Tag Archives | nervous system

737: Why You Still Feel Off in Midlife (Even When You’re Doing Everything Right) with Dr. Melissa Sonners

April 14, 2026 in Podcast, Women’s Health 0

Listen to the Episode Here

Or, listen on your favorite app: iTunes (Apple Podcasts) | Stitcher | Spotify | Pocketcasts

Episode Summary

How do you retrain your brain and nervous system to seek out safety, joy, and alignment?

In this episode, mind-body alignment expert Dr. Melissa Sonners shares practical ways for midlife women to regulate their nervous system and find calm—even in the chaos of everyday life.

She explains how many of us are unknowingly stuck in a stress-driven state, constantly scanning for what’s wrong, and how this pattern is reinforced by the questions we ask ourselves each day.

Through her simple but powerful tools, she’ll help you learn to easily reset your nervous system and prevent burnout before it builds.

Rather than waiting until the end of the day to relax (and realizing we can’t), she emphasizes creating moments of regulation in real time so we can be more present with our families and actually feel the joy in those everyday interactions.

If you’re navigating the messy middle of midlife and craving more calm, presence, and connection, this episode is for you!

Dr. Melissa Sonners

Dr. Melissa Sonners is a chiropractor and mind-body alignment expert who helps women reconnect with themselves. As the host of the Be Inspired Mama Podcast and founder of Best Friends Book Nook, she creates spaces for self-growth without adding to busy schedules. After overcoming neurological Lyme disease, she discovered the power of small, intentional shifts for transformation. Now, she empowers women to turn inward for confidence and joy. Her upcoming book, The Connection Code, coming in April 2026 with Hay House Publishing, will guide women toward deeper alignment in their lives.

IN THIS EPISODE

1. Navigating the subtle and not-so-subtle symptoms of perimenopause

2. Healthy communication in midlife as things are shifting

3. Understanding and verbalizing your needs throughout your cycle

4. Helpful ways to manage stress in midlife

5. Getting clear on your values, especially in perimenopause and beyond

6. Clarifying your non-negotiables and tapping into what feels best

7. About Book Nook, Dr. Sonners’ Virtual Book Club Community

8. Using reading as a method of nervous system regulation

QUOTES

“We always hear and we always know how much stress can impact your health. But I lived it, and I realized that stress was the catalyst for me getting as sick as I got.”

“Core values become your guiding principles. So when you have decision fatigue at any time, you don’t have to think about it or make an emotional decision. You [say]: whatever one fits this value.”

“When you grab a book in the morning and you sit with it and you use it as an anchor tool, it trains your nervous system. Calm is safe. And that regulation is familiar. And when you do that in the morning, you’re seeding your nervous system to find it throughout the day.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Order my newest book: The Perimenopause Revolution HERE!

Dr. Sonner’s Website

Pre-order The Connection Code

Dr. Soner’s Podcast: Be Inspired Mama

Dr. Sonner on Instagram

Dr. Sonner on YouTube

RELATED EPISODES

735: The Stress–Metabolism Connection: Why You’re Gaining Weight, Craving Sugar & Struggling with Energy

724: Age Like A Girl: Why Midlife Women Stop Shrinking and Start Leading with Dr. Mindy Pelz

721: No, It’s Not All in Your Head: The Medical Truth About Perimenopause with Dr. Jila Senemar

720: Why No One Talks About Loneliness in Midlife—And Why It’s Not Just You

717: “I Don’t Feel Like Myself Anymore”: The Mental & Emotional Reality of Perimenopause

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702: How to Heal Trauma and Rebuild Trust Through Connectability with Anna Runkle

December 11, 2025 in Podcast, Women’s Health 0

Listen to the Episode Here

Or, listen on your favorite app: iTunes (Apple Podcasts) | Stitcher | Spotify | Pocketcasts

Episode Summary

I’m one of millions of women specifically trying to parent themselves while parenting children… and it can be seriously exhausting. And when childhood trauma still comes back to haunt us in midlife and beyond, life can feel impossible.

That’s why I’ve invited trauma expert Anna Runkle on for this powerful episode to help unpack why so many midlife women are still impacted by old trauma, and how that buried stress shows up in our bodies.

We dive into the hidden ways trauma can lead us to isolate, dysregulate our nervous system, and disrupt key hormones like cortisol, dopamine, and serotonin.

Anna and I break down how this cascade of stress and deregulation can spark inflammation, oxidative stress, blood-sugar swings, and even contribute to autoimmune issues that so many women face.

But most importantly, Anna shares simple, compassionate tools to help regulate your nervous system and finally begin healing the deeper patterns driving overwhelm in midlife.

Ready to feel more grounded in this season of life? Hit play and listen now!

Anna Runkle

Anna Runkle is the creator of the popular YouTube channel, blog, courses, and coaching programs that provide tools for adults to heal dysregulation and other common trauma symptoms, helping them feel better and change their lives. Anna’s methods were developed through research, her mentoring of hundreds of individuals over the years, and her direct experience healing her own symptoms of early trauma. She’s the author of Re-Regulated: Set Your Life Free from Childhood PTSD and the Trauma-Driven Behaviors That Keep You Stuck and Connectability: Heal the Hidden Ways You Isolate, Find Your People, and Feel (At Last) Like You Belong.

IN THIS EPISODE

Understanding nervous system deregulation
How Anna learned to adapt after childhood trauma
Symptoms that can manifest from over-functioning
How to manage stressors and stay regulated day to day
Top ways we can start to regulate, especially when deregulated
How connection can be a huge tool for healing
Free resources and where you can find more from Anna!

QUOTES

“All these weird symptoms that I had… It’s neurological dysregulation. It’s really normal. Everybody gets dysregulated sometimes, but those of us who are traumatized as kids are often more prone to it. It happens more easily. It’s more intense. It’s harder to get out of.”

“Early trauma is very strongly correlated later in life with high rates of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune disorders, reproductive disorders, just about everything bad.”

“Those three things– dysregulation, disconnection, and self-defeating behavior– those are the things that can just take you out and keep you stuck in trauma forever. So the good news is you can learn to reregulate.”