Welcome, Caneca Reader!
This is my first article published in English.
I know that many people from outside my country are visiting my blog, and that makes me incredibly happy =)
So, to begin a direct conversation with you, my Caneca reader from anywhere in the world, I’m sharing this special article about caring for yourself and your emotions through the lens of neuroscience.
Dear Caneca reader,
At some point, I collapsed.
Not in a dramatic or cinematic way.
It was quiet. I was simply exhausted. I had reached my limit.
I stopped everything. I stepped away from writing for a while, distanced myself from the words I love — the ones that usually keep me whole.
Life circumstances can sometimes place us in prolonged states of tension and responsibility. When this happens without pauses, without rest, and without space for oneself, something subtle begins to shift inside us.
And eventually, the body starts speaking.
At first, it may seem like simple fatigue.
But then the immune system weakens. The voice changes. The stomach tightens. Sleep becomes irregular. Irritation appears. Patience dissolves. The emotional load starts translating itself into physical sensations.
This is not “lack of control.”
This is the nervous system entering survival mode.
Years ago, during periods of anxiety and panic, I began studying neuroscience in an attempt to understand what was happening internally. That knowledge changed the way I look at the body forever.
Neuroscience shows us that the brain creates pathways.
Repeated emotional states become familiar chemical routes.
Hormones, reactions, and internal narratives form habits.
The brain learns to survive — even when survival is costly.
With training, awareness, and emotional safety, these pathways can change. Improvement is possible. The nervous system is plastic; it adapts.
But when life places us again under constant pressure, the brain may return to alert mode.
And the body responds accordingly.
Weight fluctuations, inflammation, breathing changes, digestive issues, voice tension — these are not random. They are biological responses to perceived danger.
What Is “Alert Mode”?
When the body enters alert mode, it performs a simple and brutal environmental reading:
The environment is unsafe.
Relaxation is dangerous.
Lowering defenses is risky.
The cruel detail?
The body does not differentiate well between emotional and physical danger.
To the nervous system, chronic stress, emotional overload, toxic relationships, or the inability to rest can feel as threatening as a physical threat. The body prepares for war — even if there is no visible battlefield.
How the Body Arms Itself
The brain activates the survival system as if it were facing a long, endless conflict.
Internally, it assumes:
It is not safe to rest
It is not safe to relax
It is not safe to lose weight
It is not safe to spend energy
It is not safe to expose oneself
And then it reacts.
In the Brain
Difficulty shutting down thoughts
The brain becomes a 24-hour radar.
In the Body
Fat retention (energy storage for survival)
Hard abdominal tension (core protection)
Stomach tightness
Irregular digestion
Diffuse inflammation
Restricted voice or throat sensitivity
Shallow breathing
The body becomes a biological bunker.
In Eating Behavior
The brain thinks:
“I need quick energy. Now.”
So it seeks:
Sugar
Carbohydrates
Immediate pleasure
This is not lack of discipline.
It is survival strategy.
In Weight
During alert mode:
Losing weight feels risky
Releasing fat feels vulnerable
Relaxing feels dangerous
So the body holds on.
You do not gain weight because you failed.
You gain weight because the body is trying to protect you.
The Most Important (and Hopeful) Part
The body is not foolish.
It is obedient.
When the internal environment begins to communicate:
“It is safe now.”
“I can rest.”
“I can say no.”
“I can exist without disappearing.”
The body disarms.
And when it disarms:
The abdomen softens
Breathing deepens
The voice returns
Hunger regulates
Fat begins to be used as energy
Not by force.
By trust.
The body does not gain weight in safe environments.
It gains weight in environments that feel unsafe.
Imagination and Neurobiology
One fascinating discovery from neuroscience is that the brain does not sharply distinguish between vivid imagination and lived reality.
Visualization can trigger emotional and chemical responses similar to real experiences. Athletes use it. Artists use it. Performers use it.
Imagining success, joy, or abundance can momentarily shift the nervous system out of survival and into possibility. Even brief mental scenarios can release dopamine and soften defensive states.
This does not replace real action — but it opens internal doors.
Signs, Symbols, and Internal Narratives
Our inner world is also built from symbols and meanings.
Thoughts repeat. Stories repeat. Emotional “rumination” is natural to the human mind.
The mechanism does not stop — but the symbol it revolves around can change.
If the internal message becomes:
“To survive, I must disappear,”
the body obeys.
If the message shifts to:
“It is safe to exist,”
the body also obeys.
Leaving Alert Mode
Leaving alert mode is not about force or punishment.
It is about safety.
It is breathing deeply.
Allowing pleasure without guilt.
Speaking gently to oneself.
Creating moments of presence.
Rebuilding trust with the body.
Not surviving — but existing.
Gradually teaching the nervous system that the alarm is no longer necessary.
Quietly, firmly, repeatedly:
It is okay now.
I am here.
This reflection is for anyone facing prolonged stress, emotional overload, or invisible battles. The body often carries what the mind tries to ignore.
And perhaps the most valuable reminder is simple:
Everything in life responds better to love and patience than to fear and aggression. Even healing.
Breathe deeply. Release. Repeat.
In love, there is no alarm.
With care,
Maira Macri
Vozes de Caneca
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