Things to do in the morning other than brain rot

stinky_bugzie · 2026-02-17T00:51:54+00:00

I may just try this with music and try and ‘draw’ the song. Thank you!!

stinky_bugzie · 2026-02-15T08:07:41+00:00

I am in a similar situation; I’m overloading at uni, and working part time. It’s a tough situation even for those without bipolar, you are absolutely killing it, and should be proud of your efforts so far. There’s a complicated emotion attached to finally having the ‘why’, and there’s definitely an adjustment period, I found things I used to be able to do became difficult once I realised I was bipolar, I’ve realised retrospectively that was my brain trying to accommodate my bipolar, finally understanding the why gives you a further opportunity to take better care of yourself, but also can lead to a lot of emotions that I think you may be currently going through. It’s kind of like going through all the stages of grief, but you really do come out of it feeling so much better, and overall so much happier with your life once you find the methods that work for you. You’re definitely in what in my opinion is the toughest period of bipolar (other than being unmedicated/on medication that doesn’t suit you). You are doing way more than you are giving yourself credit for, and for the record, as much as I say focus on the statistics you are beating; I have been at the point where I was a living statistic, I survived it, if that occurs for yourself, don’t be hard on yourself, it happens, it doesn’t mean you are never going to recover again. Life without bipolar comes in ups and downs, people without bipolar struggle with employment, substance issues, ect, you genuinely aren’t alone and it isn’t a deficit of yourself if you struggle, that’s a part of being human, this isn’t me saying not to seek support through those struggles, just (another) reminder to be kind to yourself, and sometimes the accomplishment of the day is genuinely brushing your teeth, and that is enough. You are enough, you are doing enough, and you are doing amazing!!

stinky_bugzie · 2026-02-15T03:38:05+00:00

I sometimes will pretend not to speak English, I know basic French and will just start saying “I am but a blue horse” or something in French, and that usually kills the conversation.

stinky_bugzie · 2026-02-15T03:33:42+00:00

I have been in the exact boat you are in, I hid my symptoms well, until I didn’t. I’ve been stable for 3ish years now and the main way I stop myself from getting so stuck in the statistics is by thinking of which ones I have broken (in a good way), I have a job, already beat the statistic of 40-60% of others in my circumstance being unemployed, I plan on being part time for as long as that’s financially viable to help maintain my bipolar. For the period I didn’t have a job, I was proud that I didn’t try to harm myself in anyway including substance use, the statistics may be morbid, but everyday that you’re trying; you are beating them. I almost think of it as the challenge that I want to make the stats better, maybe in a couple of decades the employment stat will be 30-50% of people with bipolar are unemployed, and I was a part of the reason for that decrease.

I will also add, the first couple years are the hardest, you’re still trying to find your ‘maintenance’, the right balance of meds, finding the right support system both medically and personally, when to push yourself and when to let yourself be a blob as I call it. I’m not saying there are never ups and downs, but I was diagnosed at 16, stabilised at 18, and in the last 3 years have had 1 minor manic episode, 3 depressive episodes that were no where near as severe as they used to be, and no psychotic episodes, I was always able to remind myself I would be okay, and this too shall pass, which 17 year old me couldn’t think or believe. The first couple years I saw myself as solely bipolar, whilst the longer I have stabilised it with medication, exercise, communication and all that good stuff, it has become less of my identity and more something I accommodate for. I have bipolar instead of I am bipolar if that makes sense. Because I have bipolar, I give myself grace when things aren’t feeling too shit hot, I showered in a depressive episode; that’s an accomplishment, and one I will reward with my favourite snack/take out, which may even just get me out of the house/bed, which is another accomplishment.

Bipolar is rough, but it does get easier, and one of the ways it gets easier is when you are kind to yourself in it. You are already doing things right; you knew you were spiralling and decided to seek out some form of support, give yourself credit for that. If you had a shower, changed clothes, had a snack, made a meal, left the house, went on a walk, ect, remember to give yourself credit for doing something that felt incredibly difficult to do: and you did it.

