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It’s 2 am. Dishes are piled in the sink. The countertop is covered with crumbs. And I’m in bed, talking to ChatGPT about how to become enlightened—and other practical topics. I know I’m drifting—likely into depression.

Long before my mood changes, my daily patterns do. Depression doesn’t come in like a supernova, combusting my life into flaming bits of stars. Sadness doesn’t descend upon me, provoking tears to run down my face. Despair and hopelessness never appear out of nowhere.

What happens instead: Several subtle shifts from my baseline. Meals eaten at unusual times or not eating at all, missing my walk around the block, sleeping more or sleeping less. One missed run is life. But a missed walk, bingeing on ice cream, and a late bedtime in one day is a pattern change. This isn’t failure. It’s data.

I’ve named this depression drift because when my daily routine shifts, I’m at risk of falling into a depressive episode. When patterns are loosening, it usually means my life is tightening. This is a pivotal moment when I can do something. Identifying changes early helps me to recalibrate.

Scientists who study mood disorders have found that sleep and changes in routine are often precursors to depressive or manic phases.

Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy

Maintaining daily routine and rhythms supports emotional steadiness. This isn’t just my experience. A treatment for bipolar disorder is based on this, called interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT). Researchers found that when daily rhythms are stabilized, it acts as a protective factor against future depressive as well as hypo-manic and manic episodes. Consistency in sleep time, mealtime, and social interactions all support a healthy balance in mood.1, 2

For me, this means when I regularly meditate upon waking (okay, after I brush the fuzz out of my mouth), listen to CBC’s Early Edition as I make breakfast, eat my dinner around 6:30 pm, jog around three times a week, talk to my friend Petrina on Sunday mornings, and turn my lights out by 10:00 pm, depression or mania have less opportunity to creep in. I still have off days, but I don’t go into low or high episodes that interfere with my ability to do daily tasks.

It's simple: Stable rhythms = more stable moods.

Sleep and Bipolar Disorder Research

There is also well-documented evidence that when sleep is disrupted, even for a few nights, in individuals with bipolar disorder, it increases vulnerability to emotional changes.3 In mood disorders, sleep isn’t just rest, it’s regulation. It certainly is for me.

What I Do When I Notice Drift

Noticing the changes isn’t enough, though. Action is. I keep it simple. I gently reintroduce structure again. I recommit to my regular bedtime. If I’m having trouble, I conscript an accountability buddy, like I did last night. I asked my friend Alana if I could text her when I’m turning out my lights to hold me to 10:00 pm. She always says yes. Alana, she’s a good egg. I did text her last night. And it was at 10:00 pm!

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I get back to drinking decaf. Caffeine usually sneaks in during this period. If I can manage it, I load the dishwasher and wipe down the counters. If that’s too much, I add it to the next day. I’m kind, but consistent.

What Does Your Depression Drift Look Like?

What small shifts, when clustered together, signal that something is up? Binge watching your favourite series for five hours instead of two, ignoring a friendly text, skipping a meal? Make notes and monitor your patterns along with your mood. Noticing the drift early gives you a chance to adjust before it shape shifts into depression. Then get into gentle action by reestablishing those regulating routines. If it’s too challenging to step into those habits on your own, enlist a person you trust to help you do it.

Once I’ve started to get back on track, that is, I get fresh air during the day, I eat dinner at 6:30, not 9 pm, the counters are wiped down, ChatGPT and I aren’t having late-night existential conversations, I notice the drift starts to slow, and I feel more and more like myself. The chances I’ll move into depression have retreated. Then I tie up my laces and go for that run.

1 Levenson JC, Wallace ML, Anderson BP, Kupfer DJ, Frank E. Social rhythm disrupting events increase the risk of recurrence among individuals with bipolar disorder. Bipolar Disord. 2015 Dec;17(8):869-79. doi: 10.1111/bdi.12351. Epub 2015 Nov 28. PMID: 26614534; PMCID: PMC4702482. ( https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4702482/pdf/nihms744776.pdf )

2 Dollish HK, Tsyglakova M, McClung CA. Circadian rhythms and mood disorders: Time to see the light. Neuron. 2024 Jan 3;112(1):25-40. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.09.023. Epub 2023 Oct 18. PMID: 37858331; PMCID: PMC10842077. ( file:///C:/Users/VictoriaVictoriaMaxw/Downloads/s41746-024-01333-z.pdf )

3 Ulrichsen A, Mühlbauer E, Hartnagel LM, Severus E, Cleare A, Jauhar S, Bauer M, Ebner-Priemer U. Can Sleep Parameters Predict Upcoming Mood Episodes in Bipolar Disorder? Bipolar Disord. 2025 Sep;27(6):449-460. doi: 10.1111/bdi.70054. Epub 2025 Aug 22. PMID: 40847383; PMCID: PMC12483305.( https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12483305/pdf/BDI-27-449.pdf )

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