currently so I do come at this topic from that viewpoint. When you are in the midst of bipolar mania or depression, the most simple basic tasks can feel impossible.

While medication is what mostly keeps me stable, lifestyle changes also help. I find that when I practice self-care, my life runs much more smoothly and it just helps me feel better. I believe that taking the time to care for myself is vital to my well-being. Self-care is more than sheet masks and manicures, although that can absolutely be part of your self-care routine, it is for me. The following are a few ways that I practice self-care as part of mental health care.

Triggering the Positive

One thing that I don’t see talked about enough, and especially not in the context of self-care is positive triggers. These can be so important when wading through a depressive time. I try to incorporate positive triggers into my life on a regular basis. That is especially the case when I’m in a depressive bipolar mood episode.

The exact triggers will be uniquely personal. I personally enjoy swimming and being around water in general. I know that it will always make me feel uplifted, even at the worst of times. When I can’t swim, I make a point of driving out to a nearby lake or river and spend a little time there. Nature is a positive trigger for a lot of people but depending on the time of year, it’s not as accessible in some climates.

Sometimes the trigger can be edible! While following a healthy way of eating is ideal, I find that allowing myself a few edible triggers to be quite helpful to me. I tend to use those times to visit my favorite restaurants, usually Thai or Indian, and get my favorite meals. It can mean buying some fancy tea and sipping on it. That feeling of treating yourself and triggering the positive can be so fun and so positive for moods.

Medication Management

This is certainly the most fun or exciting act of self-care but it’s a crucial one for me. For the most part, people with bipolar disorder are on some kind of medication cocktail. It’s difficult to treat and we often need multiple medications to treat the myriad of symptoms. It’s not static, medications and dosages are switched up often, at least until you find your perfect cocktail. Ensuring that you get your proper medication each day to stay mentally well is a perfect form of self-care.

Quite frankly, I take a lot of pills. I not only take medication for bipolar disorder, but I am also being treated for generalized anxiety disorder, ADHD, and insomnia. I could not live without my giant pill case. I fill it up once per week no matter what. I use one that has a section for morning and one for the evening. There are a lot of options available, just choose the one that works best for you. Also, keep that large pill case right where you can see it. Seeing the pill case is a reminder for me to take my medication. I keep mine right on the nightstand next to my bed so I can’t miss it. Out of sight is out of mind!

Another way that I manage my medication is to keep track of how many refills are left for each medication. This form of self-care can feel tedious but it’s so much better than the sheer panic that you feel when you realize that you’re about to run out of medication with no refills left. I keep track of the refills, how much of each medication that I have left, and the timing of my next psychiatrist appointment. That way if I need to see my psychiatrist sooner because I’m low on medication, I can go ahead and schedule that.

Feed your Mind

While I watch plenty of television, my favorite way to feed my mind is through books. Books and reading have been a passion for me since as soon as I could read. I always have a book going and it’s my way of practicing self-care. If you are not a book reader, audiobooks can also be a good option. That’s my favorite way of feeding my mind but there are a whole lot of other options.

Another way of feeding your mind means practicing art in one way or another, learning a new language, taking up knitting, or a hobby that is meaningful to you. There are also plenty of sites with low-cost classes, such as Udemy or Skillshare, that you can do in your own time at your own pace.

As an aside, those of us with bipolar disorder often find ourselves beginning projects but not finishing them. Both mania and depression can cause that to happen. It’s important not to beat yourself up about it if that’s the case. You don’t need to do a hobby for many years to benefit from it. Learning a new skill contributes to personal growth and is good for the brain.

Speed Declutter

I’m currently the co-organizer for a bipolar support group so I spend a fair bit of time with other bipolar people. Cleaning and maintaining a home is a very common struggle for many of us with mental health issues. It can feel utterly overwhelming just getting started and seeing through the decluttering and cleaning process.

Now, starting on some Herculean decluttering projects is not often feasible and can feel so overwhelming that you never get around to doing it. Instead, try speed decluttering! Simply grab two garbage bags, one for donation items, and one for garbage.

Make it as easy as just starting with one room. Set a timer for 5 to 10 minutes and sort through your items quickly, starting in one corner of the room and making your way around the room in a clockwise manner, getting rid of things you don’t need or want anymore. Even if you don’t finish with fully decluttering the room, stop when the timer goes off.

At this point, I generally feel motivated enough to continue. I set the timer for 10 minutes more and continue until it’s done. But it’s perfectly fine to stop there. You can declutter multiple rooms per day using this method, or simply one room, one day per week. Either way, it feels like an accomplishment and is a great mood boost.

