Does anybody struggle to maintain routine?

I really struggle with this! I want to be able to exercise regularly and sleep at normal times but can't because of both the illness and constant changing in routine and location. Does anybody have any tips with trying to maintain a sort of routine whilst being bipolar, when your moods alter? It's mainly the exercise that bothers me !

I struggle with keeping a routine... I only started getting into a routine when I started college in January which is away to end in May. I go to bed at 10pm Sun-Wed and 11pm Thurs and Fri and I take Sat as a give or take late night. I take my meds at an early time too so I am exhausted by bed time. If I could give you advice I would speak to a professional who could maybe give you leaflets on sleep hygiene.... I know my GP gave me info on sleep hygiene and it didn't help but then I had to use it to go to college.

Welcome to the forums, talhayousuf!
I struggle with routine too. I know routine is a good thing, but it sure doesn't come naturally. Do you travel for work or something? (Wonder on account of your mentioning changing in routine and location)

Though I'm far from successful in the routine department, one thing I have found is using my phone alarms for taking meds. I've noticed it helps my evenness to have them properly spaced. The trick was finding a time that worked, but it didn't take long at all to figure out when I had one that didn't work, lol. The umpteenth time having the alarm go off in the grocery line … yeah.

Someone else will have to chime in on the exercise thing, because I don't exercise in the traditional sense (I don't have a car, so do quite a bit of walking just trying to get places and get things done, which is exhausting as it is with physical issues, let alone adding more to it.)

oh lord yes. I'm chaos. Other than the rage thing I brought up in the other thread... maintaining any kind of predictability is so hard. And with spring.. My focus is shot right now. And am rapid cycling in terms of sleep... 2 weeks of 4-6 hours, crash, 4-6 hours, crash. I envy my wife who sleeps exactly the same everyday months on end. And consistently exercises and basically maintains the routine of a healthy lifestyle.

Once they started my on Latuda my sleep hygiene got better because it knocks me out so I'm asleep by 10. I just started going to the gym with a friend of mine so having a workout buddy is helping big time there...just started at the end of Feb. I have to be at work at 8 am so when I'm not taking an fmla day for the depression I have a routine during the week. I still struggle a bit to keep up with all of this but I try.

I have a decent routine with sleep hygiene and work, but kind of struggle with setting routines for the rest of my day. I guess that comes from having a family with young children; their activities take up 90% of the rest of my time. Their schedules vary on a weekly basis, but take a tremendous amount of time.

I struggle with keeping routines. I wrote up a routine that I'd like to try which includes exercise but find it very challenging to stick to it due to my disorder. You're not alone.

During the school year it is not a problem. Having a full-time teaching job, kids in school and all the activities that go with it, are enough to keep me on a daily routine (and generally exhausted enough to sleep each night). My problem comes in the summer when I'm off and I don't have those imposed activities to keep me honest. I stay up too late, sleep in too late, eat whenever I want to instead of planning meals, etc.

One thing we've done in our house the last two summers that has helped is to put ourselves on a fairly schedule meal/diet routine that requires us to eat certain things at certain times, etc. It keeps some semblance of dietary routine and exercise routine going when there isn't much else routine about our lives in the summer. It's kept me from going into serious episodes like I used to do very predictably during the summers.

Yes... stuff like this makes me think I should go back to a full time job rather than working for myself. Working at home alone as an artist/craftsman gives full reign to bipolar.

I love my summers off, but that tends to be when I'm more symptomatic and I don't think it is coincidence. Routine really helps me maintain stability.

I keep my med schedule on my phone's calendar. I feed the cats at a set time, and shortly after that I start dinner. I need an exercise schedule, though. I have the equipment at home so it's just a matter of going downstairs and doing it.

I struggle with keeping a routine, too.

I push through a lot, yet truly would rather be resting or binge-watching some show on tv. No energy. I have some days lately when
I cannot bring myself to get properly dressed for the day. Other days, I am forcing myself to do more, including getting exercise.

It's a struggle every day.


WC