How I manage work and bipolar disorder during the pandemic
A few months ago a colleague of mine sent me an email about a listing in the ‘Help a Reporter Out’ morning email, looking for someone to be interviewed about their bipolar disorder and setting boundaries in the workplace during the pandemic. She saw the callout and thought of me and Bipolar Brought Balance. While I receive HARO emails as well, I often justify a lack of time to engage in the requests, so it was both nice, and flattering, to get an extra push from my colleague. This post was perfect for me, so I immediately reached out. SELF is a publication I’ve known about since I was a kid and my mom got multiple monthly magazine subscriptions from our school fundraiser. Now it’s still a highly trafficked online platform ranging in topics about fitness, wellness, and mental health. It was a place I’d love to be quoted or published.
Within a few days I had a call scheduled with the author Natasha, and we chatted on the phone while I walked Oscar. For about 30 minutes I told her what my work life balance, or lack thereof, was like pre-pandemic, and pre-diagnosis. Then I shared some of the boundaries and changes I made when I was returning to work after my leave and extensive treatment. Boundaries that were prioritized over work for once, because I understood the importance of my mental health if I wanted to be successful in my job long term once I had a diagnosis.
Now coming out the other side of the pandemic, I’ve had to remind myself of, and reassert many of the work boundaries that I first set back in 2018. The littlest things had slipped after working from home for months on end with no return to the office in sight. Letting myself work until 930pm on things that weren’t urgent, or not making time for myself in the morning to have coffee and a walk before I dive into a day of back to back meetings are signs that I’m not prioritizing myself. Read the article to hear the rest of my experiences and some tips on boundaries you can set to be more productive and successful in the workplace - be that virtual or in person.
