From Combat to Calm: Breathwork, Rest, and the Road Home | Tim Thomas

What happens when a Special Forces commando survives six years of combat, but realizes the hardest battle is learning how to rest? In this episode, host Donna Hoffmeyer sits down with Tim Thomas—retired Australian Special Forces commando, mental health advocate, and founder of the Breathworks in Bed app. Tim opens up about his unconventional path into elite military selection at age 30, the invisible toll of undiagnosed PTSD, and the breakthrough in a psychologist's office that sparked a global mission to help others heal. 🎧 Episode Highlights: The Civilian to Commando Path: Entering Special Forces selection at 30 and facing the gut-wrenching choice to miss his child's birth to keep his spot.The Identity Paradox: Why suppressing individual identity—the military's greatest tactical strength—becomes a veteran's heaviest burden during transition.The Pyramid of Performance: Why high-achievers constantly ignore the true foundation of success: rest, recovery, and deep healing.Breathwork in the Dirt: How Tim discovered nervous system regulation while deployed in Afghanistan by focusing on his left thumb.Pulling "Stress Weeds": Understanding why your disempowered self actively resists positive change, and how the Breathworks in Bed app helps you win the first five minutes of your day. 🔥 Key Takeaway: "You might not think you're special, but I bet you've been through some shit—and our job is not to stay in the shit, it's to turn it into fertilizer." — Tim Thomas Get the App: Breathworks in Bed If this conversation resonated with you, please leave a 5-star review, subscribe, and share this episode with a veteran, first responder, or family member who needs to hear it today.