Running a business is challenging. Parenting two young kids is exhausting. Managing bipolar disorder on top of both? Some days, it feels impossible.

For years, I didn’t know I had bipolar disorder. I wasn’t diagnosed until last year, but looking back, the signs were always there. My energy and focus would shift dramatically, and I’d go through long stretches of no-sleep-hyper-productivity, followed by weeks where I could barely keep up with brushing my teeth.

What kept things from completely unraveling was my systems. Even before I knew why my brain worked the way it did, I instinctively built structures that helped me function. Now that I’m on medication, life is even easier, but I can see how much those systems carried me through before I had the right diagnosis and treatment.

This post is about those systems—the ones that allow me to run my business, be present for my kids, and protect my mental health.

Building a System That Supports My Energy Fluctuations

One of the hardest parts of running a business with bipolar disorder is the unpredictability of my energy and focus. Some days, I can work for hours without realizing. Other days, answering an email feels overwhelming.

Instead of trying to force consistency, I built flexible workflows that adjust to my capacity on any given day.

My System in Action

Task Prioritization with Sunsama – Each day, I plan my work based on what’s realistic, not ideal. Sunsama helps me assign estimated times to tasks, preventing me from overloading my schedule.

A Backlog of Non-Urgent Work – I maintain a running list of lower-priority tasks in Notion. On low-energy days, instead of forcing deep work, I pull from this list of small, manageable tasks like updating templates, organizing files, or simple cleaning tasks.

Automated Task Deferral – Sunsama allows me to snooze non-urgent tasks to a later date. This prevents the guilt spiral of unfinished to-do lists, ensuring that important but non-time-sensitive work gets done when I have the bandwidth.

Structuring My Work Around My Mental Health Needs

One of the hardest lessons I’ve learned is that resting before I crash isn’t laziness—it’s strategy, and one that has worked incredibly well over the last few years.

How I Protect My Mental Health While Running a Business

Time Blocking and Energy Mapping – I structure my week around my natural energy rhythms. Mornings are for core work, afternoons are for admin, and I try to schedule meetings before 11 AM.

Flexible Breaks – When I’m having a lower energy cycle, I use the Pomodoro Technique to prompt myself into starting work, even when I’m not feeling up to it, I can usually muster up 20 minutes. Then once I’m started, it’s easier to keep going. When I am in a focused mode, I tend to ignore the clock, skip lunch and even bedtime. Using timers gives me flexibility to focus for longer periods but still take breaks to pull out of the cycle. It’s all about sustaining focus without burnout.

Planned High-Energy Days – Almost every month, I get a hyper streak where I have tons of energy, but if it’s unfocused, I tend to start new projects instead of finishing old ones. To combat this, I keep a list of high energy tasks, so that when I feel like doing something big, I have a reasonable list to pick from. This ranges from deep cleaning the kitchen to batch filming 3 months of content. This list keeps me grounded and puts the energy to good use.

Planned Low-Energy Days – In the same way, I plan for a low-energy days where I only work on essential tasks. This allows me to recover without guilt and prevents unexpected crashes from derailing my business. I have a list of absolute essentials – it’s VERY barebones, but it allows me to live in survival mode without guilt, at least for a little while. Some of these tasks include; feed and bathe the kids, do the dishes, brush teeth, brush hair, put on deodorant, feed the dogs and answer work emails. These keep us alive, mostly smelling good and employed.

A Clear Stop Time – I use Sunsama’s Shutdown Ritual daily to formally close out my workday. This helps me transition from work mode to mom mode without constantly feeling like I should be doing more. I force myself to stop by 8pm so that the friction of doing work AFTER my shut down routine forces me to set work down for the day.

Automating and Outsourcing to Reduce Mental Load

For years, I believed that doing everything myself made me a better entrepreneur. It meant I was learning more, being more impressive, whatever, whatever. The truth is that letting go made me a better business owner, mother, and person too be around.

What I Automate

Client Onboarding – Automated workflows in Notion handle client intake, contracts, and invoices.

Task Management – Sunsama pulls tasks from my email, Notion, and project management tools into one dashboard.

Content Scheduling – Social media posts, newsletters, and video content are scheduled in batches, reducing daily decision fatigue.

Billing and Invoicing – Recurring invoices and payment reminders are automated, ensuring I don’t have to chase payments.

By automating repetitive tasks and outsourcing when possible, I free up energy for the things that truly require my attention.

Setting Boundaries to Keep Business from Taking Over Life

If I don’t proactively set boundaries, my business will consume all my time and energy. Overworking might feel productive in the moment, but in the long run, it leads to burnout and resentment.

My Business Boundaries

No Work on Sundays – A full rest day is essential for my mental and spiritual well-being. I don’t claim to take a true sabbath every week, but it’s something I’m actively working toward.

No Communication After 5 PM – Evenings are for my family, not my inbox. I don’t do meetings, phone calls or emails after 5pm.

No Immediate Replies – I batch email and message responses, so I’m not constantly context-switching.

No Saying Yes Without Thinking – I evaluate every opportunity against my goals before committing. I have a tendency to say yes too soon and later resent it. I try to wait at least 48 hours when appropriate.

Boundaries allow me to have clear rules set for myself that others can then respect. When I don’t know my own limits, no one else will set them for me.

Doing What Matters

I’ve had friends ask me how I do it all, but I’m not actually doing it all, all the time. Because I’ve built systems that make my life sustainable and flexible, I’m able to maintain a sort of “normal” that allows us all to thrive.

These systems aren’t just about productivity—they’re about freedom. Freedom to step back when I need to. Freedom to spend time with my kids without guilt. Freedom to know that my business won’t collapse if I take a day off.

For years, I operated under the assumption that I just needed more discipline to stay consistent. But the truth is, I needed better systems, not more willpower. Now, with the right diagnosis and medication, this is even clearer.

If you’re an entrepreneur struggling to balance business, life, and mental health, you don’t have to do it alone.

If you need help building systems that work for you, check out my website for resources. Let’s create a business that supports your life—not the other way around.