Live Well Bipolar ™

Understanding the Slower Mornings Approach with Minna Khounlo-Sithep.

Make sure to grab your free slower mornings approach guide down below! Paris discusses the importance of having a slower morning routine with business expert and creator of the 'Slower Mornings' approach, Minna Khounlo-Sithep.

Minna is the host of Cue the Clarity Podcast, creator of the Slower Mornings Approach and speaker and educator for small business owners for self-growth, productivity, positive psychology and inner alignment.

Minna shares her personal journey exiting a successful multi-million dollar business she helped co-found 'The Product Boss' and the crucial self-reflection that led to her creating the 'Slower Mornings Approach.'

She encourages listeners living with bipolar to slow down in an ever-busy world, cultivate resilience, and find ownership in their narrative. She sheds light on the vital role of fostering simple, nurturing habits, especially during challenging times, as a key support system.

She concludes by discussing the transformational effect of intentional mornings and empowering self-care practices.

Be sure to connect with Minna and her podcast, Cue the Clarity, here. Download your free slower mornings approach guide from her there! :)

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction

00:54 Understanding the Slower Mornings Approach

02:22 Guest's Journey and the Birth of Slower Mornings Approach

04:30 The Impact of Slower Mornings Approach

05:21 Breaking Down the Slower Mornings Approach

06:51 The Unexpected Benefits of the Slower Mornings Approach

07:12 The Importance of Habits and Self-Care

09:14 The Role of Silence in the Slower Mornings Approach

12:10 The Power of Habits and Resilience

32:47 Conclusion: Owning Your Story and Taking Back Power

Do you want to get paid to share your story living with mental illness? Listen to this entire episode to learn how I can help you make it happen!

If you have ever felt alone in your struggles with mental health this podcast episode highlights how we can combat that feeling of isolation and empower each other through shared experiences.

Join me as we #EndTheSilence around mental health in our latest episode. I share how I have been working with NAMI these past 3 years, and how we can all contribute to the conversation and ending the silence surrounding mental health disorders.

I had the pleasure of sharing my story through NAMI's 'Ending The Silence' program this past November. In the program, those living with mental illnesses share their experiences with the goal of breaking the stigmas surrounding mental health.

I open up about the impact of my sexual assault at the age of 15, my hospitalization, returning to work at the same hospital I was a patient at, how I started my journey towards acceptance and finally starting my involvement in mental health awareness.

We all have a story inside of us that we can share with others to help those going through similar struggles. If you are based in Phoenix, Arizona and want to be paid to share your story make sure to message me on my Instagram here the word "Ending the Silence" and I will get you connected.

Join my weekly newsletter here to grab a copy of the FREE gift I made for you too!

00:00 Introduction and Christmas Greetings

00:19 The Importance of Ending the Silence

00:38 Working with NAMI and Mental Health Advocacy

01:53 Sharing Personal Experiences with Mental Illness

04:02 The Impact of Sexual Assault on my Mental Health

05:01 Living with Bipolar Disorder

08:52 The Power of Sharing Stories and Connecting with Others

09:14 Opportunities to Share Your Story with NAMI

10:53 The Value of Your Story and Making an Impact

12:09 Connecting with NAMI and Other Resources

16:34 Conclusion and Christmas Farewell

From the UK to Arizona: Speaking with Aridja Kals

Aridja Kals is a content creator, public speaker and host of her own podcast, the 'Aridja Kals Show' where she interviews emerging creatives and entrepreneurs. She is an advocate for having and nurturing positive mindsets to help overcome mental health challenges.

Aridja recounts her experience receiving her bipolar disorder shortly after being classified as a missing person. She shares a story she has never opened up about before and how she moved away from many of the unhealthy coping mechanisms she used to rely on.

Aridja shares her journey, which involved a traumatic encounter, episodes of hospitalization, an abusive relationship and struggles with substance use. She also discusses her transformation and resurgence through self-development and mindset changes. The creation of the 'Aridja Kals Show' is also discussed, where Aridja's love for interviewing and influencing people positively takes center stage.

Aridja talks about her belief in the power of hope and the potential for success even amidst mental health struggles. She emphasizing the power of acceptance, hope, support, and self-growth in managing bipolar disorder.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Presentation

01:15 Guest's Initial Reaction to Bipolar Diagnosis

01:49 Guest's Struggles and Experiences with Bipolar Disorder

05:40 Guest's Hospitalization and Family's Reaction

11:37 Guest's Journey to Acceptance and Recovery

19:00 Guest's Current Routine and Coping Mechanisms

21:12 Creation and Impact of the Original Cow Show

25:24 Guest's Future Hopes and Aspirations

28:25 Conclusion and Farewell

A Journey From Despair To Hope: Speaking with Kevin Hines

Shout-out to my friend & podcast guest, Brandi Benson, for helping bring Kevin and I together. Brandi shared her story with me back on episode 60 and shares her story again inside the powerful pages of Kevin's latest book, The Art of Being Broken: How Storytelling Saves Lives.

In this episode of the Live Well Bipolar podcast, Kevin Hines joins us to share why your story has always mattered. He is a renowned mental health advocate, global public speaker, bestselling author, and survivor of a suicide attempt off the Golden Gate Bridge.

Kevin details his life journey and experiences with bipolar disorder, from first hearing voices in fourth grade to his eventual diagnosis at 17. He shares the factors that contributed to his miraculous survival, discusses the importance of his wellness regimen, and expresses his dedication to giving back to communities dealing with similar struggles.

Kevin emphasizes the importance of being kind to oneself, learning resiliency in the face of adversity, and remaining hopeful despite the relentless nature of the illness.

