The Lulu Essey Podcast
Welcome to The Lulu Essey Podcast — a raw, unedited space for honest conversations about building a life that feels deeply aligned with who you truly are.
Here we explore the full spectrum of well-being: mental fitness, emotional resilience, authentic confidence, and the courage to create a life on your own terms. Through lived experience and evidence-informed approaches, you'll discover that transformation is truly an inside job.
Each episode offers practical tools and tiny, consistent steps for navigating anxiety, uncertainty, and life's challenges. You'll learn how to build confidence from within, find calm in chaos, and deepen connection with yourself and others — one small, powerful action at a time.
Come as you are — no judgment, no quick fixes. Because creating a meaningful life isn't about perfection; it's about progress with self-compassion, acceptance, and the willingness to embrace both light and shadow on your journey.
The Lulu Essey Podcast
How to Rebuild After Breaking Down: What I Did When I Had Nothing Left
This isn’t a comeback story. It’s what healing actually looks like when you’re not okay… but trying anyway.
This week, I’m offering a quiet, honest look at what it means to rebuild from rock bottom—through what I call The Gentle Return. This episode continues from Episode 22, where I opened up about my experience with depression. Today, I speak about what happened next: returning to medication, embracing imperfection, and challenging the myth that simplicity equals ease.
If you're navigating the fragile space between darkness and light, this conversation is for you. It's a real, unfiltered look at healing, mental fitness, and the power of tiny, consistent steps.
Key Takeaways:
- The Gentle Return isn't a comeback story—it's the honest middle between despair and recovery
- Doing what’s best for your mental health might feel like failure, but it’s actually the bravest thing you can do
- There is a pervasive myth in personal development that "simple" should mean "easy"
- Grace and self-compassion become lifelines in the face of shame
- Tiny, almost invisible actions are what rebuild trust in ourselves
- Healing doesn’t happen in a straight line—it moves like a spiral
- Small sanctuaries (parks, showers, music, stillness) are powerful anchors
Powerful Quotes:
"This is where grace lives. Where compassion becomes a lifeline."
"The gap between simplicity and ease can feel like a chasm when things are rough."
"Even in our darkest moments, we retain one profound power: the next tiny step."
"If you're in the quiet, messy middle—you're not behind, you're not broken. You're in The Gentle Return."
“The direction matters more than the pace”
Timestamps:
00:00 — Your Messages After Episode 22: Vulnerability Received
01:08 — The Gentle Return: A New Framework for Rebuilding
03:14 — My Medication Story: Letting Go of Shame
05:57 — The YouTube Mistake: Navigating Overwhelm with Compassion
09:02 — Heart vs. Head: The Tension Between Trust and Control
11:02 — Simple ≠ Easy: The Myth That Makes Healing Harder
15:25 — Finding Sanctuary: What Still Holds the Light
17:41 — Re-emergence: A Sacred, Delicate Return
20:57 — Showing Up in the Messy Middle: Direction Over Pace
23:23 — Your Sanctuary Invitation: What Still Brings You Peace
This is an inside job. Share this episode with those you love. 💛
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Let's Connect:
https://www.luluessey.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@luluessey
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucille-marie-essey/
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Free Guide: Break Free from the Success Trap – https://www.luluessey.com/freetool
Thank you for being here. You are enough. ✨