[Pinny]

I was wondering if anyone would like to share some of the tips/pointers they have for keeping/staying well?

For me I keep a very structured sleep routine usually. Aiming to get 9-10 hours of sleep a night.
Sleep is usually the first thing for me to go off when I’m unwell, hence being a little rigid with my sleep helps me stay well.

Thanks so much in advance, any advice or pointers would be very much appreciated!

[Nammu]

Sleep is very important. I’ve never gotten 9-10 hours, that would be heaven. But I go to bed at the same time. If I’m lucky I get 7 hours.

I go to aqua fitness 2-3 times a week. More recently I started playing cards with a group. To get out and socialize.

I take my meds at the same times and the same dose to keep things consistent.

I constantly remind myself to breathe and not take anything personally

[Pinny]

Originally Posted by Nammu

Sleep is very important. I’ve never gotten 9-10 hours, that would be heaven. But I go to bed at the same time. If I’m lucky I get 7 hours.

I go to aqua fitness 2-3 times a week. More recently I started playing cards with a group. To get out and socialize.

I take my meds at the same times and the same dose to keep things consistent.

I constantly remind myself to breathe and not take anything personally

Thanks so much, that’s so helpful!

Oh that’s a really good one, I should try that more. Remind myself to breathe and not take things personally. I’m quite bad for that!

[HALLIEBETH87]

I have to be rigid with my sleep. That includes not sleeping in too late on days off bc I get out of routine. Routine is basis of my stability!

[Soupe du jour]

Agree on the sleep. Luckily I don't struggle that much with it, unless I'm manic. When elated manic, I don't care. When mixed, it's rough.

Number one thing for me is to take my medications at the same times, approximately, and never skip. Then stress reduction is so important. Obviously stress isn't always easy to avoid. Like right now, for me. Keeping myself busy with projects that yield good things is helpful.

I'm a very big fan of CBT coping tools. I use many. A favorite is called a "Dysfunctional Thought Record". It has a lousy name, but is a good exercise. I have also benefited a lot by pre-planning for anxiety-provoking situations and early stages of episodes. I do so again according to CBT advice. It's all a matter of challenging harmful thoughts and/or practicing/planning in my mind more reasonable reactions or "safe ones". So, if/when they may happen, I'm more prepared to take the planned healthier "routes", so to speak. Self checks are also important. All of this helps with insight into my illness, which helps to nip anxiety and bipolar episodes by the bud before they go out of control.

Grounding techniques are also helpful in some situations.

[Rosi700]

I find sleep important and so is the meal times. Daily structure is very important to me. Inside my structured day I have physical exercises for my body after breakfast. Then I remind myself on my CBT tools (repeat them), so I remember to use them when needed. In my morning repetition of CBT I repeat my weaknesses too and think through what to do in different situations (I'm not using CBT only, but information I have gathered about myself through the years).

After the physical exercises and the repeating of beneficial tools I do 5 to 10 minutes of relaxation using scientific methods for that and use self instructions in the end of the relaxing exercises.

Then I go for a walk alone or with friends.

I try to turn procrastination around and reward myself for doing so.

I have made a different schedule for each day, a weekly plan that repeats every week. When a day is atypical like visiting others, going to the theatre etc, I make a special plan for what to do that day when I come home. In my life going out and having fun is a trigger. If I don't do something to get the physical arousal down, it will spiral higher then what is good for me. My extraordinary structure for atypical days is a must for me ...

My medication is important and I take them at the same time each day.

[Tart Cherry Jam]

Originally Posted by Pinny

I was wondering if anyone would like to share some of the tips/pointers they have for keeping/staying well?

For me I keep a very structured sleep routine usually. Aiming to get 9-10 hours of sleep a night.
Sleep is usually the first thing for me to go off when I’m unwell, hence being a little rigid with my sleep helps me stay well.

Thanks so much in advance, any advice or pointers would be very much appreciated!

I also need that much sleep. You are not alone!

[Aurelius710]

I second everyone else on the importance of sleep! I can't tell you how many times a good night's sleep (or even just a nap) reset my mood or lessened the stress I was feeling. If I doesn't (or sleep eludes me), that's when I know something is out of whack.

My life is generally too chaotic to have a set schedule or routine, so what I do instead is set what I call totems throughout the day. Things I can do that are set aside for me and me only that I can do on a regular basis. Some totems I've had are having dinner after work on Fridays, seeing a movie in the cinema, having breakfast (or lunch) and reading a book. Things to keep me from feeling adrift.