A Millennial Mind

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Have you ever felt completely alone trying to help your autistic child, ignored by the NHS, judged by family, and running out of answers?

Taiba Bajar (@autismbrainempowerment) is a former dentist, award-winning researcher and founder of Autism Brain Empowerment. When her son lost all his words, eye contact and sleep overnight at 20 months old, she was dismissed by doctors and told it was just genetics. She refused to accept that and spent years finding the answers herself.

In this episode we talk about what autism actually is, why so many children are regressing and why parents keep getting gaslit about it, and the real environmental triggers including food, screens and toxins that are worsening symptoms. We also talk about why girls are still being massively underdiagnosed, what the NHS gets wrong about the diagnosis process, and the simple changes parents can make at home right now.

If you're a parent on a waiting list, feeling overwhelmed, or just want to understand autism better, this one is for you.

🎙 What we cover:
• What autism actually is and how it's diagnosed
• Why autism rates are genuinely rising, not just better diagnosis
• What regression really means and why doctors keep dismissing it
• Why girls with autism are so often missed
• The link between gut health and autism symptoms
• How screens, food and environmental toxins worsen symptoms
• What to do while you're on the NHS waiting list
• Supplements that can help, including omega 3, magnesium and folinic acid
• Why you shouldn't blame yourself as a parent
• The importance of early intervention and neuroplasticity

⏱ Timestamps:
0:00 – Intro
4:57 – What is autism?
7:03 – Why so many people are undiagnosed
7:47 – Why girls with autism are missed
10:53 – Are autism diagnoses actually rising?
13:59 – Taiba's personal story
19:27 – What is stimming?
24:29 – What is regression, and does every child experience it?
27:00 – What's happening neurologically during regression
31:42 – What should a parent do first if they notice regression
35:23 – Why there's still so much shame around autism
42:43 – The environmental factors worsening autism symptoms
49:30 – Screens, working parents and the guilt around it
51:32 – Practical advice for exhausted parents
59:40 – How to talk about environment without blaming parents
1:04:31 – What to do if you can't afford to go private
1:06:32 – Gut health, anti-inflammatory diet and supplements
1:13:19 – What one small thing can a parent do tonight
1:18:30 – The most sedentary generation in human history
1:23:55 – Taiba's biggest regret and her son's transformation

🔔 Subscribe for more discussions on mental health, personal growth, and healing! / @shivanipaupodcast

✨ Connect with Millennial Mind ✨

Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amillennialmind
Shivani Pau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shivani.pau
Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/shivanipaupodcast
Performance Planner: https://my-performance-planner.myshopify.com/

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What would you do if the family that was supposed to protect you spent your entire life tearing you down instead?

Usha Singh-Das (@ushasinghdas) is the author of Breaking Free, a memoir about growing up in a toxic family environment shaped by a narcissistic father and relentless bullying from her sister-in-law. In this episode, she opens up about what it actually took to leave, go no contact, and rebuild her life from scratch.

We get into the moments that broke her and the ones that made her. From being told she was too ugly to ever get married, to losing her dad, her baby and eventually her mum in the space of one year, and her family's response to all of it. This is one of the most honest conversations about toxic family dynamics we've had on this podcast.

If you've ever wondered whether what you grew up with was actually normal, this one is for you.

🎙 What we cover:
- Growing up with a narcissistic father and not realising it until adulthood
- How toxic family behaviour becomes your normal
- Surviving a toxic sister-in-law and the damage it does
- Being told you'll never get married because of your appearance
- Miscarriage, grief and being dismissed by your own family
- Going no contact and what it actually costs you
- Breaking generational trauma when you had no positive role models
- How the right people can rebuild what the wrong ones destroyed
- Learning to parent differently when you had no example to follow

⏱ Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
2:34 - Usha introduces herself and Breaking Free
2:54 - What her childhood actually looked like
4:27 - When she first realised her dad was toxic
6:58 - Getting married and how it exposed everything
9:08 - Being the last child left at home from 16 to 32
13:25 - University, freedom and finding her confidence
13:32 - When the eczema started and what her family said
17:29 - Being told she was too ugly to ever get married
20:18 - How she dealt with the sister-in-law bullying
21:30 - Hitting rock bottom
21:48 - Losing her dad and finding out she was pregnant on the same day
23:20 - The miscarriage nobody took seriously
24:18 - The family meeting three days after her surgery
37:52 - Going to court against her own family
38:32 - Losing her mum and not being told she was dying
42:27 - How she stayed positive through all of it
44:03 - Getting pregnant again after the miscarriage
46:25 - How her in-laws rebuilt what her family destroyed
52:14 - How motherhood made her reflect on her own childhood
57:28 - How she stopped generational trauma repeating
1:06:49 - The advice she'd give anyone told they'll never get married
1:09:18 - How to deal with a toxic sister-in-law
1:10:46 - Putting your mental health above guilt in Indian families

Follow Usha: @ushasinghdas
Follow Shivani: @shivani.pau
Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts: A Millennial Mind

🔔 Subscribe for more discussions on mental health, personal growth, and healing! / @shivanipaupodcast

✨ Connect with Millennial Mind ✨

Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amillennialmind
Shivani Pau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shivani.pau
Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/shivanipaupodcast
Performance Planner: https://my-performance-planner.myshopify.com/

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Have you been avoiding a conversation because you're scared it'll ruin everything?

