10 Rules for Surviving the Holidays With Bipolar: Putting Our Mental Health First—Without Sacrificing It All.10 Rules for Surviving the Holidays With Bipolar: Putting Our Mental Health First—Without Sacrificing It All.
Together S.O.B.E.R.
Louise Barnett shares ten personal holiday rules designed to protect bipolar stability and support ongoing sobriety during a highly stressful season. The conversation focuses on sleep, boundaries, routines, rest, and realistic expectations to help reduce the risk of mood episodes and burnout.
38:47•26 Oct 2026
Holiday Survival Rules for Bipolar Minds and Sober Hearts
Episode Overview
- Protect sleep as a top priority, even during holidays, to reduce the risk of mood episodes and maintain stability.
- Give yourself permission to say no to events, viewing energy like a budget and avoiding overcommitting to high-stimulation activities.
- Keep sobriety non-negotiable by planning ahead, bringing your own drinks if helpful, and declining alcohol without explanation.
- Set clear boundaries with family in advance, including topics you won’t discuss, how long you will stay, and where you will sleep.
- Schedule rest as deliberately as tasks, blocking out downtime so you do not enter January exhausted and emotionally depleted.
“You are allowed to disappoint other people without abandoning yourself. And you deserve to enjoy the holidays too.”
What are the common struggles and victories in addiction recovery? This holiday-themed episode of *I'm Bipolar. Now What?* zooms in on the chaos of December for anyone living with bipolar disorder and working to stay sober. Host Louise Barnett, a Jay Shetty certified life coach and author of *Tainted Love: A Bipolar Memoir*, shares her "10 non-negotiable holiday rules" for protecting mental health, maintaining bipolar stability, and keeping sobriety intact.
The tone is warm, candid and a bit cheeky—think straight talk with statistics to back it up. Louise lays out why the festive season can feel like a "high-stakes obstacle course": disrupted sleep, endless social obligations, family dynamics, financial strain, sensory overload and alcohol everywhere.
She notes research showing winter increases in bipolar depression and how sleep loss can trigger mania, reminding listeners that "stability does not happen by accident." Her rules range from practical to deeply personal: guarding sleep "like my life depends on it", giving herself permission to say no, colour-coding her calendar to avoid overloading on high-stimulation events, and always having an exit strategy.
Sobriety stays non-negotiable, with Louise explaining how alcohol once fuelled her highs and numbed her lows, and why she now brings her own drinks and declines alcohol without justification. She also talks about simplified holidays, realistic expectations, sticking to routines, pre-agreed family boundaries, and watching early warning signs of mood shifts.
Crucially, she reframes rest as essential, not a reward for finishing tasks, and challenges chronic people-pleasing: "You are allowed to disappoint other people without abandoning yourself." Anyone living with bipolar disorder, maintaining sobriety, or supporting a loved one will find clear, concrete ideas for getting through the holidays without spending January recovering from December. Which rule could make the biggest difference for your own festive season?
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