Last time I talked about why we find it so hard to finish tasks with bipolar but this time I want to focus how we can successfully finish tasks with bipolar disorder, even if it is difficult.
Tips for Finishing Tasks with Bipolar
Here are some tips that help with finishing tasks with bipolar:
- Honestly assess your ability to finish a task. You can’t do everything and you can’t finish everything either. Carefully and realistically assess whether you truly want to start a task if you feel you can’t reasonably finish it.
- Chunk tasks into small sub-tasks. One task I have is to finish decorating my apartment. Unfortunately for me, this involves a whole lot of steps and thus is entirely overwhelming. But if I chunk it down into tiny tasks, each one is something I can more reasonably do and then assess my ability to do the rest later. Then I get credit for finishing a task even though it’s really only part of my overall goal.
- Time-box your effort. If a task really is too big for one sitting, then agree to yourself that you will work on it for a set amount of time and consider adhering to that, task completion.
- Make a task list with absolutely everything you need to do on it daily. Include things like showering, brushing your teeth and eating breakfast (things that you’re likely to do) along with the tougher things. Cross off each task as you complete it. You will feel accomplishment and a small sense of reward just crossing things off a list (really).
- Put an item on your to-do list that says, “Make tomorrow’s to-do list.” Then you’ll be more motivated to keep your to-do list current and more useful.
Try to use logic to defeat the inertia of bipolar depression. While it may seem like there is no intrinsic reward to finishing a task when you have bipolar depression, there always is some sort of reward when you think about it, even if the only reward is that you don’t have to do that task again (maybe for a while, anyway). So, for example, if cleaning the bathtub was a task on my list, I would use logic to say that if I do it today, I don’t have to do it for another two weeks. That is a reward to me.- Bribe yourself. I don’t know if it’s just me but I respond fairly well to bribes when finishing tasks. For example, I say to myself, “I will let you (me) eat ice cream if you (me) finish four articles today.” This, then, puts a reward into place for finishing a task. (You could, say, allow a nap after one hour of task work, as another example.)
- Make unbreakable rules for yourself. I, for example, never stop in the middle of an article. This is a solid rule that I don’t break. Once I start an article I finish it. (Apply rules judiciously. Not everything can have rules around it or it will become overbearing.)
- Keep an ideas list. When you have bipolar mania or bipolar hypomania you feel like you have an innumerable amount of amazing ideas. That’s great! But instead of acting on all of them, try keeping an ideas list where you can jot down each idea and then evaluate it as a real task you want to do later.
- Try to work on only one task at a time. Some of us are natural multitaskers (I am) but still, you can’t do more than one thing at a time when you’re vacuuming the carpet or taking out the garbage. Try to avoid getting sidetracked by saying that you will work on a task, and only that task, for a period of time (say, one hour) and then you’ll allow yourself to check your Facebook or return text messages.
- Celebrate when you have bipolar and complete a task. Okay, not every day is a cause for cake from your favorite bakery, but you can have a mini-celebration, if only in your mind, every time you finish a task. It’s a big deal to finish a task when you’re very ill. Give yourself credit for a job well done.
- Don’t beat yourself up for not finishing a task. Beating yourself up for not finishing a task is pretty common if you’re depressed (and maybe even if you’re not) but this helps no one. If you don’t finish a task today, simply wipe the slate clean and try to finish it tomorrow. No one is perfect. No one finishes everything they start immediately. Give yourself a break. You tried and that’s what matters.
In short, you can finish tasks when you have bipolar. It is possible. However, finishing tasks with bipolar is tougher than without and we need to put more coping skills into place to get it done.
Multiple tasks attached to a plan for completion works, assuming one is rational enough to care. I delay what I can’t do until the energy is there, like overhauling my car’s ac unit. Task like this can take days. Each day I get a little closer to completion. My reward, a no sweat drive in the Florida sun. In the mean time I have volunteered to do computer work for a number of people. The on going efforts for short duration solutions without immediate commitment while seeming to be a draw back allows for eventual successful completion. Accepting a debilitating disease allows you to find solutions that work in the long run. Time is usually not your own. Work with what you have when you can. Occasionally an insightful moment makes up for lost time whenindividual moments count, and concentrated focus increases.
