The key elements of a healthy lifestyle adapted to your disorder….

Having a healthy lifestyle is important for everyone, but essential for someone with bipolar disorders.

The following suggestions will give you some reference points to maximally stabilize your general state of health and your mood.

A - Sleep

Sleep must be of good quality, long enough and as regular as possible in terms of a schedule of what time to go to bed and when to get up.

Certain people feel very tired, especially in their depressed phase, and, therefore, go to bed fairly early and get up late.

But many others have a tendency to shift their schedule little by little in their rhythm of life, going to bed later and later (often much more after midnight) and getting up later and later (11 AM, noon or later…).

Absence of professional life, living alone, loss of social rhythms and obligations,…in such situations, it is not always easy to find a good reason to go to sleep and wake up at more reasonable hours. 

However, remember that going to bed before midnight allows the body to better recover and regenerate the vital organs. 

Changing these “bad” sleeping habits is not that easy and sounds like a real challenge !

By the way, we say “bad” because one thing is sure and regularly confirmed by those who have tried it : if you set up your schedule to be as regular as possible (for example, going to bed at midnight, getting up at 8 AM every day, including weekends) your body is better able to recover, repair and organize itself, and this contributes to stabilize the mood.

What must be finally understood, especially by people with bipolar disorders, is that mood is particularly reactive and changing, so that getting off schedule results in less recovery, an accumulation of fatigue and then much greater irritability during the day, which can affect interpersonal relationships with other people.

Any clashes or arguments can then irritate and plunge the person into an excited (hypo)manic state, eliminating the feeling of needing to sleep or even leading to insomnia…all of this process contribute to reinforce or worsen an abnormal schedule and unhealthy lifestyle. 

As well, after a (hypo)manic episode, the resulting after effects are important because the person has used up all their reserves, depending on ”nervous” energy. Imagine yourself in a (hypo)manic phase…you are like a car battery. Once you have used up all of your charge, it takes some time before being fully recharged.

According to certain specialists, after a depressive phase, sleeping less (6 to 8 hours maximum) can have a doping effect, makes you feel more energetic and helps you emerge from a state of fatigue and lethargy. But be careful not to take a manic turn! 

In all cases, it is essential to speak with you doctor before changing your sleep habits and your daily schedule.

TIPS TO CLEAR YOUR MIND BEFORE SLEEPING :  In a (hypo) manic state, you can be submerged in (creative) ideas at bedtime. It is therefore difficult to fall asleep. How can you get to sleep when you don’t want to forget an idea, and you want to remember it the next day ? If this happens to you, we recommend you to keep a note pad next to your bed, or a tape recorder or dictaphone, or even your portable phone if it has a « vocal memo » function. You can thereby clear your mind of all these ideas and thoughts as they appear, without getting out of and back in bed every 2 minutes to go and write them all down.

KEY FACTORS : To prepare for sleep means to create an environment that is as calm as possible, and avoid all irritating factors within two hours of bedtime : no stimulating substances (such as coffee, alcohol or drugs), no conflicts, no violent physical activities or stress, etc… Avoid naps during the day as well and keep regular and reasonable hours for going to sleep and waking up.

See as well the FOCUS article on fatigue and sleep disorders presented on the home page.

B - Organization of your day

« A regular schedule in your daily life has great value in becoming more stable. »

Some recommendations :

• Get a daily rhythm going by getting up early and at the same time every day
• Start with daily rituals, such as drinking a glass of water when you wake up followed by a shower, as this awakens and hydrates your body, and, above all, has a stabilizing effect
• Take the time to make yourself a real breakfast
• With the agreement of your physician, do 20 minutes of exercise per day. For example, a morning walk of 15 to 20 minutes to buy the newspaper or some bread is a very beneficial physical activity and will clear your mind to start the day well. The contact with the outside world will also help you keep a minimum of social contact
• Start a daily monitoring of your mood, your activities and your thoughts
• Keep a daily diary, and describe your days and your emotions
• Record your daily mood. In order to learn how to better auto-evaluate your mood, you can, if possible, ask someone close to you to give you their evaluation of your mood. By regularly comparing your evaluation and theirs, you can learn how to be objective in your evaluation 
• Avoid sudden changes of your daily rhythms
• Stay flexible in your plans: the goal is to limit irregularities so that you are more balanced but without feeling too constrained
• Plan collective activities, meetings, hobbies that relax you. Planning gives you structure and reference points. For example, organizing or participating in weekly activities contributes to keep a rhythm to your life. 

The Mood Institute has been created by patients for patients, and all together we have designed useful monitoring tools to be more active in our own health and to describe how we feel evrey day, for a better stabilization.

To discover our mood monitoring tools et our Members Area, please click here.

C – Diet 

We can only recommend a balanced diet respecting the rules of a healthy diet such as  those proposed by experts, such as: « Don’t eat too much fat, too much sugar or too much salt » »« Eat 5 fruits and vegetables a day »« Drink 1,5 l water a day »

Try to reduce your consumption of stimulants as much as possible and don’t drink alcohol.

PRECAUTIONS ABOUT TAKING MEDICATIONS

Take the time to carefully read the information included with your medications, especially precautions and side effects : Pay attention to foods that are forbidden or incompatible with taking certain medications.

If you have any doubt, ask for all the necessary explanations and answers from your physician and your pharmacist.

SECONDARY EFFECTS : Without making you overly anxious, stay vigilant and pay attention to possible side effects from your medications. Notably, certain medications can cause weight change. Some can stimulate your appetite and/or make you gain weight. Other medications can instead cause a loss of appetite and/or make you lose weight. 

In case of doubt or weight change, discuss this with your physician.

EATING DISORDERS

Anxiety, depression, an excessive hyperactivity or any other psychological disorder can interfere with eating behaviors.

In case of doubt or weight change, discuss this with your physician.

D – Physical Activity

Physical activity is a natural antidepressant : it increases the production of endorphins (a natural morphine like substance produced by the body) and gives a feeling of well-being, as well as having pain relieving, antifatigue and anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) effects. For example, a morning walk of 15 to 20 minutes wakes up your body gently, oxygenates you, and at the same time contributes to give you a daily rhythm of life and, therefore, to stabilize you.

After getting medical advice from your physician about your ability to practice the sports of your choice…

... favor and combine as much as is possible :

• « cardio » activities (hiking, bicycling, running, swimming,…) releasing and oxygenating,
• relaxation activities (yoga, stretching,..)

ATTENTION : We remind you that it is strongly recommended to avoid stimulating or violent physical activities 2 hours before bedtime so that they do not keep you from being able to sleep.

A PRIORI : Contrary to what people usually think, even when you are excited and euphoric, a « cardio » activity in the morning or during the early afternoon will allow you to oxygenate and unwind, and is therefore calming. Practicing only relaxation activities will not be enough to discharge your boundless energy in a (hypo)manic phase.

In all cases, before starting exercise, get your physician’s agreement, who will counsel you about appropriate levels of activity for your state of health.

** Reader information : This section is mostly inspired of real-life experiences, and was written by the editorial staff of the Mood Institute, exclusively composed with patients - The members of the Medical and Scientific Committee are regularly asked to provide an advisory opinion - Last update : 10/01/2011