The “WHY” can carry me through
- Joëlle P
- Oct 17, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: Feb 20
October 17th, 2025
Another week of moving forward with my new consulting business- and another experience of depression creeping up after the hypomania of the prior week. Bipolar Disorder never sleeps, so relying on my mental health routine is essential to keep my dream business alive.
Total transparency: I don’t have this thing figured out (my business, or bipolar).
Total truth: I can get through any bipolar episode or instability with patience and care.
Total amazement: I know what my ‘lighthouse’ is and that it will guide me through any challenge.
My lighthouse? Well, the hopeful light that guides me through the darkness of my mind.
This past week, my disrupted sleep patterns brought on the distorted depressive self-talk and self-doubt, specifically the “I knew this would happen, how can I carry this business when I am not mentally well?”.
Questioning myself is normal, however letting the fear take over is not productive. So I reframed my own question from: “HOW am I supposed to manage this business when my mental health is a little rocky?” to ”WHAT can I do to manage my business when (x)”. When I work for someone else, I can call in sick. But running my own business? I have to find other ways to mitigate the losses of work. I can’t call in sick to myself! But wait a minute… maybe I can.
This week I brainstormed ways to set up my business so that my mental health doesn’t take second seat. As I tapped into my peer-entrepreneurs experiences, I was reminded of the powerful choice I have: I can create a sustainable schedule for myself, essentially guardrails to support wellness.
For instance, my Sundays are always ‘me’ time and No-Phone-Days, and Mondays are kept for admin/emails. And I schedule midweek break days every few weeks, where I’m not allowed to work!
Even more important than this, is knowing WHY I am doing this in the first place. What is my purpose with Struggles-2-Strengths Consulting? What is my WHY that carries me through the storm, my lighthouse in the darkness?
I don’t have to ask myself “how” I will keep my business afloat when the next episode comes- I can remind myself of “why” I’m doing this: to normalize mental health conversations, one story at a time. When I do that, the actions to take are clear.
When you have a solid “why”, it will guide you through the challenge of any “how”.
The “why” can carry me through.
✨STRUGGLES-2-STRENGTHS BLOG aims to connect with those experiencing Bipolar Disorder (BD) like myself, as well as those who support them, by sharing reflections on personal experiences rather than clinical perspectives. Please share with others and don’t hesitate to comment✨
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