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This week I have been happily surprised by the impact three very small changes have had on my mood. Perhaps you would like to give them a go yourself.

1. Setting aside time for uplifting reading

2. Completing a 5-10 minute meditation once (or more if needed) daily. This was very hard at first, but is slowly getting easier.

3. Making a conscious effort to recognize my negative thinking patterns to train myself to replace with positive thinking.

This is work that has been well worth it.

I will be writing about more “positive thinking” topics for the next while, to see how they affect not only my mood but yours as well. Kind of a little experiment. My hope is that both you and I will be uplifted.

After all, our minds become what we spend our time on.

 

Bipolar can feel awfully uncontrollable at times that it is easy to buy into the idea that we are victims. After all, we had no choice in the matter.

“I did not do anything to deserve bipolar.” “It’s not fair I have to deal with bipolar for the rest of my life.” “I hate having bipolar!”

More than likely we have all thought these thoughts, myself included. However, I do not believe it is wise to allow ourselves to continue in this headspace of self-loathing. There comes a point where we have to make a choice. Will I become bitter about my bipolar? Or will I become better because of my bipolar?

And that my friends, is a CHOICE that we DO get to make. You have the power. You have the control. And I think that feels good. Choose wisely.

Nevermind how ridiculous you might look, get out and play! It’s fun, and guaranteed to make you smile. Great for our mental health!

Sadness is not forever. Tears are not forever. Emotions are transient, even when you think you will be sad and depressed forever. You won’t. Joy is out there. You will find it again.

Does anyone else HATE being indoors as much as I do? Being inside is like sitting in a pressure cooker waiting for the lid to explode.

With the freezing winter months almost upon us, I need to dig through my closet for my heavy coat to get ready. I refuse to let the winter take my outdoor time away from me.

This weekend I went for a run and halfway through, a gorgeous tree caught my eye. I lied down to stare at the beautiful fall leaves. I needed that more than I knew. A silent peace, reconnecting with nature did more good for my mood than anything else could have.

If anyone finds me this winter curled up in a sleeping bag staring at the stars in the snow, you’ll know why!

 

What’s your advice for living with bipolar? Or to someone living with someone with bipolar? We are all in this bipolar life together, so let’s help each other out!

I’ll start. Seek professional help, and don’t stop until you find a doctor you really trust.

Can’t wait to hear all of your advice!

One of the best pieces of advice my dad has given me is to be mindful of the people who you surround yourself with. There are life-sucking and life-giving people. Discerning who is life-sucking or life-giving in your life can make a huge difference in your mental health.

Life-sucking people are needy and typically narcissistic. The world revolves around them, and who can help them. They do not build you up, they even sometimes find subtle ways of tearing you down.

Life-giving people will usually leave you happier than before you spoke with them. They build your spirit up. They ask questions about you, get to know the real you with interest. The relationship is equal where both people feel heard and loved.

Sometimes you can go years before realizing that someone is sucking the life out of you without your realization. If you find yourself in a life-sucking relationship then perhaps it is time to re-evaluate that relationship.

We will never recover from mood disorders if we have unsupportive, life-sucking people in our lives. If someone is tearing you down or putting their own interests way above yours, then how can you ever expect to get better? How can you build your confidence up when you are slowly being torn down? Building confidence is imperative with bipolar.

Perhaps you find some of the life-sucking qualities in yourself. That’s ok, we are all in progress. Sometimes I find life-sucking qualities in myself. Sometimes I get into a depression and fail to see what I can do for my loved ones. I’m working on it though. Change is always possible, and slowly we all can become more life-giving.

Sometimes those life-sucking people are family and you might say that you “can’t get away from them.” Well, loving someone from a distance does not mean loving them any less, it means loving and respecting yourself more.

Above all, forgiveness for those who have sucked some life out of you is exponentially important. Without true forgiveness you will be held down with bitterness and resentment. You have the control and power to forgive others.

Do you have some life-giving people in your life? I’d love to hear what others are doing to make people happy.

I can’t think of a better way to spend World Mental Health Day than smiling. Smiling at others, including ourselves, can change the world! Even if the smile hurts to make today, do it anyway. Sometimes you’ve got to fake it before you make. I love all my followers from ALL over the world! You all make a difference!

The fire hydrant of information that exists at our finger tips is drowning us mentally, spiritually, and physically. The unrelenting noise found in internet surfing, texts, emails, television, social media, and podcasts clutters our minds so much that moments of calm, relaxation, and pure silence have ceased to exist in our everyday lives.

Underlying bipolar symptoms of depression and mania will undoubtedly be exacerbated by all of this loud noise. I would say bipolar minds, especially, are more sensitive and susceptible to stress and anxiety-ridden information. Have you ever been on the internet only to sign off and feel like complete crap? Anxious feelings? Feelings of inadequacy? Then why continue this vicious cycle?

We need to recognize what a healthy amount of noise should be allowed in our lives. It will vary from person to person. Some people may find that all social media noise should be eliminated, and that’s okay, you can survive without social media! I deleted all social media for one year and never looked back. I loved the extra silence in my life. I got back on social media because I felt the call to write about bipolar. One day I may change my mind, and that’s okay!

Perhaps today, contemplate the idea of putting your phone down—even if it means not reading my blog 😉 Lie down in a comfortable place with complete silence. When a thought enters your mind, shut it down. Even if for only five minutes at first. I think you will be amazed by what it will do for your mind, body, and soul. If you are especially used to the noise, you will most likely find this very difficult, which probably means you need the silence much more than you thought. Just give it time, you will eventually very much welcome the silence. We desperately need more silence in our lives to alleviate restlessness and reconnect with our true selves.

I’m going to do this today as well. If you do too, I’d love to know how it made you feel.

A reminder to be kind to yourself today. No one is perfect, we all make mistakes (as I tell my kids, I make at least 100 a day), we all really don’t know what we are doing, nobody in the world has it “all figured out,” and it’s ok to learn to love yourself despite what awful, terrible mistakes you may have made. All can be forgiven.