Twenty week plan!

[WRITE]

well I've hit the first 'snag' to my plan! It's 5 am and this is the third day I am awake after 3 or 4 hours sleep; guess I'll have to medicate that tonight.

It's hard for me living in an apartment, I'm a light sleeper and young people who are mostly my neighbours are inconsiderate, I've been woken by people coming and going talking on cellphones or car music blaring or last night my upstairs neighbour started vacuuming at 3 am!

One of the things with bipolar is maintaining a sleep pattern.

Son is fast asleep, just tucked him in more, it's gone cold here.

[Hopalong]

HI Write,
My D just moved to a little apt. and for the first time has to deal with the noise of others....loud
TV overhead, etc. My sympathies to you!

I'm going to send her my "Sleep Machine". It's a white-noise generator that plays rain, surf, white noise, or train sounds to mask background noise. I like it a lot.

Maybe one would help you sleep? They're not expensive.

Hops

[WRITE]

thanks Hops, I'll look into one.

Good luck with the new job!!!!

[pennyplant]

You can also run a fan if you already have one.  In the summer we run a fan all  night and it works the same as white noise.  Now that it's cold you could aim it away from you and set it on low.  Just till you find the real white noise maker.  Surf sounds must be very soothing.

PP

[axa]

Thank you for posting the plan.  It is what  I need.  I think a plan for a week is what I need to sit down and do so that I have focus and do not spend my time going over the same old stuff.  I will write a plan today and post later when I have made that committment to myself.

axa

[Gaining Strength]

For years I wore earplugs and when I traveled I wore an eye mask.  Later I resorted to sandwiching my head between two pillows.  That's how I sleep now.  But try all different types of earplugs, I like the squishy kind that are used in industrial settings.  You can get them in the pharmacy.  They are comfortable and really shut out noises. - Gaining Strength

[Plucky]

are you sleeping, are you sleeping, sister write? sister write?
Plucky

[WRITE]

have used fan in bathroom as white noise maker- good. Was going to type an update or at least reply to your song Plucky, but my eyes are closing- my cue to go be a dreamer....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

More tomorrow. Night all- and keep those bl**dy bells down, monks next door!

[WRITE]

okay, 3 weeks on I've dropped 6 more pounds, started bell-ringing and been out several times, and the apartment is almost straight from the move!

Sorry I hardly have been here- my computer is definitely no more so I only get a few minutes online a day.

I have been thinking about everyone though, and I pop on every time I get chance.

Hope you get the sleep apnoea sorted laura, my friend's husband had a machine for using at night.

Love to everyone
~W

[WRITE]

Okay, Now I guess it's week 7 or 8 and I haven't gained any weight, only dropped a couple more pounds because of Christmas but I exercised most days and I'm now a dress size smaller.

Still undecided on the apartment lease, but I did speak to the neighbours about their noise, the guy this time, he apologised and said they'd keep it down after midnight, which they have.

My social life has been pretty busy, but I still haven't dated...maybe soon!

Haven't written much or enrolled for a college course, but since my new project there are a lot of Spanish speakers I think the first thing will be a course to brush that up.

Today I am writing a poem about Dr Seuss for kindergarten kids to set to music.
No work on the novel at all 

So not quite on target, but not off either!

I think it helps making lists....

~W

[Hopalong]

Hi Write,
Call me impressed, intimidated, jealous, but most of all...
delighted to hear from you!

Seriously, you are so functional. 

(I love the thought of you composing for Dr. Seuss...)

Hops

[Gaining Strength]

Good going WRITE.  Setting goals really does help.  I admire you for posting this topic and coming back well into it.  I am going to consider something similar.  So glad you are on your way. - GS

[seasons]

Write this is such an uplifting thread, thank you for sharing you goals with us. Congratulations on all that you have accomplished for YOU.

love seasons

[WRITE]

Thanks you Seasons, CB123, GS and Hops, you're all very kind!

It's interesting how the harder something is, the more it has to be a priority.

That's what your son will need to learn CB, health comes above everything else until it's second-nature to prioritise it.

Any recovery is doomed I guess unless we do that, make it the umber one priority.

So interesting New Year's at midnight I was with a friend who knows my entire health/mental health history including being on the receiving end of the worst of it; amazing then that she handed me a glass of champagne and said 'just take a sip!' She was drunk, and I suspect has a drink problem, but all the same: it brought into sharp focus that only I can take care of myself, not rely on anyone else to!

[Hopalong]

Hmmmphhh!

I don't like sabotaging "friends". Yoicks.

Hope you tell her that is not acceptable, to order you to drink if it's an issue for you.

Hops