In this episode, Ryan sits down with learning and development consultant, author, and founder Marie McLaughlin to explore *what really happens in the body* when life becomes too much.

Marie shares how her childhood on a small farm in Donegal shaped her resilience, work ethic and connection to nature, and how losing her 17‑year‑old brother overnight shattered the “perfect family life” she once knew. She opens up about navigating *perimenopause* while working in high‑pressure corporate finance, and why understanding *stress biology and physiology* completely changed how she lives, works, and parents.

You’ll hear a grounded conversation about grief, nervous system regulation and what stress actually is – not just “in your head,” but in your sleep, irritability, and body signals you’ve probably been ignoring. Marie and Ryan talk about breathwork, movement, getting outside, and simple ways to create steadiness when your world has been turned upside down. ​

*If you’re dealing with burnout, loss, hormonal changes, or you just feel like life is “too much,” this episode will help you* make sense of what’s happening inside your body – and show you how small daily practices can reconnect you to yourself, your community, and the natural world around you.

Key themes in this episode:

• What really happens in your physiology when you’re stressed (beyond mindset and “positive thinking”).
• How sudden grief and trauma reshape identity in your 20s and beyond.
• Perimenopause, performance at work, and why so many women are silently struggling.
• Farm life, community, and how nature teaches emotional resilience from childhood.
• Breath, movement, and simple nervous system tools for regulating overwhelm.