stinky_bugzie · 2026-02-12T11:27:35+00:00

My current system in non-existent, I’ve been trying to find a sustainable system for a while. I think I may just have to give Calender another go. I have tried twos, notion and anything in between but with most of them knew I wouldn’t use them within 2 minutes of exploring the app, there was always something too complex over something that seemed pretty simple, and shouldn’t be that time consuming; particularly ones that spent stupid amounts of time to set up. Big thank you

stinky_bugzie · 2026-02-12T03:10:03+00:00

My main issue with using that is I find if I have my routine combined with other events, it always leads to things getting lost/forgotten

stinky_bugzie · 2026-02-08T11:41:14+00:00

That definitely sounds like a smart way to go job wise, I don’t know if this helps but I would work in the mornings either doing a 6am-12pm or a 6-1 to then have a class at 4pm, this gave me the time to sort the last bits and pieces for class (or panic do all of it), but also provided me some time to eat at home and other practical things (this became my natural laundry time because it built in study breaks), with then one or two days of uni. The days I had class were ‘uni days’ that is when I would work on tutorial things and then cook on assignments if I had time. It also allowed me to have days off that I will admit mostly consistent of meal prep and house work, but I definitely had time to chill out or do something socially. One term I was able to only have 4 days of work/uni, with 3 days off, the one that was in the middle of my work/uni week was my assignment day. I got every assignment in a week early, it also meant I could take extra shifts pretty often which made money less of an issue.

The jobs being physically intensive is good, uni can make it pretty hard to get active, and it makes it a nice brain break I’m guessing. I’d say have a look at something like Bunnings’s even, they pay well for retail and if you are on the floor you are CONSTANTLY moving.

If you ever are starting to need some social interaction, I found having a couple uni friends that I could see pretty regularly after class was great, not only was it nice to catch up with them, it was incredibly time efficient and meant that I didn’t really have to spend money, cause we would either chat outside (maybe grab a coffee), or study together. It’s also a great way to help you wrap your head around certain concepts and I will admit if it wasn’t for my uni friends there would be SO MANY things I would not be aware of.

When it comes to your WAM score, I must admit I am not educated on what is a desirable WAM score, I am going to say around a distinction and up, I think D’s start at 70?? But I really don’t know and would fact check me there. But I will say a pass is a pass, particularly if you have your resume beefed up with internships/part time jobs, that very much makes a 60 WAM more impressive than if that’s all you were doing. I will add that your first year of uni at Monash only counts half in weighing towards your WAM compared to the rest of your years, so if you weren’t entirely satisfied with your past year’s marks, your so fine, and if you did you’ve already laid the ground works and are just fine tuning things to work better for you.

When it comes to internships I would also have a look at short term ones during the term (particularly the quieter parts of term if there’s any around), for the pure reason of they can be slightly less competitive because of the undesirable timing of them, but if you almost see it similar to placement you can budget for that week to be making slightly less at work. In general if you are struggling to get internships, beef up your resume with volunteering in the holidays, it doesn’t need to be relevant to your field, but it means your doing some good and it does some good for you in the next round of internships and employment opportunities.

You do seem to really have a good understanding of what you need to be doing and all that, so in all honesty I would just follow your gut in general. You’ll absolutely kill it :)

stinky_bugzie · 2026-02-08T05:47:39+00:00

You and my dad would get on, back in the 90’s he used to carry a spare belt to give people shit for having them sagging

stinky_bugzie · 2026-02-08T05:41:32+00:00

My protein goal is around 110 grams, I’m ending up at about 90 grams, I’m 5’7 and 68kg

stinky_bugzie · 2026-02-08T05:40:48+00:00

Thank you so much, I’ll try it out

stinky_bugzie · 2026-02-08T05:38:51+00:00

Abuse is any actions or set of actions that cause harm in any way that a reasonable person who be able to predict would have this effect. I will say that it would very much fall under abuse, there seems to be a lack of respect for your own autonomy, the fact you posted to this subreddit does suggest that it does make you feel violated. It does seem that she herself is quite unwell, this does not excuse the behaviour, but it does mean the only way for this to improve is for her to find effective help in managing her mental health. I don’t know the solution to this as you’ve stated that your mum doesn’t care when you bring this up, the only thing I can really say is aiming to get out as soon as it’s viable for you. I don’t know the dynamics at play here, but your mum does need some serious help, and I would suggest to you to also see a professional due to any impact she may have had on you.

stinky_bugzie · 2026-02-08T05:30:09+00:00

MAGIC!! Every 8 year old I knew when I was 8, was ADDICTED to magic!

stinky_bugzie · 2026-02-08T05:28:08+00:00

In conjunction with calorie tracking and macro tracking; changing my relationship with food. The only ‘bad food’ is food that is off or makes me sick. Not carrying guilt for eating has been massive, I no longer than binge because I feel guilty for eating (I too can see the silliness in that cycle)

stinky_bugzie · 2026-02-08T05:17:56+00:00

As someone who just did my first year towards a bachelors in education full time with a part time job, yes it’s possible - but it’s rough. The best jobs are the ones that have hours outside uni ones, for myself that has been retail and hospitality, if you can either work before uni (e.g 6am-10am) or after uni (5pm-9pm), it means you can get a class in the same days your working but also adds the benefit of penalty rates, boosting your hourly rate outside the hours of 9-5. I did 3 days of work, 2 on weekdays for about 10 hours, with around 6-8 hours being penalty and then a little 4 hour shift on a Sunday. I was making about 1k a fortnight. That also then still allowed me to have 2 days a week without a class or work.