I'm sharing the framework I actually use — the 5C Method — which I developed years ago for my TEDx talk. From friendships to family dynamics to relationships, this is how I've learned to say the hard thing and come out the other side with a stronger connection, not a broken one.

Last week I had to confront someone and I was physically shaking. But the benefits always outweigh that two minutes of discomfort — and I want to show you exactly how to get there.

If you've been sitting on something you need to say but don't know how — this one's for you.

🎙 What we cover:
- Why avoiding difficult conversations builds resentment, not peace
- How confrontation got a bad reputation (and why that needs to change)
- The 5C Framework: Care, Cause, Consider, Cure, Compassion
- Why you should lead with feelings, not facts
- How to know if a conversation is even worth having
- What to do when the other person reacts badly
- Why the solution (cure) must be part of the conversation
- The cultural silence around confrontation — especially in South Asian families

⏱ Timestamps:
0:00 – Intro: The difficult conversation I just had
1:30 – Why avoiding conflict builds resentment
4:00 – Growing up emotional in a big joint family
6:30 – The "golden goose" response — and why most people can't give it
9:00 – Reframing what confrontation actually means
11:30 – The cultural silence: South Asian families and not speaking up
14:00 – Introducing the 5C Framework
15:00 – C1: Care — why you care about this person
17:30 – C2: Cause — being specific about what upset you
20:00 – C3: Consider — seeing the other person's perspective
22:30 – C4: Cure — always bring a solution
24:00 – C5: Compassion — the thread that holds it all together
25:00 – Feelings over facts: what I learned in therapy
26:00 – Final message + outro

🔔 Subscribe for more discussions on mental health, personal growth, and healing! / @shivanipaupodcast

✨ Connect with Millennial Mind ✨

Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amillennialmind
Shivani Pau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shivani.pau
Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/shivanipaupodcast
Performance Planner: https://my-performance-planner.myshopify.com/

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#difficultconversations #communicationtips #relationshipadvice #howtoconfrontsomeone #5Cframework #confrontation #amillennialmind #shivanipau #selfdevelopment #mentalhealth #southasianwomen #boundaries #conflictresolution #emotionalintelligence #personalgrowth
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I hate to be the one to tell you this but you might NOT be caring for your hair as well as you think 🙈

In today's episode of A Millennial Mind, I sat down with Dr Aamna Adel (@dermatologist_adel), a consultant dermatologist and hair loss specialist based on Harley Street, to get the real answers. And honestly? Almost everything I thought I knew was wrong. The heatless curlers I swear by, the hair gummies I take every day, even the traditional Indian hair oiling I leave in overnight. All of it!

This is the hair masterclass you didn't know you needed, and if you've ever worried about hair loss, postpartum shedding, grey hairs, or just want to actually understand your scalp, this episode is going to change the way you look after your hair and maybe finally be what convinces you to leave those greys alone!

If you're losing hair, confused by the conflicting advice online, or just want to understand what your scalp is actually telling you — this one is for you.

🎙 What we cover:
- What alopecia actually means (it's not what you think)
- The real causes of hair loss — and why it's rarely just one thing
- What minoxidil is, how it works, and why shedding on it is a good sign
- Why heatless curlers can be MORE damaging than heat
- Hair oiling — the right oils, the right technique, and how long to leave it in
- Are hair gummies actually worth it? The honest answer
- Grey hair — causes, myths, and whether you can reverse it
- Perimenopause and hair loss: what you can do immediately
- Hair extensions and the vicious cycle they create
- Three easy things you can do today for scalp health
- Hair training — is it real? (Spoiler: no)
- The pressure to look young and the Botox conversation

