Trigger Warning: While the topic of suicide prevention is heavy, the goal of this conversation is to remind people that even in the darkest times, there is a path forward. My guest, Niyc Pidgeon, is a positive psychologist and the author of One More Day. After facing her own battles with mental health and experiencing the profound loss of three friends to suicide, her understanding of trauma and compassion for those who struggle runs deep. Through her work, she’s empowering others with tools and strategies to navigate their hardest moments and is on a mission to help a billion people become more mentally healthy.
Practical Tools and Suicide Prevention Strategies with Positive Psychologist Niyc Pidgeon
In this episode, Niyc shares the warning signs that someone may be struggling and offers guidance on how to support them. She also reminds us of the power of the tiniest actions, like taking one more breath or splashing cold water on our face, to create a shift in perspective when we feel overwhelmed. Her emphasis on daily check-ins and preventative care highlights the importance of connection and community before a crisis hits. Niyc’s perspective is both heartbreaking and hopeful, offering actionable tools for finding strength when it feels like there’s none left. If you’re struggling or know someone who is, I hope this conversation serves as a reminder that this too shall pass. You are not alone. Let’s keep showing up for one another, one small step at a time.
(00:04:21) The Pact: Honoring Niyc’s Friends Lost to Suicide
- Read: One More Day by Niyc Pidgeon
- The meaning of The Pact; inspired by Niyc’s close friends who were lost by suicide
- Niyc’s struggle with bullying and mental health in childhood
- The science of positive psychology and where it intersects with suicide prevention
- 28. Rebuilding Beautiful: Bringing Suicide Out Into the Daylight with Kayla Stoecklein
(00:11:51) Small Tools for Positive Shifts in Your Day
- Important reminders if you’re having suicidal thoughts
- The protocol for a crisis
- Tools for making small positive shifts in your day
- What shifts Karena’s anxiety in the morning
(00:17:47) Warning Signs of Mental Struggles & What Helps Most
- How Niyc’s friend Sophie showed signs of mental health struggles after Love Island
- 23. You Don’t Have to Suffer for Your Art with Lindsey Morgan
- The impact of being on reality TV or fame on mental health
- Warning signs someone is going through a dark time and what helps most
- Dealing with the isolation epidemic and being an introvert
- How kundalini yoga can be a power tool for your mental health
- An easy way to check in with friends on a daily basis
(00:27:11) Processing Survivor’s Guilt & Turning Pain to Purpose
- Advice for processing and releasing survivor’s guilt
- How Niyc is pursuing her purpose
- What Niyc’s new book is about
- Niyc’s goal of working in F1
- Advice for finding resilience through dark times
- Resources for mental health support
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Guest Info:
- Website: niyc.com
- Instagram: @niycpidge
- Facebook: Niyc Pidgeon
- Pinterest: Niyc Pidgeon
- Linkedin: Niyc Pidgeon
- Read: One More Day by Niyc Pidgeon
Resources:
- Start a conversation in your The Big Silence merch: thebigsilence.com/collections/shop-all
- Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing
- Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn
- Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence
- Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel
- Therapy For All: Resources for those in need
- If you or a loved one are struggling right now or are in crisis call or text 988 for the suicide prevention hotline: Mental Health Resources
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“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.
Producer, Bobby Goldstein.