I was diagnosed 9 years ago and am the same as the person above. More energy to clean, more talkative and at a fast pace, and insomnia as well. That's how my mom noticed and still notices if I'm on a high she calls it. She usually catches the fast talking first. I also take seroquel but have only been on it since the second trimester of pregnancy. I am now 2 and half months postpartum...I took abilify before but I'm starting to have some issues again.

It comes with experience and time. I just take note of my behavior and take a moment to pause when I start feeling like hyper focusing or taking on too many things at once to recognize that I am being manic. Then I just try to hone it to be productive and limit the damage it can cause, like over spending. Being medicated helps make it less frequent, lamictal worked for me personally.

Insomnia is a big clue for me but I also get quite vocal more.

I don't always notice when I'm hypomanic (I've only been dangerously manic for the year I was on Wellbutrin.) Hypomania/Mania isn't always something you can spot in the moment because it's one of the rare moments that nothing feels wrong/you feel like you have a handle on things/you feel like you're in control... But having family/partner that recognizes it is helpful and I've had my siblings/parents/husbands point it out to me when they notice it's trending in that direction (barely sleeping, pressured speech/talking A LOT, intense energy focused on accomplishing specific tasks, etc)

As everyone else as said, it's really hard to notice. However I found that being open with family and close friends about what bipolar is and what a hypomanic or manic episode looks like then they can catch it and let me know. My friends really can save me from making bad decisions when hypomanic. So if you have anyone who you spend a ton of time with and feel comfortable with, tell them

I notice when i get manic i have way too much, become extremely talkative, and can be easy to aggravate