Everyone feels great about themselves sometimes and not so great about themselves at other times. Some research indicates that people with bipolar disorder may experience greater fluctuations in self-esteem than other people do.While you want to do things to boost your self-esteem and maintain your self-confidence, you also want to make sure you aren’t going too far.


Keep a list of your positive qualities in a journal. Think about things you are good at, coping strategies you’ve developed, personality traits, and more.
Add to it and review it frequently. If your entries seem a bit outrageous (for example, if you write “I’m the best pianist ever”) it may be signs of a manic episode.
 When you are managing bipolar disorder you may find that you put yourself down or think negative things about yourself. This may lead to a cycle of negativity. Instead, keep a positive focus by thinking encouraging thoughts and talking kindly to yourself.


For example, instead of saying to yourself, “I’m so weird for having bipolar disorder” you might think, “My bipolar gives me a unique perspective on life.”
Or, for instance, you might say to yourself, “Having bipolar disorder makes me more compassionate” instead of thinking, “bipolar disorder makes me too emotional.”

, When you have bipolar disorder it may seem that it is taking over your life. You may feel like all you do is take medication, go to meetings, attend therapy, etc. One way that you can maintain a positive outlook is to focus on other things in life as well.Focus on the small things that make you smile as well as the large ones.


For example, instead of focusing on whether people at the party you’re attending can tell you have bipolar disorder, focus on enjoying yourself.
Or, for instance, focus on seeing the beauty in your community as you walk to school rather than focusing on how your bipolar impacts your life.
Start scheduling your calendar with things and activities that are important to you and that you will look forward to. For instance, schedule some trips for yourself and/or your family, such as holiday trips, birthday outings, or other special events.
Not only will you feel the excitement of anticipation while counting the days to your special events and trips, but using your calendar will also help you to prioritize and organize your work and self-care time so you don’t neglect yourself.
 Even people that aren’t battling bipolar disorder may attend therapy to help them develop and maintain a positive focus. If therapy isn’t already a part of your treatment plan, then consider trying it. Therapy can help you handle other life issues, provide you with additional coping strategies, and help you manage your bipolar disorder.


Ask your healthcare or mental health professional which form of therapy might work best for you. You might say, “I really want to focus on remaining positive. Is there a type of therapy that can help me?”
If you are already attending therapy, ask your therapist if you can work on maintaining a positive focus. For instance, you could say, “Could we address ways for me to stay positive?”
Stabilize your self-esteem.
Use positive self-talk.
Focus on other things.
Consider therapy.
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