I honestly have to kind of enforce a no you-tube or music past the point I'm starting to relax rule. It's just what works for me but I've learned that kind of stimulus isn't good for me.

Definitely think about getting off caffeine. I am pretty sure that I didn't have another manic episode as severe as the one where I quit caffeine until this last one, so 8 years. I never remember manic episodes accurately though so my therapist would probably laugh at that. The only time I've almost had caffeine in nearly 8 years was in the hospital, ironic since they don't give caffeine to psych patients. I started to drink my tea and realized it was not decaf and freaked out but my one sip wasn't an actual problem. I just noticed that I was loading up on more and more caffeine when I was having episodes and the more they sedated me the more caffeine I was drinking. So instead of working against the meds I gave it up and honestly don't miss it at all except for the rare summer day when a nice cold cola would be good and it's always hard to find decaf with sugar since I can't have artificial sweeteners due to migraines.

Another trick I have is that I've recorded my therapist doing relaxation exercises with me so that I have a familiar, calming voice doing it.

Here are my other calming techniques: 1) Draw an infinity sign (I always have to turn it sideways and draw an 8 b/c I'm pathetic at drawing). Trace it 10 times with your dominant hand then switch and trace 10 times with your non-dominant hand. something about engaging both sides of the brain. 2) Get out notepaper with lines and crayons. Dump the crayons out. Color one row across with your right hand. Randomly select another crayon and go back across with the left hand. Alternate down the page. Don't pick crayon colors so you don't think about that. 3) Find pictures, best of nothing in particular and stare and them and noice minute details. I write them down but you don't have to. Stare at each picture for a few minutes and keep finding details nobody would see without really trying. (ie in a picture of fall leaves see the mushroom barely poking out or the one speck of green leaf left in the pile).

Another that that I've done in the hospital is adult coloring books. You can find them on Amazon and probably free print-outs online. They are complex and take focus to work on them but not manic focus.

Those things have gotten me through some rough nights.