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 Whole Self Approach to Mental Fitness — Beyond the Pills
In this vulnerable episode, I share my recent relapse and return to medication after 30 years of managing bipolar disorder. But this isn’t just a story about medication — it’s about what real mental fitness looks like beyond the pills.
I introduce the Whole Self Approach to Mental Fitness: a framework that integrates physical wellbeing, emotional regulation, connection, mental practices, and environment care. It’s holistic, honest, and deeply human.
You’ll also hear why medication alone isn’t enough, why relapse isn’t failure, and how tiny daily “deposits” can help rebuild even on the hardest days.
This episode is for anyone navigating mental health challenges, supporting a loved one, or simply looking for a more grounded, compassionate way to heal.
💛 If you're in it right now, this conversation is for you.
Key Takeaways:
· Medication is a powerful tool, not the full solution
· The Whole Self Approach supports sustainable mental fitness through 5 interconnected areas
· Relapse isn’t starting from scratch — it’s starting from experience
· Tiny, consistent actions support your nervous system and rebuild self-trust
· Resistance to self-care often holds valuable insights about what needs healing
· Compassion doesn’t mean bypassing accountability — it means holding both
· True mental fitness includes tending your inner environment, not just managing symptoms
Powerful Quotes:
“Mental fitness is like a garden. Medication might be the soil conditioner, but we still have to plant the seeds.”
“You're not starting from scratch. You're starting from experience.”
“Simple does not in any way mean easy to do.”
“I matter enough to take care of myself.”
“Compassion and accountability can co-exist.”
“Healing isn’t a straight line. It’s a spiral — and every loop brings new wisdom.”
“Mental fitness means meeting yourself honestly, and still choosing to keep going.”
Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction to Mental Fitness Conversations
03:04 – My Return to Medication After 30 Years
05:32 – Why Record a Podcast During Relapse
07:15 – The Whole Self Approach to Mental Fitness
10:00 – Understanding the Gut-Brain Connection
12:17 – Emotional Regulation and Sitting with Discomfort
14:22 – Mindfulness as Daily Mental Practice
17:21 – Creating a Supportive Environment
18:27 – Accountability vs. Self-Compassion with Mental Illness
24:17 – A Day of Tiny Mental Fitness Deposits
30:01 – Working With Resistance to Self-Care
35:05 – Reframing Medication and Looking Forward
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!