[Sad Mermaid]

I once had a wonderful psychiatrist who recommended that I write down a 3 bullet TODO list and not add to it until I have crossed items off it. (Her last name is Peddu, rhyming with TODO, so for me it is my Peddu list.)

3 is a manageable number.

"I do like that idea. Three items a day should be more than enough," said my friend Joe, who is bipolar II and provides for a large family alone -- nobody else is able to hold down a job, even though all his family members are mentally well and he is the only one who is so sick. So I got the idea of sticking with a 3 TODO list endorsed by someone who is high functioning despite suffering from relentless depression and anxiety.

I will post my list daily.

Today:

1. Skype my dad, aunt and uncle
2. Bill the insurance for the psychiatry visits that are out-of-network
3. Get cash to get gas

[Skeezyks]

[raspberrytorte]

This is a great idea! I should start doing it too. Thanks for the idea.

[LadyShadow]

Great Idea! Add on daily!

Originally Posted by Sad Mermaid

I once had a wonderful psychiatrist who recommended that I write down a 3 bullet TODO list and not add to it until I have crossed items off it. (Her last name is Peddu, rhyming with TODO, so for me it is my Peddu list.)

3 is a manageable number.

"I do like that idea. Three items a day should be more than enough," said my friend Joe, who is bipolar II and provides for a large family alone -- nobody else is able to hold down a job, even though all his family members are mentally well and he is the only one who is so sick. So I got the idea of sticking with a 3 TODO list endorsed by someone who is high functioning despite suffering from relentless depression and anxiety.

I will post my list daily.

Today:

1. Skype my dad, aunt and uncle
2. Bill the insurance for the psychiatry visits that are out-of-network
3. Get cash to get gas

nice idea

have you managed all 3?

[InnaB01]

Thanks for the idea!

[seoultous]

Does getting out of bed count?

[scatterbrained04]

I like this. My limit seems to be about 3-4, and I always feel guilty because my to do list is always longer. Going to work should count as 2. At least it does in my book. Might be my new way to look at things.

[Sad Mermaid]

Originally Posted by seoultous

Does getting out of bed count?

Seoultous: for some people, including, it very much counts. I am now in an IOP, and several group facilitators are bipolar sufferers themselves. The one who leads the group on WRAP (Wellness and recovery action plan) says that for her, just getting out of bed is part of the daily maintenance plan. It is not easy for her on some days to simply get out of bed. I had depressions in the past when I would lie in bed until... once it was until 6PM. Horrible, I know.

[Sad Mermaid]

Originally Posted by Sad Mermaid

I will post my list daily.

Today:

1. Skype my dad, aunt and uncle
2. Bill the insurance for the psychiatry visits that are out-of-network
3. Get cash to get gas

I got derailed because something happened that triggered anxiety, but I am back on track.

1. Skype my dad, aunt and uncle - did not Skype my uncle, but Skyped my dad and his sister, so 2/3 done.
2. Bill the insurance for the psychiatry visits that are out-of-network. Did not do. Will do next week when I go back to work (I have no printer at home).
3. Get cash to get gas - done.

I am having a low grade migraine now, so my list for today focuses on things that would make me feel better:

1. Drink a whole pot of hibiscus tea (it is a TODO because migraine make me nauseous, so I do not feel like drinking, but I know that it helps a lot to drink fluids)
2. Call the insurance for the international form (this is for my adult son, who lives in Canada).
3. Go for a walk.

my 3 are:

eat breakfast (which I've all ready done)

contact my mental health worker (which I'll do later)

and find something to laugh about (because laughter is the best medicine)

[seoultous]

Here are my three for today
1. make coffee (done)
2. sit with my SAD light and read the paper (its harder than you think - but its done)
3. go to work - and work a full day not just until I feel like quitting

[Sad Mermaid]

Originally Posted by Sad Mermaid

1. Drink a whole pot of hibiscus tea (it is a TODO because migraine make me nauseous, so I do not feel like drinking, but I know that it helps a lot to drink fluids)
2. Call the insurance for the international form (this is for my adult son, who lives in Canada).
3. Go for a walk.

