I think when I'm stable I feel so ashamed at the things I've done during my manic phases that it pushes me toward depression if I let the 'tapes' in my head keep playing. I found that my meds (effexor and klonopin) keep me pretty stable but so does actively planning things for the future, even if it's just a couple days in advance. It gives me something to look forward to other than sitting in my house waiting to go to work (2nd shift).