Nicole Archambault
Sep 4, 2018 · 2 min read

Thank you so much for taking the time to engage, Sally. This is exactly what I hope for.

It may be slightly embarrassing for me to put myself out there like this, but knowing that even one person out there could find some light and solace from my words is really all I can hope for at the end of the day. :)

I identify closely with not journaling and chronicling my journey well when I’m hypomanic. My mind is completely elsewhere. What I’ve been trying to do is exercise incredible amounts of mindfulness wherever I am on my mood swings. Even if I don’t think to write it down, I want to be aware of my thoughts.

During my last hypomanic period—and it was waaaay manic, I cleaned my entire apartment over the course of 7 ultrafocused hours 😂—I had to just sit back and laugh at myself.

Mindfulness, when practiced well, should look like watching a movie and reading the subtitles. Those subtitles are my thoughts.

During that wild focused burst of energy, I largely “sat back” in the theater of my mind and laughed and cheered myself on, while also reminding myself that this energy wasn’t going to last forever, and I need to practice extreme self-care that night and next day.

I didn’t journal, but I definitely still learned from the experience. I was allowed to enjoy my hypomania; I gave myself permission.

I constantly reminded myself that this is a part of my reality, and there is no part of it that I should ever be ashamed of. Lots of people take dangerous meds to have this kind of energy!

My point is (if I have one), try to be less rigid with yourself in terms of the ways in which you experience your moods. Journaling can be wonderful, if it makes you feel better. But being mindful can provide the same growth. And the biggest thing we can hope for in each cycle is growth. I feel like I emerge a new version of myself. ❤️

Thank you so much for reading, again. I am here anytime. :)

    Nicole Archambault

    Written by

    Weaver of code and beautiful stories. 👩🏽‍💻✨