Bipolar Procrastination Workbook

1. Signal: What did you notice first - sleep change, racing thoughts, heaviness, irritability, fear, or another clue? 2. Task reaction: What happened when you approached the task? 3. Delay behavior: What did you do instead? 4. Mood and stress context: What was your mood, sleep, and stress level?

Key takeaway: Your procrastination signal is the earliest noticeable change before the delay, not the delay itself.

A signal isn’t a diagnosis, and one bad day doesn’t identify a mood episode. Treat your notes as information to discuss with your treatment team, especially if you notice major sleep changes, risky behavior, severe depression, or thoughts of harming yourself. If you’re in immediate danger, contact emergency services or a crisis service in your area.

Your Turn: Signal Sort

Use one recent postponed task. Choose something specific, such as “send the invoice to Sam,” not “fix my business.”

Mapping the Moment Before Delay

Materials needed: This workbook, a pen, and a recent task you postponed. Time required: 15 minutes.

1. Write the task you delayed: Task: ___________________________________________________________

2. Write when you first noticed you were avoiding it: Date and approximate time: _______________________________________

3. Rate your mood at that moment. Use one number for each scale: Low or depressed mood, 0-10: ____ Irritability or agitation, 0-10: __ Racing thoughts, 0-10: __ Stress, 0-10: __ Physical energy, 0-10: ____

4. Record your sleep from the previous night: Hours slept: ____ Sleep quality, 0-10: ____

5. Circle or copy the first signal you noticed: - I felt heavy, slowed down, or numb. - I felt anxious or afraid of doing it wrong. - I became irritated by the task or by someone connected to it. - My thoughts sped up or jumped between ideas. - I felt unusually confident and decided it could wait. - I felt overwhelmed by the number of steps. - I felt physically tired despite wanting to work. - Another signal: _________________________________________________

6. Describe what happened in the next ten minutes. Include the exact delay behavior. I was going to: _______________________________________________ Instead, I: _________________________________________________ I delayed for approximately: ___________________________________

7. Identify the mood or stress pattern that may have shaped the delay. Complete one sentence: “When I notice ______________________________, I’m more likely to postpone ______________________________.”

8. Give this pattern a short name you’ll recognize later. Keep it practical, such as “four-hour-sleep overcommitment” or “shame-and-email freeze.” Pattern name: ___________________________________________________

9. Choose one early warning signal to watch for during the next seven days: My signal: ______________________________________________________

> Completed example > Task: Send a $450 invoice to a regular customer. > Mood: Low mood 7/10; irritability 2/10; racing thoughts 1/10; stress 8/10; energy 3/10. > Sleep: 6 hours, quality 3/10. > First signal: My chest felt tight, and I thought, “They’ll question the price.” > Delay behavior: I reorganized my desktop and watched short videos for 35 minutes. > Pattern: When stress is high and my confidence is low, I avoid money-related emails. > Signal to watch: Tight chest plus the thought “They’ll judge me.”

You’re done when you have named one signal, one delay behavior, one mood or stress pattern, and one signal to monitor. Don’t try to explain your whole life on one page. One clear pattern is enough.

Using Signals in Everyday Situations

Suppose you run a small business and notice you slept five hours, feel unusually charged, and have opened six new project ideas before breakfast. The task is to finish one estimate. Your signal isn’t “I’m procrastinating.” It’s the combination of reduced sleep, fast ideas, and repeated switching. The useful response is to pause new commitments, write the ideas in one list, and return to the estimate for a short, defined period. The expected outcome is not perfect focus. It’s fewer new promises and a clearer view of what still needs doing.

Now imagine a depressive stretch. You need to call a supplier, but the phone feels impossibly heavy. You notice low energy, shame, and the thought, “I’ve already messed everything up.” That thought is part of the signal. Write down the call’s smallest visible action, such as “find the supplier’s number.” Set a ten-minute timer, and stop when it ends if you need to. The expected outcome is a completed first step, not a magically finished phone call.

Stress can blur mood signals, so use a simple three-day check. Once each evening, record sleep hours, stress from 0-10, and the strongest procrastination signal you noticed. After three days, look for a repeated pairing. For example, “stress above 7 plus irritability leads to avoiding paperwork,” or “less than six hours of sleep leads to starting too many tasks.” If you see a sharp mood change, several nights of reduced sleep, or behavior that feels unsafe or out of character, contact your clinician rather than treating it as an ordinary productivity problem.

Apply It: Make a Signal Response Card

Write three lines you can keep beside your phone or work area:

• When I notice: _______________________________________________ - I will pause and check: sleep, mood, stress, and the task I’m avoiding. - My next safe step is: _________________________________________

For the next seven days, use the card once whenever your named signal appears. Mark the result:

Signal noticed: yes / no I paused before switching tasks: yes / no I completed one defined step: yes / no I contacted support if the mood shift felt unsafe: yes / no / not needed

The card is working if it helps you notice the pattern before at least one delay, even if the task still takes time. Awareness comes first. Speed can come later.

Making Your Personal Signal Map

Use these questions to turn observations into a plan. Answer with specific examples from the last two weeks when possible. If a question doesn’t fit, write “not noticed” rather than guessing.

Reflect

1. Which signal appears earliest for you: a sleep change, body sensation, mood shift, racing thoughts, low energy, or a stressful event? What exact clue would another person be able to notice? ________________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ________________________________________________

2. Which tasks are most likely to be postponed during low mood, high energy, or high stress? Name one task for each pattern, and include the delay behavior that usually follows. ________________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ________________________________________________

3. What will you do when your signal appears again? Name one task pause, one small next step, and one person or professional you can contact if the mood shift becomes concerning. ________________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ________________________________________________

Keep your signal map somewhere visible for one week. You don’t need to catch every delay. Catch one early signal, record what followed, and use that information to make the next choice a little safer.

End of chapter one. 9 more chapters in the full book.