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Mythologized, thank you for taking the time to share your healing experiences with us. I think it is important that you've written about how you're getting treatment for your bipolar disorder, so that others reading can believe there is hope. As I read I wanted to say make sure, when you're done with treatment there, that you structure many an oasis in your life on a regular basis. What I mean is continue to schedule healing time into your life, actually pencil it in like you would a dentist or doctor's appointment.
For instance, I realized over the winter break I took how much I missed being in the outdoors. I spent a whole day in this huge, forest-like park I am fortunate to live near. Hitting the outdoors with friends is great, but sometimes it's nice to do so alone, too, so that day I brought my little mini one-burner camping stove and cooked myself some Spanish rice, munched on raw green beans (one of my favorite snacks), fruit for dessert, and sipped plenty of tea all the while. I brought some contemplative Al-Anon materials to read and meditate on, and wrote pages and pages in my journal.
Most importantly, I was there with the trees --huge oaks and others, that dwarfed me, covered with moss and various animals and birds scurrying around in them. The soft winter sunlight that shone from the winter clouds occasionally made the scene dreamy, surreal and beautiful. For spending next to no money at all on the spontaneous endeavor, I had a high-quality experience and felt like I had visited an expensive day spa. My body and spirit felt renewed by the time I left the park. I thought to myself, "I HAVE TO schedule time in my life to do this more often."
If there is a place you love to be, and healthy activities you love to do, whether alone or with others, be sure to schedule a little of that (not too much) into your life on a regular basis. Maybe it's going bowling, maybe it's playing your guitar or piano for an hour or two, or walking along the beach. Maybe it's having a potluck with good friends, or volunteering at a local homeless shelter. Whatever it is, by including it in your life you will have done one of the best things for your mental and emotional health, ever.
~ Love yourself, love the world ~
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