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Rinse that Bipolar Brain

Some of you may have read my Sunday Bipolar Sunday blog and the comments on simplifying one’s life. On reflection, I felt there was much more to say on this subject.

I read somewhere that the brain now has to process 8 times more information daily than in 1970. I can believe it. Yes of course, much of that extra info is utter inconsequential tripe, but it does nonetheless absorb brain power. It would appear to that we hoard more things than ever. A survey of 20,000 homes found 3/4 of them didn’t have room to park the car in the garage. We accumulate all manner of stuff from toastie makers to juice extractors – most of the time because ‘everyone else has one’.

My granny had no fridge in the ‘50’s – it was a larder (relatively cool) and when the cheese got mould on it she cut that off and served it. Guess what?- we survived, and as she said, cheese is mould anyway. Bread with mould was trimmed and I toasted it over an open fire – at five years old! (the health & safety guys would swivel on their manuals) and it tasted great. Nothing got wasted, and as for sell by dates – do me a favour. And she cooked fry ups in the fat from the previous one, and we ate jam butties, bread and dripping and everything else we are told is bad for us, and I am as fit as a Butchers Dog! Moral? – that’s easy isn’t it?

And she had one cleaner – good old Vim – which she used with a brush to scrub the front step. Then used with a cloth to clean the sink or the bathroom. Now we have a million cleaners, even down to microwave cleaners, and fridge cleaners. And now my daughter contrives innocently to give me a coronary by saying do you want to use this Dad? – and hands me a little squeeze bottle of hand cleaner. She has no idea that being exposed to life’s little germs is healthy and trains and strengthens our immune system.

The relevance to Bipolar is I hope self –evident. Speaking for myself, the more my brain has to process the more likely I am to have episodes. For years I followed the same path as every upwardly mobile young buck, bigger houses, bigger cars, bigger holidays, etc etc. So dumb and you realise happiness cannot be bought off the shelf.

Now my life can be distilled into two pockets. My iphone ( yes I admit it! – my one weakness ) which sits in my wallet with my money and cards. And in the other – a single key for my apartment. I have sold my cars – and lost 16 kilos through exercise ! I look better, feel better and my episodes have diminished dramatically. It can’t be coincidence.

Of course it’s not always that easy to distil things down that much, but I do heartily recommend you look to simplify your life at every juncture. And you just may find it has a very positive impact and your moods and well being.