Episode 4: Stress nearly broke me...until I learned to work with it

What if the stress you have normalised...is quietly breaking you?

We talk endlessly about productivity, success and pushing harder in business.

But what happens when your body forces you to stop?

In this powerful and deeply human episode of Speak Your Own Business, Kiana Douglin, Director of Plenty of Stuff Studio, sits down with stress and energy specialist Damon Bowen-Ashwin, founder of Adapt+Flow, to explore the reality most high performers avoid: the true cost of chronic stress.

This episode is in support of Stress Awareness Month 2026, where the theme is: Be the change.

Damon's journey is not theoretical.

After building his career in high-pressure environments, his body delivered a life-altering wake-up call: a brain tumour that forced him to confront the way he was living, working and coping.

This conversation goes far beyond surface-level wellbeing advice.

We unpack:

• The hidden difference between acute and chronic stress, and why low-level stress is often more dangerous.
• How stress silently impacts your body, decision-making and leadership performance.
• Why so many ambitious business owners live in survival mode without realising it.
• The truth about burnout culture and "hustle" thinking.
• Why managing your energy, not just your time, is the real key to sustainable high performance.

Damon also shares practical, science-backed and experience-led tools used to help leaders and businesses build resilience, including breath-work techniques, subconscious reprogramming, and methods to reset when overwhelm hits.

But perhaps most powerful of all...

This episode challenges the identity many of us have built around coping, pushing through and wearing stress like a badge of honour.

Because real success is not about enduring pressure.

It is about building the resilience and awareness to succeed without sacrificing your health.

If you are a business owner, leader, or ambitious professional who feels constantly "on", this episode may completely change how you see stress - and yourself.

Listen now to learn:

• How to recognise the early signs of chronic stress.
• How high performers use stress as a tool instead of being controlled by it.
• One small habit you can implement this week to improve resilience and energy.
• And the mindset shift that moves you from survival mode...to sustainable success.

This is not just a conversation about stress.

It is a conversation about perspective, identity, resilience, and what it really means to do well.

If this episode resonates, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

Because sometimes the strongest thing you can do...is stop.

About Speak Your Own Business

Speak Your Own Business is hosted by our directors, Tim Holt and Kiana DouglinKiana Douglin and Tim Holt. The podcast explores the world of business and marketing, from practical growth strategies to candid conversations with entrepreneurs and business owners who are making things happen. Expect plenty of insights, plenty of stories, and plenty of stuff to inspire your next big move.

We also offer video interviews for those who wish to share their story on a more visual platform. If you are a business interested in being featured, or would like to explore how a video episode could showcase your brand.

Get in touch with us for more details. We would love to collaborate and help you put your business in the spotlight.

Episode 4: Stress nearly broke me...until I learned to work with it

By Speak Your Own Business. In this episode, Kiana Douglin, Director of Plenty of Stuff Studio, sits down with stress and energy specialist Damon Bowen-Ashwin, founder of Adapt+Flow, to explore the reality most high performers avoid.

Tuesday, 7 April 2026

1 hour, 9 minutes

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