Hi friends, Lovisa here :)
Here’s something wild to think about:
Your brain doesn’t just respond to reality—it predicts it. Every second, your brain is making guesses about what’s going to happen next.
Those guesses shape what you actually see, feel, and experience. This isn’t some philosophical statement —it’s simply neuroscience.
It’s why the placebo effect works: when people believe a pill will heal them, their brain literally creates the expected biological changes.
And it’s why the nocebo effect works too: expect something bad, and your body will produce the symptoms.
Your brain is constantly filling in the blanks based on what it already believes to be true. This is true for relationships, health and all other things in our ‘reality’. Your brain will look for ways to confirm this existing bias.
How this shows up day-to-day
If you believe:
”I’m failing” → your brain will search for evidence to prove it.
”I don’t have time to slow down” → your brain will filter out all opportunities for rest.
”I can’t do this” → your body will feel fatigue before you even begin.
But the same mechanism works in your favor.
”I can handle this” → your nervous system relaxes, your focus sharpens.
”I’m learning and improving” → your brain literally creates new neural pathways for resilience.
Your beliefs act as filters that determine what you notice and what you ignore. So if you want to change your stress response—you don’t just change your schedule and engage in breathwork on the daily, you also change your inner dialogue.
Mindset and Stress Resilience
When we’re constantly telling ourselves we’re too busy, too overwhelmed, or not enough, our brain takes that as truth—and keeps recreating the same stress loops.
It’s not that you don’t have time for rest, breathwork, calm, or self-care. It’s that your brain has learned to protect you by confirming that belief.
The good news? You can teach it something new.
When you consciously choose to slow down, breathe, or shift focus, you’re signaling safety to your nervous system—and that’s how resilience is built.
Why Change Feels So Hard
Here’s the tricky part: Your brain and nervous system will always choose the familiar—even if it’s destructive—over the unfamiliar. That’s why starting something new, like breathwork every morning, feels uncomfortable at first. You are literally wired not to do it. Your brain’s job is to keep you safe, not successful.
So it will whisper things like:
“I can’t focus.”“I’m too tired.”
“It’s not working.”
But every time you gently do it anyway, you’re teaching your nervous system that safety can exist in stillness, too. Over time, what once felt foreign becomes familiar—and that’s where transformation begins.
Tool of the Week:
Stress Cleanse Beats. Sometimes, it’s easier to start with sound.I’ve curated a Spotify playlist to help you unwind, drop into your body, and reset your mind. Access it here:
Save it, breathe with it, move with it, or just let it wash over you after a long day.
Your brain will always look for confirmation of what you believe. So this week—believe that peace and and balance is possible.That calm is accessible to you, and that you with your breath can shift your state.
With love,
Lovisa, the exhale collective
