[bpcyclist]

It seems I have been ignoring the entirety of my body and spirit in addressing my illness. So, I have been working on trying to remedy this. Here is what I have done.

1. Increased time reading spiritually meaningful material. Maybe only an hour or more a day. But more.

2. Daily yoga. Even if it is only for ten minutes, it helps. It really helps, even though I am not good at it.

3. Increased aerobic exercise by 150 percent daily. This is a huge change for me and a giant commitment, but man, I think sleep is waay better and I feel good.

4. Intentional positive self-talk, close monitoring of negative ST, and positive affirmations.

All this has resulted in 2 successive days really without even a moment of depression. Unheard of for me. Probably sounds silly to those of you who are more stable than me.

So, I need to not ignore all these other aspects of my life and try to synergize it all. Or something.

Just thought this might help someone else.

Ty for sharing. It is nice to see a reminder of healthy practices that keep us in check. reading, yogi practice, meditations and connections with nature are a few ways I keep my mind active and distracted from negative self talk. I need to remember to positively affirm myself. mindful exercise is in my daily schedule but I could push myself just a little bit more to consciously reach new goals. I have not been keeping up with a diet as healthy as I’d like. I do eat well but have also been midnight snacking and sneaking A few too many sugaring snacks into my grocery cart. My routines have been somewhat disrupted so that has also led to a unhealthy spiral.

So, again thank you for these reminders. Having support and role models makes a difference.

[Fuzzybear]

Originally Posted by bpcyclist

It seems I have been ignoring the entirety of my body and spirit in addressing my illness. So, I have been working on trying to remedy this. Here is what I have done.

1. Increased time reading spiritually meaningful material. Maybe only an hour or more a day. But more.

2. Daily yoga. Even if it is only for ten minutes, it helps. It really helps, even though I am not good at it.

3. Increased aerobic exercise by 150 percent daily. This is a huge change for me and a giant commitment, but man, I think sleep is waay better and I feel good.

4. Intentional positive self-talk, close monitoring of negative ST, and positive affirmations.

All this has resulted in 2 successive days really without even a moment of depression. Unheard of for me. Probably sounds silly to those of you who are more stable than me.

So, I need to not ignore all these other aspects of my life and try to synergize it all. Or something.

Just thought this might help someone else.

[Soupe du jour]

bpcyclist, you are doing great! All of what you wrote is excellent self-care. We all deserve to be kind to our minds and bodies.

[fern46]

I really like what you've done. It is impressive.

I'll offer one thought with a lot of little thoughts to expand it properly. I have learned that balance is a moving target that shifts daily. There is no one formula I can create to maintain balance. Sometimes what looks like a positive is a negative. For example, my spirituality is important to me, but it goes sideways when I am ill. I'd like to include it for a while each day, but strategically speaking there are times when I need to ground myself outside of that aspect. Times when I need to lean more on my physical self, or my mental self to balance what is too activating.

My advice is to make a plan for each dayand be prepared to shift even more than that if your day requires it. Think about the past few days and where you've been spending your energy. Bring down what has been high. Amp up what has been low. If a positive is having a negative impact, let it go for a while and return to it later when another aspect of yourself needs shifting.

Leverage your strengths and grow in areas you are weaker. Look for what might threaten your balance and address it strategically. Take advantage of oppotunities when you are well and able to tolerate new experiences.

Make daily and incremental shifts based on where you are at the moment and where you want to be tomorrow. Work in startegic goals slowly to navigate where you want to be long term.

Keep up this work. It is THE work. Design the life you want. It can be great fun and the rewards are endless

[busymomof5]

Great post. It’s easy to become passive and rely on medication only. I needed the reminder to look at ways to take care of myself.

[Fuzzybear]

''medication only'' = not an option for me

[busymomof5]

Originally Posted by Fuzzybear

''medication only'' = not an option for me

Tbh, I’ve become very passive about my treatment. I’ve grown to rely too much on medication. I’m not taking responsibility for helping myself in part because of my depression. I need a kick in the rear to take more responsibility.

[bpcyclist]

I have been negligent. I failed to mention that I got a sweet little kitten. Having someone to love who adores me and physically touches my body for cute snuggles cannot be underestimated. Everyone w badass bipolar or schizophrenia should probably have a pet of some kind.

[Merlin]

My puppy, while being a stress as well, has been my saviour.

[Moose72]

I'm fairly euthymic as of late. But I think most everyone can benefit from exercise. It gets those endorphins going! And as bpbike said, it does help with the sleep. I have a bad habit of sleeping in and then I get NOTHING done and feel bad about myself. Having a schedule is better for you than just doing anything you want all day. Those of us who are retired or on disability need to remember this even more.