My Food Was Good Yesterday

I did well yesterday with my food. I don’t know why, but the hardest time for me is right before bed. That’s when I want to snack, even when I’m not hungry. It sucks, because I make it through the entire day and then struggle late at night. Today I’m going to the grocery store so I can buy everything I need for my block food plan. I’ve used that meal plan to lose weight before and it worked wonderfully.

My husband and I took a walk yesterday to Walmart to buy a Christmas gift for our granddaughter. It was about 2.5 miles round trip. We’re going to try walking more. We would love to do it every day, but we’re trying to be realistic. It sucks that we can’t bring the dog with us on long walks. He gets tired pretty easily; he’s 11 years old and needs to take it easy. Either way, I think I’m off to a good start.

A Quick Check-In

So far, we have been going non-stop. We have gotten a lot done and have still have lots more to do. I haven’t had much time to check in here. I had a couple of minutes, so I thought I would say hello. Today and tomorrow will be very busy days. I get to see my aunt today and tomorrow is the party for my mom. My day is already off to a good start. My husband just came downstairs and gave me a kiss and a neck massage; that always makes me feel special.

Invited To Another Event

As if there weren’t already enough things to go to, I was invited to go to a graduation for a cousin. We just had Thanksgiving, then on Sunday I have a family reunion, then I travel for a week, then there’s a friend’s birthday party, and then we celebrate Christmas at two different places. Isn’t that enough to do? Plus, this graduation is an overnight event, and my husband wouldn’t be able to go.

When I was invited, I just said that I would have to check to see what’s going on at that time. I have to figure out how to say no. It should be okay to say no, that I have too much going on, but it makes me very nervous for some reason. I think it would be better to say no, than to go away for a couple of days without my husband and have anxiety attacks.

Very Productive

Yesterday was such a busy day, I didn’t get home until around 11pm. We got a lot done. My husband and I both got haircuts; it had been over a year since I got my hair cut. I kept putting it off out of fear. I was afraid to have someone standing behind me with scissors, and I couldn’t remember anywhere I had previously cut my hair. After that, we dealt with some car insurance stuff that had to get done. My husband had his tires rotated. We went shopping for some warmer clothes to wear while we are back east. We visited with my mother-in-law for a little while. We spent a couple of hours getting new phones. And finally, we spent some time at a friend’s house. Overall, it was a busy day, and I’m exhausted.

It was nice to get so much done, but it would have been easier if we spread it out a little more. Tomorrow, I have an appointment with my therapist, then a chest x-ray. Then I get to see my granddaughter at my mother-in-law’s house. I can’t wait to see her. I will only be staying a couple of hours. I need some time for me, some time to rest.

Bipolar and Seasonal Disorder

The sun sets so early now. At 5:30pm, the sunset begins. The days are getting shorter and shorter. It makes me feel as if I don’t want to do much of anything; I would rather sit around and fall asleep on the couch than do anything else. Activities are more difficult now.

Some people who are diagnosed with bipolar disorder also struggle with seasonal affective disorder or seasonal pattern. Basically, this happens during the winter when there is less light (the sunsets much earlier) and the weather changes. Individuals are more likely to go through depressive episodes during the winter.

Is It My Personality?

I often wonder what I can do to help my mental health. For example, my therapist wants me to stand up for myself and say no more often. It has me thinking, isn’t it a part of my personality, of who I am, the fact that I have a hard time saying no? Is my bipolar disorder a part of my personality or vise versa? Am I supposed to change my personality to improve my mental health?

I know there are some things that need or needed change. Twelve years ago, I stopped drinking and using drugs, which was extremely difficult. That improved both my mental and physical health. It was my activities that I changed, not my personality. I suppose that it’s not so much what I do, but how I do and handle it. I’m not sure if any of this makes much sense, but they are the thoughts that are wandering around in my mind the past couple days.

List For My Doctor

I made a list of the things that I need to talk to my psychiatrist about at my appointment with him next week.

Racing thoughts
Stomach problems
Suicidal ideations
I’m no longer sleeping all day long
Greatly increased anxiety, causing breathing issues
My feet hurt in the morning, not sure if it’s a side effect
Twitching is happening more often and in more than just my hands
Having a harder time getting tasks done, possibly a lack of motivation

I know I’m forgetting some things, but this is a descent start to making a list. I know that if I don’t write it down, I won’t remember to bring it up in the appointment. Most of these have easy solutions, so I’m not too worried at the moment.

Living In The Moment

Yesterday I worked out again, which makes that two days in a row. I probably won’t be able to workout again today because my brother-in-law is coming over. My goal is to work out anywhere from 3 to 5 days a week. I think that’s possible. I don’t want to set the bar too high in the beginning and feel as if it’s unattainable, so I’m starting out easy. I’m trying to live in the moment, which is a lot easier for me to do. Normally, I plan way ahead and then I can’t reach the unrealistic goal I set.

My brother-in-law comes over so my husband and him can play games on the PlayStation, which is great because it’s important for my husband and his brother to spend time together. The only thing I don’t like about that, is that they get very loud and yell back at the game. I know that pretty much anyone who plays the games they play also yell. The yelling just bothers me, so I go in the bedroom and turn the TV up loud. It’s a simple solution.

I Worked Out!

Yesterday, I said that since I didn’t have much to do, I would possibly do some Zumba and/or clean the house. I didn’t do all of these things, but I did do one of them. I did a Zumba workout video! That was probably the best thing that I could have done for myself. I need to get back into a routine of working out regularly. It felt great when I finished the video, but after it was done, I had no energy left to clean the house (the house was already pretty clean anyway). I also contacted a few family members that I don’t talk to all of the time. It was nice to chat with them. I can’t wait see all of them when I go home at the end of this month.

Adult Coloring Books

Earlier this year, my mom gave me the coolest gift, an adult coloring book. She thought it would help with my anxiety, and she was right. She knows how perfect I like everything to look and she thought that this would be the perfect way for me to do that. Coloring allows me focus on one thing and gives my mind a break. I love it! I haven’t been able to color in a several months due to an injured arm/wrist, but I can do it again.

When I’m coloring, I lose track of time. Nothing else seems to matter. The only thing that I’m thinking of and concentrating on is the coloring. I plan on doing more coloring. It works just as good as Valium. When I’m home and having an anxiety attack, I will color. I will only use Valium when I’m not home and not able to color.

My Side of the Pole

Bipolar – Mental Health

Category: Activities