10 Habits of Highly Successful People with Bipolar Disorder
People who are successfully treating and living with bipolar realize there’s no one-size-fits-all plan when it comes to behavioral, emotional, and psychological protocols. Here are ten habits that work for them.
Defining Success with Bipolar Disorder
Each of us must decide for ourselves what a successful life looks like, depending on our goals, values, and individual circumstances. Coping with common life stressors can prove difficult, and managing a chronic health condition like bipolar disorder can add additional challenges. But it can also offer surprising benefits, such as having a unique perspective, increased self-awareness, and greater empathy.
Some individuals with bipolar see a link between their diagnosis and their high achievement—sometimes as a result of hypomania’s enhanced energy and creativity levels and sometimes because of the degree of focus and self-management required to address symptoms and prevent or cope with mood swings.
Of course, early diagnosis and equitable access to treatment play an important role in personal success and achievement. And variations in mood, energy, distractibility, and other cognitive functions affected by bipolar are connected to our ability to navigate daily responsibilities and relationships, both of which are closely tied to overall success. Here’s what works well for some who find success while living with bipolar.
#1 They’ve created their own treatment plan.
Through trial and error, these folks have created a personalized treatment plan that works for them. For one person, focusing on therapy for the mind may work, while someone else is better treated with certain medications and specific adjustments to their daily routines. All treatment—medication, therapy, and lifestyle—needs to be designed specifically for you.
#2 They rally a supportive team.
First, they are not afraid to ask for help; second, they understand that they need the assistance of others when they can’t help themselves. They know that support comes in many forms—such as joining a support group, either online or in person. People living successfully with bipolar also nurture their support team by staying in contact, communicating, and expressing deep appreciation for the help and support they receive.
#3 They practice mindfulness.
A meditation practice improves your ability to manage work, organize tasks, and focus in stressful situations.
Over the past decade, mindfulness meditation has been shown to improve a whole host of health and disease outcomes; new studies demonstrate what’s happening to the brain in order to produce these beneficial health effects. It shows that meditation reduces interleukin-6, an inflammatory health biomarker, in high-stress adults.
Other people may practice a movement-based form of mediation, such as yoga, swimming, or walking.
#4 They know their triggers and have a plan.
Knowing which stressors leave you vulnerable to depression and/or mania can help prevent recurrences. Work-related stress, sleep disturbances, and traumatic life events can all be triggers, and having a plan to help prevent minor symptoms from turning into a full-blown mood episode is vital.
Successful individuals have put together a comprehensive plan, usually with the help of their spouse and/or family. They understand how to recognize the beginnings of either depression or mania and what they will do in such cases.
#5 They have a healthy diet and exercise regularly.
Whether they find it challenging or not, people who successfully manage bipolar know that having a healthy lifestyle—eating well and moving more—is a crucial complement to a treatment plan of medication to maintain mood stability. Studies now show clearly that people with bipolar disorder are more likely to have certain vitamin and mineral deficiencies, making a nutrient-dense diet all the more important.
#6 They have good sleep habits.
For people living with bipolar, sleep is found to be a significant cause of stress. We know that sleep problems don’t just affect mood, they can also be the cause. People who are successful with their bipolar treatment plans know to keep a steady rhythm throughout their day, going to bed and rising the same time each day and following the same bedtime routine.
#7 They stick to a schedule/routine.
The schedule itself is personalized to each individual, but the point is they stick to their set routines—especially for the important aspects like their medication protocol, exercise, diet, and sleep. They know that by doing something regularly, like brushing one’s teeth, it soon becomes second nature and doesn’t take willpower to stick to it. And when mood episodes and symptoms disrupt daily life, falling back into an existing routine is easier than starting a new one afresh, which allows for a smoother return to mood stability.
#8 They pay attention to their thoughts.
They are aware of the loop that links bipolar depression, anxiety, and negative thinking, and they work hard at breaking free from this cycle. They learn to shift out of negative modes such as catastrophic escalation, pessimism, and destructive self-talk and instead choose a more positive and practical outlook to almost every situation.
#9 They are grateful.
They understand that gratitude has a strong association with well-being and that practicing this state of being has a positive influence on their mood, relationships, outlook, and overall happiness—all of which can protect against anxiety and depression. Some people have found it helpful to keep a daily journal and write what they are grateful for every day.
#10 They keep a journal.
Whether it’s charting their moods, diets, exercise, or even what they’re grateful for, the simple act of writing it down somewhere (or typing for that matter) does something to further instill the subject matter to memory. Besides the validating and therapeutic benefits of journaling, writing one’s thoughts down in a journal can be meditative, as it forces one to think only of certain thoughts and not about everything at once. It also helps with a sense of perspective and allows people to recognize patterns related to symptoms, triggers, and treatment options.
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