The Lulu Essey Podcast
Welcome to The Lulu Essey Podcast—an unedited, unscripted dive into what it really means to do life your way.
This is a place for honest and vulnerable conversation and exploration. It’s an invitation to come as you are—no judgment, just the freedom to be fully you. This is an invitation to start embracing and loving the gloriously messy, magically magnificent parts of yourself!
Creating a life you love is built in small steps taken daily. My hope is that these conversations bring you the tools, inspiration, and self-belief to move forward with love and confidence.
The Lulu Essey Podcast
The Truth About Mental Fitness: Why Positivity Isn’t Enough & What Really Builds Resilience
Ever been told to "just be positive" or “you have so much to be thankful for” when you're struggling? In this eye-opening episode, Lulu dismantles the myth that mental fitness means avoiding or denying negative emotions. True resilience isn’t about forcing a smile—it’s about expanding your capacity to feel everything, from bliss to those "what the actual f*ck" moments, without being consumed by them. Learn how mental fitness helps you navigate life’s toughest moments with strength, self-awareness, and compassion. Discover the three foundational pillars of resilience: Emotional Awareness & Acceptance, Deliberate Discomfort, and Self-Compassion. If you’ve ever felt dismissed by toxic positivity or struggled to sit with difficult emotions, this episode will change the way you approach mental fitness.
Key Takeaways:
- Mental fitness is NOT about toxic positivity—it’s about embracing the full spectrum of emotions.
- Suppressing emotions makes you more fragile, not stronger.
- True resilience is about being "okay when you’re not okay."
- Avoiding challenges shrinks your life while facing them expands your capacity.
- Emotional Awareness & Acceptance starts with naming your emotions without judgment.
- Deliberate Discomfort builds resilience by intentionally stretching your limits.
- Self-Compassion isn’t weakness—it’s a research-backed tool for emotional strength.
- Growth happens when we stop bypassing our feelings and start facing them.
- Emotional agility leads to better relationships, leadership, and overall well-being.
- Transformation happens from the inside out, with mental fitness as the foundation.
Powerful Quotes:
- " Just look on the bright side - that’s not mental fitness—that’s emotional avoidance, cleverly wrapped in a motivational quote."
- "Real mental fitness isn’t about living in a bubble of positivity while the world crumbles around you."
- "Avoiding life’s challenges costs way more than facing them."
- "Mental fitness is the capacity to be okay, even when you’re not okay."
- "Accepting a feeling doesn’t mean you have to LIKE it."
- "Growth happens more effectively in the soil of compassion than in the soil of criticism."
- "True mental fitness comes from expanding our capacity to feel everything, not from restricting our emotional range."
Chapters & Timestamps:
00:00 – Why "Just Be Positive" Makes Hard Days Worse
02:26 – Mental Fitness as the Foundation for Everything
03:43 – What Mental Fitness Really Is (And Isn’t)
07:07 – The Cost of Avoiding Difficult Emotions
10:02 – Why Mental Fitness Matters So Deeply
15:29 – Building Block #1: Emotional Awareness & Acceptance
19:40 – Building Block #2: Deliberate Discomfort
23:19 – Building Block #3: Self-Compassion
27:07 – Bringing Mental Fitness Into Your Everyday Life
Until next time, Beautiful Souls...
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✨ Website: luluessey.com
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THANK YOU for being here. Sending you grace and love!