I’m awful with lists. I make them then promptly misplace them then I’m left searching around the house and cursing my mind. The shame and disappointment that comes from my pathological lack of follow-through has led me to not start things in the first place. Why bother? It just makes me feel worse. With a few glowing exceptions- books and circles. I can read the crap out of a book and draw circles for months. I feel very creative but have no skills. But I thought I had to start somewhere so I started at circles and loved them so much I never left. I guess I’m just simple. But, circles saved me at a very low point. Yay shapes. :)
I suppose the babble above could be seen as a ghastly attempt at advice. Take on something that seems totally underwhelming. It will rise up to meet you, all friendly- like. It’s modesty will inspire confidence and comfort instead of that sea of muck that can accompany a vast bi-p mission.
I talk garbage. :/
Hi Natasha, thank you for your advice in this article. And all your other articles and your effort to help your fellow human beings, great job.
And Hi Brew. Thanks for your advice, i thought it was a good idea when you said ine should do tasks that seem not overwhelming and that they would rise to us. However, i want to say to you and others on here that we should never blame ourselves for our ilness by saying any negative thing about ourselves such as your saying “I speak garbage”. Please dont say that, you spoke not garbage but rather good of you to send your advice to others and contribute to Natasha’s article. Infact to male you feel that your advice above was not garbage is the fact that its one that i will always keep in mind and add to my toolbox, and Im not one to take garbage. Im sure others would agree that you spoke no garbage.
We should speak always well of ourselves, having self compassion and drop any guilt we may have that we have of our ilness. We are not blame worthy…what can help one is to learn t9 love himself, take care of himself as if we are caring for a new born baby, treat ourselfs every once in a while, respect ourselfs by saying only what is posotive of ourselfs. Neither complain to people but reflect and speak of us to ourselfs and trying to work on those weak points. Im not saying ine shouldnt talk to others and reach out but rather learn the difference between com0laining or seeking help/advice. Because when one complains it weakens him/her and others will view you lesser as not all people understand. And no matter how much the healthy ones hekp the ill they are humans at the end of the day so it will effect them negatively. And one should always avoid burdening others except in very hard times. However, people with mental ilness or any ilness should love themselfs regardless and view themselfs as oppressed, therefore they should wear the shoes of soldiers and fight for there right. Also, at times when you feel your going in to a depressive state and tears try to come ask yourself is this thing that i might tear for woth my tear? Those tears come with emotions and our aim should be that we use our logic to overcome any overwhelming feelings that come with this ilness. But we are humans and tears are natural and with this ilness its more increased but still work on that by asking is it worth my tear? I wish you all well. Take care.
Hi Natasha pretty good advices.
I don’t normally bribe myself when I’m at home. I like to do the things that I still can do around the house. But when I have to go out, usually to the hospital, (which I will be going for at least 18 more months), then I motivate myself by thinking of my price at the end of that unpleasant and exhausting experience. Recently, and because I can’t work and am waiting to solve another health problem besides bipolar, I start making amigurumi (dolls made in crochet cause I have “2 left hands” like we say here and I can’t craft LOL).
And now I have a project in tricot which is a bunny doll and because I am depressed and stressed out by many things happening in my life I can’t focus so I usually wait to calm down and feel in the mood to start a project making sure I can finish it because I have a bit of OCD and I hate leaving things unfinished. So in resume I am waiting for past 2 weeks to start my bunny project and I don’t feel any motivation and especially no pleasure in starting anything at all.
Great recommendations for anyone, Natasha! I think most people have trouble understanding what’s possible as opposed to what’s reasonable. It actually became a bigger issues for me once my symptoms were more under control. I had, and still battle, the urge to “make up for lost decades”. I finally realized that I wasn’t letting my self ENJOY feeling alive!
