When explaining yourself becomes your survival mode

And what if… it was never your job to begin with?

Let’s be honest:

We all know the feeling.

When people talk about you like they know you — and they don’t.

When your truth is turned into gossip.

When your silence gets mistaken for weakness.

And suddenly, you catch yourself doing it again: Explaining. Defending. Justifying.

Not because you owe them clarity.

But because deep down, your body believes it keeps you safe.

It took me years to realize:

Explaining wasn’t strength. It was survival.

I grew up in a world where being “too much” had consequences.

Too loud.

Too honest.

Too emotional.

Too different.

And every time I showed up as myself, I was asked to explain why.

So I did.

Until I forgot what it felt like to just BE.

Eventually, my nervous system got the message: You need to justify yourself to stay accepted. Soften your truth. Smile through discomfort. Apologize for taking up space.

But here’s what I know now:

Over-explaining is not your nature.

It’s a trauma response.

It’s not who you are.

It’s what you learned.

→ It’s fawn.

→ It’s freeze.

→ It’s your body saying:

"If I just make them understand, maybe they won’t hurt me."

And you know what?

That never worked.

Because people who want to misunderstand you, will.

So what’s the way out?

Coming back to yourself.

Through breath.

Through truth.

Through the moment you stop performing — and start returning.

Try this when you feel triggered or misjudged:

→ Inhale deeply through your nose.

→ Pull your shoulders up to your ears.

→ Inhale just a little more.

→ Hold it there.

→ Now exhale fully through the mouth.

Feel what shifts. Feel the space that opens.

Feel your body saying: "Welcome back."

Ask yourself:

• Is this a conversation or a performance?

• Am I trying to connect — or trying to convince?

• Who am I, without needing to be understood?

Reminder:

You don’t owe the world an explanation for:

→ Choosing peace.

→ Saying no.

→ Outgrowing people, places, and patterns.

Those who understand won’t need a backstory.

Those who don’t — never will.

Your story is not up for debate. It’s yours.

And if your nervous system is still learning that, you’re not behind.

You’re rebuilding.

Let’s breathe into that.

Together.

PS: A short reel is dropping on Instagram soon — Real. Raw. Regulating.

Because sometimes, one breath says more than a thousand words ever could.

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In The Breath Gallery, we don’t just breathe.

We reclaim.

We rebuild.

We come home to who we were — before the world told us we had to explain it.

Ready to experience what Breathwork can shift in your life?

Whether you're overwhelmed, anxious, or stuck in overthinking,

there’s a way back to yourself.

Let’s find the breath that brings you home.

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