Yes, I can absolutely relate to it. It's so frustrating. I've had a good couple of months where I found myself in "2" most of the time but the last 2-3 weeks I've been slipping back to "1" more and more often.

Each state seems to have its own momentum (or maybe "inertia" would be a better word for state 1) and once in it, it can be hard to shift.

I've tried to come up with things to help me in state 2. Keeping my diet healthy and making sure I sleep regular hours helps some. There are also things I can do around my apartment, like making the bed or washing the dishes, that seem to help a bit.

Going for a walk or having a cheerful interaction with someone usually helps, too.

I've been trying to take note if there's an activity or pattern of thought that occurs before I switch from 1 to 2 or vice versa.

I haven't come up with any magic formula yet. I had a medication change in the spring that helped my sleep a lot. My mood immediately got much better. The medication isn't helping my sleep as much now and I've noticed my mood slipping to a bad place more and more often during the past couple of weeks.

Good sleep is probably the absolutely most important thing for me to help my mood.

You sound like you're still in a pretty good place, even if it is frustrating. I know I'm in trouble when I stop caring about fighting.

It will be interesting to see what other people share about what works for them.