Creating and following a regular schedule doesn’t make me a boring person — it allows me to manage my bipolar symptoms.
I’m a creature of habit. That’s just my personality. I have a difficult time handling change.
I like knowing what’s on the road up ahead. I find it challenging to be spontaneous. I used to view my adherence to routine as an impairment, but now I count it as a blessing that’s helped me maintain stability while managing my bipolar disorder.
My reliance on my routine reminds me a bit of my favorite animal: Cats. Cats aren’t fond of riding in cars, because they’re stuck in unfamiliar, overstimulating surroundings that could mean danger. They don’t like visitors to their homes because they don’t know who this strange new person is, and they can have a difficult time trusting others.
Reliance on Routine When You Have Bipolar Disorder
Like me, cats need structure and routine. They get upset whenever they’re moved to a new house or when new animals are introduced into the family. Cats are affectionate, smart, quirky, and loving. But they’re also cautious in new climates. I admire them for that. I guess it’s no surprise that I’m like a cat.
Following a routine doesn’t mean you have to be a wet blanket who never has any fun. It can just mean gauging situations ahead of time, thriving within structure, and sticking to schedules.
5 Ways My Routines Have Helped Me Stay Stable With Bipolar Disorder
I’ve discovered five reasons I like following routines, and how they’ve helped me stay stable with bipolar disorder over the years.
1. Following a Medication Routine Helps My Moods Stay Stable
Once, when a close friend who lives out of town visited me, I was overjoyed to see her because we hadn’t hung out in years. We spent quality time together visiting local attractions, going shopping at thrift stores (our favorite pastime), and just catching up.
But then, on the third day of her stay, I realized: Oops! I forgot to take my meds the day before!
My typical day-to-day life had been interrupted. It was a welcome interruption, but it was a disruption nonetheless.
My morning medications are easy to remember. I keep them by my bed, in my nightstand, organized in a pill dispenser that separates daytime and nighttime meds.
But my evening meds are a bit trickier. I usually take my evening meds just before dinner, and if I’m going out for the night, I take them before I leave.
I was so caught up with finding an exciting new restaurant for us to try — searching online for restaurant reviews and looking up locations on a map — that it completely slipped my mind that I needed to take my evening meds before we headed out.
Everything turned out fine, luckily, but meds aren’t something I want to skip on an ongoing basis: I need them like I need air.
I should have planned a bit better. Now I know, if I’m expecting a change in my routine — even if it’s a good one — I need to stay on top of important things, like sticking to my medication schedule. Going forward, l decided to set an alarm for the same time each evening if I’m traveling or if I experience any type of change in my typical habits.
2. It’s Important to Maintain a Sleep Routine for Bipolar Mood Stability
Speaking of travel, whenever I go on vacation, especially if I’m moving between time zones, I create some sort of structure so my sleep doesn’t get out of whack.
Even people who don’t live with a mental health condition can suffer negative repercussions from unbalanced circadian rhythms, like irritability, sleepiness, and confusion. For people like me — who live with bipolar disorder — it’s a whole new ball game.
I was once triggered into a full-blown manic episode (and it was not pretty) on a trip to New York, and I live in the same time zone. Just the excitement of the new sights and sounds — and the late nights spent hopping between clubs — was enough to throw me way off-balance: I ended up singing karaoke in a bar that was not a karaoke bar. I snapped at a man who was just trying to ask me for some change. And I almost got into a fistfight.
RELATED: Bipolar Disorder and the Quest for Mood Stability
Thank goodness the person I was with apologized and pulled me down the street as I shouted … I don’t even remember what. I don’t think it was good.
I remember looking back at the scowl on the man’s face and realizing I’d made a right fool of myself. I felt so much shame afterward.
Now, I’m not saying I regret visiting New York. For the first couple of days, I had a blast, and it was a healthy, good time. But I hadn’t been sleeping enough because there was just so much to do and see.
I’ve since learned that keeping a semi-regular sleep routine would’ve saved me (and my travel companion) so much embarrassment, and would have prevented what could have turned into an even worse situation.
3. Having Routines in Place Can Lessen Stress and Bipolar Mood Triggers
If I have a recurring doctor’s appointment, I try to schedule it for the same time and day of the week, if possible. I live in a high-traffic city, so I plan appointments for times between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. so I can avoid the stress of construction, traffic snarls, rush-hour volume, and so on.
By planning appointments like this, I can work my life around them more easily. It’s much less anxiety-inducing when I know every Wednesday morning is my therapist appointment, so I know not to plan anything important for Wednesday mornings.
Or, sometimes, if it’s a tough appointment that involves a lot of crying, I know not to plan anything for the time afterward.
I make it easy on myself. I don’t even have to look at my calendar or worry about conflicting obligations. Knowing when my doctor appointments will be just saves me the headache of uncertainty, and I know I won’t be contending with the rest of the city trying to get to or from work at the same time.
4. Routines Can Provide You With Peace of Mind Amidst all the Chaos
As a society, we collectively experienced a huge trauma in 2020 and throughout the pandemic. I felt like the earth had shaken and split open. I was freaked out and horrified at everything that was happening in the world around me (and you probably were, too).
But I stuck to a routine as best as I could:
- I took my meds at the same time every day.
- I got enough regular sleep.
- In essence, I tried to create as much structure as I could in my life, given the extenuating circumstances.
My resolve to stick to as much of a predictable schedule and routine as I could helped keep me keep my moods balanced, and I still implement those strategies today.
Sure, I experienced emotional agitation, but I think it wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been, and I credit that to my dedication to routine.
5. Most Importantly, Following a Routine Provides a Stable Foundation After a Bipolar Mood Episode
Mood episodes, like depression and mania, really mess up everything in my life. From my relationships to my finances, they take a toll. And, typically, routine goes out the window. Once I’ve emerged, I have a bitter, bad taste in my mouth from all the things I did and said when I was unwell.
The best way to get back to “normal” is for me to return to some sort of routine. If I don’t have any sort of structure to my life when I’m coming out of a bout of depression or mania, it makes it that much harder for me to recover. Routine is my rock.
RELATED: How Daily Routine Can Help Bipolar Symptoms
It’s good to let loose once in a while and be spontaneous, but I try to enjoy life within healthy, semi-structured boundaries. Yes, I do get stressed out when something throws a monkey wrench into my plans, but when it’s beyond my control, I try to focus on what I can manage.
When something unexpected comes up that threatens to upend my life, I adhere to a routine. That means regular meds at regular times, consistent sleep, and predictable tasks and activities. As a result, I feel more stable because I am more stable.
Routine is the key to my inner harmony and peace. It’s one of my most powerful tools for ongoing mood stability. And I hope it is for you, too.
UPDATED: Originally posted February 7, 2023