A little R&R

Thunder Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado from 2019 Photo by Ashley Purdin

I haven’t talked much about my Bipolar One diagnosis on this blog yet, but I think it gives me a unique experience of the world and has taught me some lessons earlier in life that others may not learn until much later. I went through some very difficult times as we tried different medications to alleviate my symptoms—you see, there is no cure for bipolar disorder; there is only symptom management. Things like stress, being too busy (even with fun things!), travel, sleep disruption, change, and other challenges can lead to becoming overstimulated, dysregulated, destabilized, overwhelmed, burned out, and, most of all, exhausted.

What I have learned from talking to others is that everyone experiences dysregulation, overwhelm, burnout, and exhaustion from the events of life. They may not become manic or depressed necessarily, but they may experience the other realities that lack of sleep, stress, or a crammed schedule can cause over time. The reality is that you may be able to manage for a while, but eventually your body (brain included) will start to unravel. You might find yourself getting sick more often, as a compromised immune system can be the result of chronic stress.

According to the Mayo Clinic: “The long-term activation of the stress response system and too much exposure to cortisol and other stress hormones can disrupt almost all the body's processes. This puts you at higher risk of many health problems, including:

Photo by Ashley Purdin, Omaha Zoo, 2023

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Digestive problems

• Headaches

• Muscle tension and pain

• Heart disease

• Heart attack

• High blood pressure

• Stroke

• Sleep problems

• Weight gain

• Problems with memory

• Focus.”

That’s a lot of systems getting disrupted. Stress is going to happen, but what are some practical things we can do to help regulate our nervous systems? I’m going to share just a couple of examples from my arsenal of techniques that I use to calm my nervous system when it feels like it’s on fire. But first, let’s go through the symptoms I experience fairly early on—well before I reach a crisis point:

• Full-body shaking

• Headaches

• Brain fog

• Sensitivity to light and sound

• Lack of focus

• Racing thoughts

• A feeling of dread

• Fatigue

So what do I do when these symptoms arise?

1. I put a full stop on anything I don’t have to be doing, and I delegate wherever possible. Social events? Off the calendar. That project I’m doing for a friend? I set it aside. I take a serious look at all of my responsibilities and figure out where there can be some give. Remember, something has to give—or it’s going to be you.

2. Drink more water. I’m not kidding! It seems simple, but I guarantee that if you’ve been dealing with chronic stress, you’ve probably been forgetting your water intake.

3. Go for a walk outside. I don’t care if it’s freezing—bundle up and get outside. If you work outside, this does not count. Grab your dog and go for an actual walk. Even a short 15–20 minute walk in the fresh air has been proven to reduce cortisol (the stress hormone) levels.

It might feel impossible to find the time to take care of yourself, but not everything has to be time-consuming. I understand that not everyone can take a sabbatical from work, but everyone can take a few minutes a day to remember that if you aren’t okay, nobody around you will get to experience the full benefit of your help, friendship, company, or work. Thanks for taking care of yourself so we as your community can reap the benefits of you being the fullest most present, rested and joy-filled version of yourself! And your community needs you but more importantly YOU need you.

Blessings,

-Ashley