Opportunity

So, here is a funny thing.  My mind is totally in a manic period right now.  So I'm sleeping maybe 6 hours a night, and it's very light sleep.  Not taking any naps.  And my mind is always racing.  It's an interesting adjustment being manic while trying to keep still all the time.  But it sure keeps my mood happy, and I'm seeing this as an opportunity to work on projects I had been avoiding because of my other responsibilities.

Every day (well, so far just yesterday and today) I pick five things from a list of projects or things I want to spend time on, and I've been setting a timer and spending half an hour on each one.  The list includes:

• Concentrated Bible study and prayer
• Go through old Facebook messages
• Go through emails
• Catch up on blogs and/or write blog posts/comments
• Organize files on computer
• Current writing project
• Study Spanish
• Read something educational
• Plan Christmas

 In addition, I write down all my other little things, like stuff I have to order off Amazon or phone calls to make!

And I have a "coping plan" so I don't zone out.  I haven't followed it completely but they're really just guidelines to strive for:

1.       As able, change positions and activities often.  This mentally punctuates my day so it doesn’t feel so long.

2.      List small sitting-down tasks (email, writing, planning) in between watching TV or playing games.  This keeps my mind sharp.

3.      Be near a window and focus on something far away occasionally.  This gives my eyes a break from all the close-up stuff I’m doing, and calms my spirit with a bit of nature.

4.      Do one thing at a time.  If watching TV, don’t do computer at the same time; I have all day, so savor each thing that occupies my mind, however simple.  Drink tea while just sitting.

5.      Discipline myself with a routine as much as possible.

6.      Discipline myself by setting a schedule with times, and using an alarm or a timer.

7.      List my accomplishments.

8.      Discipline myself by doing some things I don’t feel like doing, like reading something educational.

9.      Encourage others selflessly.  Seek out hurting people so I don’t think about my own hurt.

10.   Be spiritually fed.

This is really helping me not to get too doldrummy.  Except I think it's not really so much my willpower and fantastic planning, as much as the manic state of my hyperactive brain.  Oh well, it sure beats depression.  And I'm feeling very accomplished - as well as getting a lot of Grey's Anatomy in!  Turns out I was two seasons behind, not one, so I have been watching a lot.

Anyway, I'm doing great, hoping you ladies are too!  Any of you can come and visit any time - one of my daily "to do's" is to do something social, and it's much more fun to have an in-person social date than a cyber one!