Make sure to stay connected with Kevin here and grab a copy of his story, The Art of Being Broken: How Storytelling Saves Lives.

00:00 Introduction and About Kevin

02:11 Kevin's Early Life and Struggles with Mental Health

05:30 The Importance of Seeking Help and Adhering to Treatment

10:35 Kevin's Personal Journey and Coping Strategies

15:55 The Impact of Bullying and the Importance of Self-Compassion

20:10 Kevin's Ongoing Recovery and Advocacy Work

23:31 The Importance of Healthy Eating and Exercise

35:35 Kevin's Upcoming Book and Future Plans

40:51 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Get ready for a wonderful returning guest of mine who I spoke with last back on episode 115 in March of 2022 here.

Sarah Fox returns to the podcast to answer the question "what does it look like when we are learning how to heal through past mistakes, both pre diagnosis and during our manic states?"

Sarah is a Christian woman, alumna of The King’s College with a B.A. in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics with a Pre-Law minor & a Case Manager/Transformational Coach for youth development. With this profession, Sarah spends most of her time mentoring at-risk youth and preparing them for job opportunities. She is also the host of the top 10% globally ranked podcast called Rough Edges where she shares educational tools about mental health, anecdotes from her healing journey, and the intersection between faith and mental illness.

We dive into all aspects of Sarah's journey with bipolar disorder, from diagnosis to starting her healing journey, her struggles with self-care and how she learned to accept her diagnosis.

Discover the role her faith played in her healing journey, and the importance of community and how Sarah first began to cultivate vulnerability. She also shares her tips on how to deal with past mistakes, how to challenge the people-pleasing mentality, setting healthy boundaries, and the importance of self-compassion for individuals living with bipolar disorder.

Make sure to connect with Sarah here to stay updated on her journey and podcast!

00:40 Getting to Know Sarah Fox

01:38 The Importance of Open Conversations

02:21 Understanding and Healing from Past Mistakes

03:07 Sarah's Personal Journey with Bipolar Disorder

04:47 The Impact of Diagnosis and Stigma

07:07 Learning from Past Attitudes and Embracing the Present

10:20 The Importance of Community and Vulnerability

20:20 The Struggle with People Pleasing and Setting Boundaries

25:12 Looking Forward: Upcoming Season of Rough Edges Podcast

28:15 Living Well with Bipolar: A Personal Perspective

30:59 Conclusion and Farewell

After living almost 10 years diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I wanted to share a resource that has helped me gain so much awareness.

Can I tell you a secret?

I put my FREE Bipolar Wellness Workbook together first… for myself. But, after continuously going back to it …I realized how helpful it has been in navigating the many highs and lows we all face living with bipolar.

There were so many years I had no insight into what my triggers looked like or even what wellness could look like for me.

Using this workbook has given me clarity into these core 5 areas:

Click ⁠here⁠ to grab a copy of the FREE Bipolar Wellness Workbook I made for you!

I have never met anyone who also lives with bipolar that I have had this much in common with.

Kate Simonet is an inspirational speaker and best selling author of her memior, Out of the Darkness. She is a mental health and suicide prevention advocate for teens and young adults.

Kate joins me this week to share her story and a few things we have in common....

We are both ....28, got married this year after meeting both of our husbands 5 years, runners, authors/speakers, worked in corporate America and were hospitalized in the same month and year (December of 2014).

With so much in common, Kate was able to break down her earliest experiences with severe depression along with the tools that have helped her the most in silencing our inner critics.

Kate describes the role of therapy, sleep, medication and her support system in her stability and how she was able to begin telling her story 7 years after her diagnosis.

Tune in to hear the ways in which Kate was able to navigate Out of the Darkness and how you can too.

Connect with Kate here for more info on her book, story and speaking engagements.

I am so excited to bring back a former guest of mine I interviewed one year ago here.

We have Jean Kim returning to the podcast to talk about a very important topic so many of us have found ourselves in at one point or another... relapse of depression.

This is something I struggled with a lot in April of this year and Jean breaks down the onset and triggers that arose for her earlier this year.

Jean shares a type of volunteering she has done that has allowed her to embark upon a new career. She describes what it has been like this year to leave behind her life in LA along with her time as a DJ in order to focus on her healing.

Tune in to hear the power of a supportive partner and how her sister helped Jean accept help. Make sure to connect with Jean on IG here and Tik Tok here.

This is the episode for you if you are a man living with bipolar or you love/care for a man who is.

I am joined by Lee Formella, host of Benefits of Bipolar on YouTube, writer for the International Bipolar Foundation + NAMI newsletter & speaker for NAMI.

Lee opens up about his experience going about asking for help and the challenges he has faced in this area from a male perspective. He describes the moment that moved him to prioritize this with his struggles with drinking and gambling.

If you can relate to feeling like you need to have all the answers and feeling overwhelmed with thinking you need do this alone then Lee's story will give you hope.

Lee went from living in survival mode from 15-35 and talks about the process of stepping out of this with the support of his family and girlfriend.

Tune in to learn from a male perspective on what has worked for Lee when it comes down to learning how to Live Well Bipolar.

Connect with Lee on Instagram here and on his website here.

The 3 biggest lies that I told myself both prior to and after my bipolar diagnosis were these:

1. You will never find a partner who will truly love and accept you

2. You will never be successful in any type of job or career

3. You must keep this a secret and never tell people you live with bipolar

There are many other things I held onto both due to self-stigma and discrimination I experienced early on in my journey living with bipolar.

Tune in to hear me break down how I came to see these as lies and how I was able to prove them all to be false.

If you have not already, please connect with and send me a DM after this episode to my Instagram here. Let me know some of the lies bipolar told you or some of the ones you are struggling with today. Love you guys, thank you for being here.