I went for a walk twice and drank all that tea, but still had and have a migraine, so I did not call the insurance. I will do so when I am pain-free.

For now, rest and do nothing.

[Sad Mermaid]

My todos for today:

- prepare dinner for an acquaintance I made at my IOP - DONE (waiting for the acquaintance who is stuck in traffic now)

- go swimming - DONE

- buy CBD marijuana (no THC) for insomnia - DONE (will try it tonight).

My 3 TODO's for tomorrow:

- Skype (dad, aunt, uncle, a dear friend, bff)
- yoga
- walk on Stanford campus after yoga

[Wander]

To do's for tomorrow (Monday):

1) complete paperwork and calls for insurance, reporting income to Disability Services, application for financial assistance at university etc
2) Get blood test for Lithium and Thyroid levels
3) Do food shopping

[Ocean Swimmer]

Tint hair.
Shower.
Pack for flight to California.

[Moose72]

1. Laundry
2. Dishes
3. Take out trash

This is a really great thread. Usually I do tons of things every day. Then I get extremely tired -- last night I slept 14 hours -- from 11:00 p.m. till 1:00p.m. today. I wanted to get more sleep. I was very lethargic. Felt very disappointed in myself, that I had not accomplished anything.

Here are three things I did, though.

Didn't go back to bed.
Did my neck exercises.
Sang three of my songs, once each. (Usually I practice between 30-60 minutes a day)

[Yoda]

great thread!

My three to do's for Monday are

*take out trash
*shovel snow and clean snow off car
*call about low interest loan for flood damages

[Wander]

Originally Posted by Wander

To do's for tomorrow (Monday):

1) complete paperwork and calls for insurance, reporting income to Disability Services, application for financial assistance at university etc
2) Get blood test for Lithium and Thyroid levels
3) Do food shopping

Well it is 3pm Monday and I have failed to get a blood test or do food shopping. The paperwork etc took much longer than expected and my parents dropped by. Plus, I am utterly exhausted and it is raining (rare in summer here) so I feel cozy on my couch or playing guitar. Think I needed a rest anyway, life has been crazy recently. I am very overwhelmed. Blood test now on Thursday morning and shopping tomorrow.

my 3 things for today are:

order my chinese (which I obviously won't do until this evening)

find something to make me laugh (as I think laughing is good for you)

do my trivia challenge

I have, as yet, done none of those things

[Sad Mermaid]

Originally Posted by Sad Mermaid

My 3 TODO's for tomorrow:

- Skype (dad, aunt, uncle, a dear friend, bff)
- yoga
- walk on Stanford campus after yoga

Did the first two. The third one is postponed until next Sunday.

Monday ToDo's:

- go to work and catch up after the medical leave (in progress)
- make sandwiches for dinner and try a late dinner right before bedtime (the idea is to take ALL the meds at once and to go to sleep more easily as often hunger keeps me awake)
- prepare the coloring set to take to work tomorrow (we have a "meditation room" and I plan to do coloring there, as I have read that research demonstrated that adult coloring produces the same effect as meditation)

[Sad Mermaid]

1) Grocery shopping
2) Meeting at work (done)
3) IOP psychiatrist (done)

[Sad Mermaid]

Originally Posted by Sad Mermaid

1) Grocery shopping
2) Meeting at work (done)
3) IOP psychiatrist (done)

grocery shopping done yesterday night.

I am hoping this would be my only grocery shopping for the week, except for when I need to stop by the pharmacy anyway (at my grocery store).

For today:

- go to the lab to get blood drawn DONE

- get gas DONE

- go to the pharmacy to pick up Zonegran for migraine prevention; buy chocolate cherry Greek yogurt while there