Medication is huge for me and honestly getting sober (alcohol) was another game changer.
Medication, exercise, meditation, diet, therapy. Having a plan for when the mood does strike (a fallback to a calm place and a convenient, practiced excuse, for example). Find safe ways to express some of your more powerful and less socially acceptable emotions (I found a spoken word group and deliver the gamut of the emotional experience to them. I believe my experience with a myriad of emotions actually helps me to perform and empathize to my audience). Practice what you’ll do when your mood swings unexpectedly so that your body’s memory can help and you’re not placing all the strain of handling on your brain. Vacation occasionally, rest to help relieve stress often, and build a support network (family, friends, a club…) to help you when unexpected or sustained stressors arise. Did I mention Medication, Exercise, Meditation, Diet, and Therapy?
Medication, Exercise, Meditation, Diet, and Therapy?
This comment is very spot-on! There are no easy shortcuts here. You have to work hard to manage mood swings. Medication was the biggest help for me followed by all of the above. I highly recommend finding a support group, there are plenty of online ones (just filter by “Bipolar”).