My nightly, before bed TO DO’s are often still overly ambitious. But just typing everything out helps me to avoid all the thoughts that can keep me from falling asleep. I try to make the document on two pages with the absolutely necessary tasks on the first page and the less prescient ones on the second-where I won’t automatically see them when I open my laptop in the morning. My favorite thing is adding a big “D” in front of all the things I’ve accomplished. I also keep notes about my sleep, as-needed meds, funny interactions and things I will want to remember-especially when I hit a bipolar bump. I copy every list into the notes section of my ical so that I can prove to myself that I’ve done well when I have doubts.
Vondalee does have a point – I love lists, and I can get so wrapped up in making to-do lists that I somehow never get around to actually *doing* the things!
But sometimes it does really work. I think you need some additional incentive to make sure you really need to get something done. Sometimes I do things to keep from pissing off my wife lol
Plus, what I have done is to assign exact times for the tasks of the day. I never meet all the deadlines, but at least I get something done I might not have otherwise.
I must say that a BETTER list to write would be a list of accomplishments at the end of the day.
Sorry, but giving a bipolar person a task to write lists is crazy…. one list comes off of another, then another about that one, then another…. this leads to mania and “hypergraphia”. This is not a one-size-fits-all help guide at all!
I have two tasks I make myself do every day. Laundry and dishes. I do those two things, I’m good. Everything else can wait, and if it waits until eternity, I don’t care. My husband says that dealing with bipolar is my full-time job plus, and he is correct….doing anything other than that is a miracle! Making a list to do any more would just cause me to feel like a failure, because my attention span and organizing skills change from day to day. Laundry and dishes. Only two appointments per week, no more. That’s my expectations of myself. I’ve been a much happier (and more stable) person for it, and my family is happier not listening to me beat myself up for all the things I can’t do.
I try & put the most ( aren’t we most often?) trying to put our most severe things ( examples..blood req,that sort of
any test
Then.
I reward myself with myself aeromatherapy,hot bath,pet therapy or a visit to my fave vegan / & sweets bakery
I do see a pattern…were a pattern,I’d go go out.
But my know my lab is quick,I’m going to stop.
Decide I’m not really ok to out / about bout alone….
Plus…..
I see my see psych Mon,don’t know if him / GP
Perhaps conference….
Interim..
I know family feel better until lab basis results,
Not in a good place …the unknown.
At least sibling….I wasn’t ….steady
Very timely article, Natasha. I am in the middle of a major move and I feel so overwhelmed and depressed that I don’t know which way to turn. I have to push myself each day to accomplish a task, all the while, feeling depressed. You gave me a good idea of keeping a list – there is something rewarding about crossing off a task. I have to put at the top of the list – Remember to Eat Something Healthy!
Lizzy
Great article and very helpful. I think the second point you make is particularly useful for me as I’m pretty much an all-or-nothing kind of guy. The problem being is I end up trying to complete a task whilst “on a roll” and then become completely consumed by it and then utterly irritated if I don’t or can’t finish it. I am slowly learning to chop up larger time consuming tasks into more manageable chunks, and this definitely stabilises my mood.
One thing I would add is that ALL people, no matter what their skill set is or their position in life, accomplish less than they set out for.
True, a high-profile white collar professional may have a very different set of goals than you do. But guess what – In their mind they may feel JUST as much a failure as you sometimes do! Maybe even more so.
You can see this in the high percentage of people of all kinds who have depression and anxiety. Why? They feel like they aren’t “cutting it” too.
Natasha has some great ways of dealing with daily tasks in this article. I would add that you shouldn’t feel like you’re all alone because you aren’t completing all the things you set out to do. At some level, everyone feels that way. And given the big challenges and other crap that bipolar people have to deal with every day, I would say you should be damn proud of what you have accomplished in life…there are many other people who couldn’t hack it as well as you have!
@Jim – you are absolutely correct in saying – “And given the big challenges and other crap that bipolar people have to deal with every day, I would say you should be damn proud of what you have accomplished in life…there are many other people who couldn’t hack it as well as you have!”