Send yourself an email with "AM I IN THE RIGHT STATE OF MIND TO EMAIL RIGHT NOW?"

Put some sticky notes on any land line with a similar note as above. Set up intermittent reminders on your cell phone with something like above.

Basically, the point is to check yourself. Count to 10 and breath in 10 breaths and ask the above question.

Sometimes in the early stages of my mood elevations, I lack insight. I have gotten a little better at eventually having my light bulb go on, before its too late. When I question myself about my behavior, like you are doing, I know that intermittent "checks" become more and more important. My therapist reminds me to do these. Even when I don't believe I'm getting elevated in mood. I don't like to dwell on my moods excessively, but a few times per day if I ask myself "How am I doing, BirdDancer? Anything a little "over the top"? How's my temper?"

Depending on the answers, I make a decision about next steps. Very often, for me, I benefit from "laying low", as I call it. Going out into public can be a major trigger. Not just anxiety, but even elated mood elevation. Excitement builds quickly for me and could fuel a hypomanic or manic fire. At home, if I can't seem to sit still, I try to involve myself in a "safe activity". My choices are usually baking or cooking. I also like being online, but sometimes being here on PC is too much. Cooking subreditt can be good. Working on a blog post. Watering the gardens. Etc.

If I must go out to do something that is often triggering, a past therapist taught me to "play the experience through ahead of time". For example, I imagine myself going to the grocery store. It will inevitably be crowded and stressful, but I don't have to feel the full brunt of that. I say "BirdDancer, if you feel the adrenaline rising, hightail it to the most important two items you really need to get, then go straight for the checkout. Preferably self-checkout." Or sometimes I simply put my cart in a quiet area and leave the store for a few minutes, then return. I have all kinds of "being in traffic" game plans, too.