⏱ Timestamps:
0:00 – Intro
1:43 – Dr Aamna's background and her own hair loss journey
5:30 – What is a scalp disorder? Normal hair loss vs when to worry
8:00 – How much hair loss is too much?
9:15 – The most common causes of hair loss
11:05 – Why it's never just one thing
12:20 – What is minoxidil and how does it work?
13:45 – Why shedding on minoxidil is actually a good sign
15:00 – Is minoxidil a lifelong commitment?
26:20 – Heatless curlers: the myth debunked
29:45 – What "right type of heat" actually means
35:10 – Rosemary oil — hero ingredient or overhyped?
35:45 – Does washing your hair more cause hair loss?
37:45 – Sulphates — are they actually bad?
40:00 – LED scalp caps and devices: do they work?
42:30 – Hair gummies: are they worth the money?
44:55 – What supplements actually have evidence behind them
46:20 – Hair oiling — how long is too long?
50:40 – The best oils for scalp vs mid-lengths
53:25 – Can you reverse hair loss?
54:50 – What causes scarring alopecia
55:50 – Grey hair — what it is and what causes it
58:30 – Should you pluck grey hairs?
1:00:00 – The pressure to look young — Botox and ageing
1:09:30 – Perimenopause and hair loss: what to do
1:11:45 – Hair extensions and traction alopecia
1:13:30 – Three quick tips for scalp health
1:15:30 – Hair training — is it actually a thing?
1:17:15 – The best food for hair growth
1:17:35 – What to do first if you're panicking about hair loss
1:18:55 – Bleaching your hair and bond repair
1:20:35 – Split ends and breakage: the honest advice
1:21:30 – Outro

Follow Dr Aamna Adel: @dermatologist_adel

🔔 Subscribe for more discussions on mental health, personal growth, and healing! / @shivanipaupodcast

✨ Connect with Millennial Mind ✨

Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amillennialmind
Shivani Pau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shivani.pau
Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/shivanipaupodcast
Performance Planner: https://my-performance-planner.myshopify.com/

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hair loss, hair care, scalp health, dermatologist, minoxidil, heatless curlers, hair growth tips, alopecia, postpartum hair loss, perimenopause hair loss, grey hair, hair gummies, dr aamna adel, shivani pau, a millennial mind, hair myths, consultant dermatologist
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Harnaam Kaur (@harnaamkaur) is a model, motivational speaker, Guinness World Record holder and PCOS activist - known worldwide for keeping her beard. But this conversation goes much deeper than PCOS and facial hair.

Harnaam opens up about growing up South Asian with a condition nobody understood, the bullying that led to self-harm, and how suicidal thoughts eventually gave way to one of the most recognisable faces in body positivity.

She talks about never having been in love at 35, what her beard may have cost her in relationships, and the question she's sitting with for the first time in 15 years about whether she's ready to let it go.

Harnaam says that 2024 was the darkest time of her life — the grief, the PTSD, the night she wrote a letter ready to end it all, and the person whose text the next morning she believes saved her life.

If you've ever built your whole identity around surviving something, this one will stay with you.

⚠️ This episode contains discussion of suicide, self-harm and mental health. If you or someone you know is struggling please reach out to Samaritans on 116 123 (UK, free, 24/7).

🎙️ What we cover:

PCOS symptoms in women and what a diagnosis at 12 actually feels like
Facial hair, hirsutism and growing up South Asian with a body nobody talked about
School bullying, self-harm and the impact on her mental health and body image
The moment she stopped hiding and started fighting back
The ego and anger that followed — and why she's not proud of all of it
Keeping the beard for her Sikh faith — and how that faith has since completely shifted
Never having been in love at 35 and what her PCOS beard may have cost her
Questioning the beard and her identity for the first time in 15 years
South Asian family silence around abuse, honour and speaking out
Grief, PTSD and mental health rock bottom in 2024
The night she called for help and nobody picked up
Finding faith, reading the Bible and what pulled her back from the edge
The difference between body positivity and actually accepting yourself

⏱️ Timestamps:
0:00 — Intro
1:41 — Harnaam introduces herself
3:08 — Being diagnosed with PCOS at 12
5:12 — When the facial hair started and the bullying began
9:43 — Her relationship with the beard now and the limbo she's in
12:37 — Keeping the beard for religion — and how her faith changed
14:13 — The beard, marriage and never having been in love
20:58 — Wanting to know what her face looks like without it
24:15 — Shivani on women in their 30s being told to change themselves
28:17 — From suicidal teenager to angry, ego-driven activist
33:12 — The words from a friend that kept her here
36:12 — Going from rock bottom to a Guinness World Record
39:40 — What made her so angry — and why she's calmer now
41:02 — South Asian families and the silence around abuse
42:38 — Sexual abuse in South Asian communities and the pressure of honour
49:52 — Has she always refused to conform?
54:39 — The performance of body positivity
56:16 — Changing publicly and people not letting you evolve
1:08:57 — The last three years — grief, PTSD and hitting rock bottom
1:13:24 — Reading the Bible as a Sikh and what faith means to her now
1:17:31 — Writing a suicide note and the night nobody picked up
1:19:37 — What got her through and the person who didn't know they saved her life
1:23:10 — Her one piece of advice for anyone struggling right now

🔔 Subscribe for more discussions on mental health, personal growth, and healing! / @shivanipaupodcast

✨ Connect with Millennial Mind ✨

Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amillennialmind
Shivani Pau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shivani.pau
Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/shivanipaupodcast
Performance Planner: https://my-performance-planner.myshopify.com/

Let Me Change Your Mind 🧠
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices