Bipolar disorder and self-care go hand in hand. Prioritizing your well-being isn’t self-indulgent — it’s essential for stability and health.
I have learned many “dos and don’ts” for living with this mental health condition, ever since my diagnosis of bipolar 1 disorder nearly 30 years ago.
It has taken me a lifetime, but I feel that I have perfected the art of self-care. That is, of understanding the “dos and don’ts” for my life — and my bipolar.
How did I manage this? I followed the self-care principles below.
1. Create Time for Peace and Reflection
Self-care can come in different forms and be found in unique ways.
For me, it’s about taking time out of a busy day to watch beautiful amber-and-pink sunsets that appear with cotton-candy clouds that float across the sky.
I find comfort in knowing that — whatever stressors or anxieties that I have — the God I believe in has painted the sky for me, and I feel assured that He has a plan for all my tomorrows.
Self-care means looking at a starry sky at night and enjoying simply living in the moment. I also find gazing into my blazing orange fire pit is also a form of self-care. It’s time I take just by myself.
In the quiet, I can access and assess my feelings, moods, and life challenges. It is in those times that I find peace.
2. Have Fun and Indulge in Simple Pleasures
Self-care also involves having fun.
My therapist often reminds me that I work very hard as an educator in an elementary school. I work very hard — and deserve to play very hard.
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I love getting a haircut and, every once in a while, an overpriced pedicure. This is definitely a splurge! I also enjoy going to the movies alone. I am a “people person,” but I enjoy eating high-calorie popcorn and sitting in a dark movie theater every now and then on my own.
During the winter, I take candlelit baths and listen to Enya (my husband can’t stand Enya). I also like to spend some time in the hot tub at the gym. I find, at those times, my mind seems to stop racing—something it often does on a daily basis.
3. It’s About Hobbies and Pastimes
Self-care can also mean taking time for hobbies.
I like to plant flowers in pots, and I have many plants in my house.
I love having playdates with my 10-year-old goddaughter and baking with her.
I love weekend hikes with my dad up in the mountains. It is great for my mental and physical health, and I sleep like a baby.
Just watching my favorite movie, Back to the Future, with my husband is something I enjoy doing, too.
I also love petting my demanding, snobby Siberian cat.
A call to my best friend also keeps me healthy. They say laughter is the best medicine, and I tend to agree.
How you define self-care and the different types of activities or rest that work for you is key.
4. Balance Your Schedule
I will admit that, more often than not, I had too much on my plate.
Working in an elementary school with children with special needs takes a lot of responsibility.
Publishing a memoir leads to many self-promotion, interviews, and signings.
I am a wife who attempts to clean the house on the weekends.
Plus, I spend time with my husband, my cat, and my girlfriends.
I am a Toastmaster, so I constantly attend meetings and give speeches.
Then, when you add in doctor appointments to stay healthy — not to mention blogging — my schedule can fill up.
What really helps me is putting everything on a calendar. Then, I can look at my weeks and decide if I have scheduled too much in a given week. I make adjustments if I feel like I won’t get enough downtime. Maybe juggle things around.
Not overdoing it is key for me.
5. Take ‘Mental Health Days’
I am very lucky that, because I am usually at work daily in a school, I accrue lots of sick time. Sometimes, I’ll have more than 300 hours.
I look at the calendar and pick one day off for a “me” day. On this day, I sleep in and do something I love, like hiking and maybe enjoying lunch with my mom.
Taking some time off makes all the difference.
For years, I felt guilty for calling out, but with time, I realized I worked so hard that I earned it.
I know everyone is not in the same position as I am when it comes to earning and using sick hours. But if you can take time off, I highly recommend it.
6. Sleep, Sleep, and … Sleep
This topic is brought up in countless articles and blogs about living with bipolar.
Does sleep really make a difference?
The answer is a resounding yes.
I am on a very regimented schedule for the times I take my medication. I know what time I need to be in bed to wind down in the evening to get my 8 to 10 hours of sleep.
When I don’t get the sleep I need, my husband suffers, and I am not as patient. The kids I work with also don’t get me at my best. That isn’t fair.
7. Take Medication and Accept Treatment
I take my meds daily and surrender to them daily, knowing that I need my bipolar medication like the oxygen we need to breathe.
Although you may be resistant to taking medication or seeking out (and accepting) treatment, I highly encourage you to do what you have to do for your well-being.
8. Say ‘No’
The word “no” can be a hard one to get used to saying.
One time, I was in a situation where I could not attend a wedding because of my work schedule and the travel involved.
I felt horrible about not being able to attend, but I knew it would be too hard on my health. Specifically, because travel was involved, it fell at a bad time in the school year.
RELATED: Bipolar Disorder and the Healing Strength of Self-Compassion
Once you say “no” and see how it improves your health, doing so becomes easier.
9. Exercise and Stay Active
Self-care is also about getting in some time for that workout.
I walk on my lunch breaks and enjoy going to the gym. Recently, I have found workouts on YouTube. I like a particular yoga video that makes me feel good about myself and helps me sleep.
10. Take Time for Prayer and Journaling
I am a Christian, and my prayer life and journaling keep me grounded.
Maybe you have different beliefs. That is okay.
It doesn’t hurt to pick up a pen and get your thoughts and feelings on paper. I love looking back at situations and seeing how everything I worried about at the time later worked out. It reminds me that things have always worked out, no matter how big the problem was initially.
Give Self-Care a Try
If you are struggling today, pick one of these areas and try to perfect it. I’ve found these forms of self-care really help me live a healthy and happy life as a woman with bipolar disorder. I hope one of these strategies or ideas will help you, too.
UPDATED: Originally posted November 11, 2021