I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder almost exactly 10 years ago. Managing this illness feels like a full-time job at times. However, these are acts of self-care that I do to help stay stable, keep life in order, and bring me joy.

Hello, friends! I ask that question genuinely – how are you doing? As I write this, I’m working from home and practicing social distancing, the new phrase that’s entered our zeitgeist. COVID-19 is spreading and these uncertain and slightly unprecedented times can be troublesome for anyone, but especially us here in Laura’s Group who deal with the ups and downs of bipolar disorder and the anxiety that comes with it.

Our groups have been cancelled for the week, and we’re transitioning to a new – hopefully temporary – normal of having our meetings digitally. Thankfully we have technology to bring us together while keeping apart. But during this time, I wanted to share with you all some thoughts I’ve gathered from around the web on how to deal with the stress and anxiety of this crazy time.

As you all know, I’m no licensed professional. I’m just your friendly neighborhood wannabe blogger with her own anxiety she deals with on a daily basis. Here are some things to keep in mind that I find helpful myself:

1. Take breaks from the news. “But the news is where the news is!” I hear you say. I know. But inundating yourself with too much news – pandemic or not – can put a strain on your mental health. Personally, I had to make the hard decision to stay away from day-to-day news unless it was deemed super important. Politics, weather, local happenings, etc. None of it was worth taking away from my mental well-being. Make a deal with yourself to only look at the news once or twice a day – maybe the late morning and the early evening – and then being done with it the rest of the day. These times are good because you’re not starting your day with possibly sad news and you’re not ending your day with possibly sad news. And if you decide on those two times, make a plan to do something positive and uplifting afterwards if you can to cleanse your mental palate. Read a bit from a good book. Listen to a happy song. Hug a loved one.

2. Read the news from reliable sources. If or when you do consume the news, make sure it’s from only reliable sources. There are many outlets out there looking to sensationalize the stories and accidentally create fear. Be sure you’re going to sources you trust – like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – and don’t be afraid to ask yourself whether or not it’s a good source of information.

3. Don’t over catastrophize. I know with this virus it’s very easy to go to the worst-case scenario in your head. Instead develop a plan of action. What are you going to do to prevent getting sick? What does that plan look like? Will you be washing your hands more? Disinfecting your phone? Changing travel plans? These are all steps you can take to mitigate the exposure. Try not to go with my normal advice of thinking “What’s the worst that can happen? How would you cope?” because that can be a little scary in this instance. But continue to think about the things you do have control over and take the proper steps to see those through.

4. Practice good self-care. Like I said – read a good book (Melissa probably has a recommendation or two if you need one), take a walk around the block, start a new show on Netflix, or even do a calming face mask. There are so many little things that can be done while you practice self-isolation and social distancing. Don’t forget to shower and wash your hair – as hard as that might be for you. Use this time to clean your room. Accomplishing a task can be rewarding any time, but in this time of uncertainty it’s another thing you have control over that you can do.

5. Reach out to friends and loved ones. We here at Laura’s Group are your friends. Once we have our digital meetups set, please come to one! This isn’t a shameless plug for the group, but rather a small testimonial that talking about your anxieties with other people who have similar concerns can help get a little bit of that weight off your chest. Set up Skype or Facebook chats with your close ones. Did you know you can play Uno through Facebook with your friends? Ask each other how you all are doing and be open and honest about your feelings. It’s likely that at least one other person is feeling at least a little bit like you are.

6. Seek professional help. If this is all too overwhelming for you, it might be a good idea to reach out to your therapist. Or reach out to a new therapist if you don’t already have one. Many are moving to telehealth sessions done via phone call or video chat, so you can remain isolated while still reaching out. I know we have each other to figuratively lean on when times get tough, but like I said, we’re not professionals. A licensed therapist can offer solid coping solutions and even help you get to some of the roots of your anxieties not only during these tough times, but during other times as well.

This is definitely an anxiety-inducing time. Studies have shown that more people are diagnosed with their first mental health problems during times of crisis like this. In the coming weeks and months as we learn the new normal and try different ways of going about our daily lives, we must all keep that in mind and remember we’re all fighting tough battles.

So what are you doing to help lessen your mental loads? Are you reading anything good? Watching anything lighthearted? Did you give your loved one a heartfelt tap on the elbow? Let me know how you’re coping in the comments. I’d love to hear from you.

I hope you and yours are safe and healthy throughout all of this. If you need a little extra help with your anxieties, please do reach out to me or one of the other leaders. We love all of you!

Be well!