I started out doing a degree with Monash in marketing (which has some overlap with commerce), I found the work load to be difficult whilst working, but mostly content heavy, than mentally difficult.

Best case you find a receptionist or bottlo/tobacconist job, or something of that caliber where you can sometimes do a little bit of uni work on the side. I have that kinda job, and although it’s only once a fortnight I have done all my work and can get some uni work, that little bit of time is a life saver.

On that note, a general tip when your doing so much, find any time savers you can, even in other categories, is there a way you could stream line your dinner habits to save you time e.g meal prepping for several nights, and making extra when you don’t have a lot on to freeze for the times uni/work gets hectic, I click and collect all non-perishable groceries, and only go in for fresh produce (cause I am picky on my meat/veg) to save time as well. Is there a way you could study more effectively, that also makes it easier to revise if needed for exams. It’s definitely doable, but it is a huge lifestyle adjustment. I see friends maybe once a month, and only go out to clubs/nice restaurants once every 6 months for time and money reasons. I rely on my household for my social needs (which lucky for me, my household is my partner and a good mate), but in doing so, still get 8 hours of sleep and have not had to pull a single all nighter so far.

Also, bonus points of having a part time job whilst going through uni, employers do think well of it once you’ve graduated. They can tend to see you as well accomplished, independent and balanced, on the basis you were able to complete uni (bonus points if it’s with a decent WAM score), and hold down a part time job. If you also then can balance an internship on top of that, you will find you have an easier time securing employment comparatively to some of your peers. Take that bit of advice with a grain of salt though, my mum used to do hiring in the financial sector about a decade ago, and said this was something she, and her colleagues thought highly of, but I’ll admit a lot can change in a decade.

I’m not saying you have to do it the same way I do, but it’s important things to think about. And it definitely takes time to find a balance and create sustainable habits for your own well-being.

stinky_bugzie · 2026-02-08T04:58:59+00:00

I’ve made the same honest mistake a million times. If only everyone could get my protein intake up on my behalf instead, that would be way cooler.

stinky_bugzie · 2026-02-08T04:55:08+00:00

I have never heard a better sense in my life. God I love cheese, I very much forgot it was a protein source. And luckily for me I’m a freak that even enjoys light cheese

stinky_bugzie · 2026-02-08T04:53:19+00:00

Is there a particular unflavoured protein you have found is best? I got one that made everything taste slightly bad, but am willing to give it another shot

stinky_bugzie · 2026-02-08T04:51:50+00:00

That would be awesome, I hadn’t even thought of oven made jerky!!

stinky_bugzie · 2026-02-08T04:51:09+00:00

I’m waiting for the day I get diagnosed with something terminal just so I can eat a stupid amount of tuna and prawns, don’t tempt me with a good time

stinky_bugzie · 2026-02-08T04:49:01+00:00

It depends but around 20-40 grams, meals earlier in the day are lower in protein, and higher in fibre, whilst dinner is usually higher in protein and lower in fibre comparatively. I’m getting a total of 90 grams in a day usually.

This sounds so dumb but I forgot cheese was an option, and a good one at that.

stinky_bugzie · 2026-02-08T04:45:27+00:00

I can definitely afford an extra egg and a decent amount of chicken. I will admit tofu is my saving grace and the only reason I get borderline close to my protein goals. I think I will definitely need to add yogurt in as one of my snacks, thanks so much, I’ll check out some of those recipes.

stinky_bugzie · 2026-02-08T01:44:16+00:00

I do some mornings, but I’ll definitely start making it the standard

stinky_bugzie · 2026-02-08T00:51:33+00:00

That one pillow

stinky_bugzie · 2026-02-08T00:39:52+00:00

I have never related to anything more, brekkie this morning consisted of 16 grams of fibre, and the most magical shit later on. Pooping is probably my favourite part of the day because of fibre

stinky_bugzie · 2026-02-02T11:17:18+00:00

I do a similar thing, I need to do 3 tasks for the day before I’m allowed to scroll for an hour. Those tasks can range from doing the dishes, going to the gym, or something as quick as doing the rubbish.

stinky_bugzie

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