As our first stop on the bipolar express, we’ll start with… exercise.
We’ve just begun our journey into non-pharmaceutical interventions and this one has become an absolute necessity for me. Every day, it’s a non-negotiable. Whether it’s an hour or fifteen minutes, I resolve to work out before work. Why? Well, it’s the one thing that’s turned me from a non-functional, languishing hermit to a contributing member of society – my morning (and sometimes evening) workouts. I generally start “in the red” every morning. Already on the low side of the poles. Battery life on low. In need of a USB plug before I can move my body. And, before starting this daily routine of working out, I was the type who’d get so low, I’d give into this feeling, call out of work, and turn to drugs (prescribed, not street, but also not taken as directed) to solve my problem. (For the day.) Now, with a daily workout to fill my internal prescription of serotonin tablets, it’s like a 180 for my morning.
Oh, look… It’s me, working out during a shoulder dislocation:
(Rain or shine, beaches…)
Anyway, this works on two levels:
Not only does a morning workout get you out of your head, into your body, and set the tone for the day; it also does something very important: it gives you the subconscious message that *you* think you’re worth it. This is so underrated. The promises we keep or don’t keep to ourselves absolutely matter. After all, if we don’t think we’re worth taking care of our own emotions and bodies – why would anyone else? These thoughts don’t often arise fully formulated, but they just become ingrained beliefs. Filters through which we see ourselves and the world. Worse, it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy because we treat those around us the same way – showing up late, cancelling plans, and so on. What happens then is those people get upset with us. Now we feel even more poorly, driving us deeper into depression, and the cycle starts anew. When we actually start setting a spiritual and physical discipline for ourselves, though, that becomes a habit that carries over into all areas of our lives. It also boosts our self worth enough that we may not feel the need to binge eat or spend too much money or feel like cry for hours on end.
The only caveat?
All the excuses you’re already coming up with to not workout each morning. The gym is too far. It costs money. You can’t run outside because it’s too dark in the morning. Or cold. Or unsafe. That’s why I got myself a Live Strong elliptical back in 2012. Now, I’m not one to try to market stuff to people – unless I believe in the product. So, you’ll see a ton of marketing from me because I’ve tried a lot of stuff, discarded a lot of stuff, and stuck with what works. What I love about this thing is A.) I can use it whenever, B.) I don’t have to drive to the gym, C.) there are no recurring dues, D.) I don’t have to dress a certain way to work out, E.) I can sing out loud to my music which I work out, and F.) did you *see* that year? I’ve literally had this thing a decade and it’s still going strong. Simply put, Live Strong is a good and sturdy brand to go with.
I’m not even sure if they still make my model anymore, but here it is:
(Not my own – but same model. Sparing you the cluttered study mine lives in…)
Okay, okay – so there’s one more caveat.
A movement induced mental lift is awesome but… it often doesn’t last.
Indeed, the effects of that “runner’s high” (or lifter’s or swimmer’s – we’re inclusive here) are too short lived. They only endure for a few hours. This is great for your first half of the workday. But after that, right around the time your post lunch blood sugar crash is kicking in, you’re kinda screwed. Many bipolar patients try to avoid coffee in general to wake back up. (I myself struggle because it can send me into mania) Or some other people just have high blood pressure, making it smart to avoid coffee too. But, when I’m desperate, it’s easy to reach for caffeine. The issue for me has always been the accompanying “jitters” and tendency to turn into hypomania. But if you don’t take anything, you may end up on the other end of the pole – crashing hard and unable to connect with reality or the people who live in it.
Keep reading to see how I lift myself back up without entering hypomania.