Author: Christina Chambers

Writing down a wellness plan upped my Bipolar Disorder management game exponentially. I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder Type I in 2008. I had rapid cycling, so I had at least four episodes each year for twelve years before even considering writing a wellness plan. After every single episode, I took time to reflect on what I could have done differently and what was working that I needed to continue. Suffice to say, I had reflected a lot! Over the years my episodes were getting less and less severe, and I was learning to manage them significantly better. Yet, writing down my wellness plan improved that management drastically.

I attended a Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) group through my work as a Peer Support Worker. At first, I noticed some pretty haughty thoughts, like “I’ve been managing this for twelve years, what am I going to learn at this point?”. Thankfully, I caught those thoughts, and reminded myself that I can always learn, and the effort I put in correlates with the results I get. I found the group helpful with nuggets of wisdom and a sense of connection. Due to the reflection I had done over the years, filling out my wellness plan came quickly. I was able to easily write lists of warning signs and wellness tools that I needed to respond with. In the months following the group, the biggest benefits began to sink in.

The next time my warning signs arose, I pulled out my plan and followed it. I found that it reduced the severity and length of the episode. I also began to notice even earlier, more subtle warning signs and added those to my list. Each time warning signs of an episode arose I turned to my plan, and each time my mental health got better. I realized that when warning signs are arising for me, my ability to think and remember is not at its best. So, recalling all those lessons I had reflected on is much easier said than done. I also noticed that, even though I was using a lot of my wellness tools and felt like I was doing everything I possibly could, there were always pieces that had fallen to the wayside. Looking at the written plan reminded me of which elements I was missing, so that I could resume them. Lastly, just having a concrete plan that I could act on gave me a sense of control, empowerment and hope. This gave me a little boost to get things back on track. Surprisingly, writing down a wellness plan led to preventing episodes entirely! Initially, I really did not think it would help that much to write an action plan for when warning signs of an episode arise, but I found through my experience it was well worth it!

When warning signs of an episode arise, what works for each person is different and unique to them. I have also found the need to adjust my plan as my abilities and interests have changed. Nonetheless, I wanted to share my current wellness plan with you in hopes that it may spark some ideas for your personal recovery path.

My warning signs action plan is as follows:

• Practice yoga even if I don’t feel like it
• Talk to others (partner, friends, therapist)
• Spend some time reflecting (journaling, writing)
• Shift my perspectives on stress (list my stressors and write out a mini-plan to handle each, or another way of looking at it that feels less stressful; prioritize what can be put off until next week or even next month)
• Spend some time resting (comfort tv, baths, restorative yoga, chill music)
• Say no to things to reduce stress (even some things I may want to do); replace them with enjoyable stress reducing activities so it doesn’t feel like a loss, and recognize it’s temporary and will help me return to wellness sooner
• Do some form of grounding, mindfulness or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy tools (no pushing it to the side to push through)
• Take time to feel my feelings and get them out by creative means
• Get some to-do’s out of the way in small chunks (ask for help as needed, write things down and put off what can be delayed until later)
• Affirmations, positive self-talk and recognize my resourcefulness
• Take vitamins and eat nourishing foods
• Play! (Get out to take photos in nature, be silly and joke around with loved ones, play with my cat, bake, dance, etc.)
• Listen to uplifting music like Jack Johnson (no piano in minor, as much as I love it)
• Limit online research
• Limit or abstain from social media

The content of the International Bipolar Foundation blogs is for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician and never disregard professional medical advice because of something you have read in any IBPF content.