Why Your Nervous System Needs a Summer Sabbatical (And How to Actually Give It One)

By Jessica Colarco, LCSW

Here's something I notice every July: people arrive at summer exhausted, hoping the season will restore them — and then they fill it so completely that September arrives and they feel exactly the same.

Summer becomes a different kind of busy. Trips to plan. Kids to entertain. Social commitments that pile up. A vague pressure to enjoy every moment because it's going too fast. And underneath all of that, a nervous system that never actually got to exhale.

So I want to make a case today — a clinical case, grounded in what I know about how the nervous system actually works — for giving yourself a real summer sabbatical. Not a vacation. Not a break from work. A genuine, intentional restoration of your nervous system.

And then I want to give you five ways to actually do it.

First, a little science

Your autonomic nervous system has two primary modes. There's the sympathetic mode — fight, flight, freeze — which activates when you're under stress or perceived threat. And there's the parasympathetic mode — rest, digest, restore — which is where healing actually happens.

Here's the problem: most of us are spending the majority of our time in sympathetic activation. Chronic stress, overstimulation, packed schedules, and emotional overload keep our systems on high alert even when there's no actual emergency. And over time, that chronic activation depletes us in ways that go far beyond feeling tired. It affects our sleep, our immunity, our mood, our relationships, and our capacity to regulate our own emotions.

Summer offers a natural invitation to shift that. Longer days. Slower rhythms. Permission — cultural, social — to be a little less productive. The question is whether we actually take it.

Most of us don't. We just exchange one kind of busyness for another. And our nervous systems never get the signal that it's safe to come down.

What a nervous system sabbatical actually looks like

It doesn't have to be dramatic. You don't need a week off the grid or a silent retreat. What your nervous system needs is consistent, small doses of genuine restoration — the experience of safety, slowness, and pleasure without urgency.

Here are five ways to build that in this summer.

1. Protect one hour of unscheduled time each week.

Not "free time" you fill with tasks. Not a break you spend on your phone. One hour with no agenda. Sit outside. Read for pleasure. Do something slow and sensory. Let your nervous system stop problem-solving for an hour. This is harder than it sounds — and more powerful than you'd expect.

2. Create a technology transition before sleep.

Your nervous system cannot shift from stimulation to restoration instantly. When we scroll up until the moment we close our eyes, we're asking for a gear shift the body isn't built to make. Start giving yourself thirty minutes before bed — no screens, something quiet. It changes the quality of your rest significantly.

3. Spend more time in nature, even briefly.

Research consistently shows that time in natural settings lowers cortisol, reduces blood pressure, and activates the parasympathetic nervous system. You don't need a hike. You need grass under your feet, a few minutes of morning sun, a walk around the block without earbuds. Let your senses take in something that isn't a screen.

4. Practice saying no to one thing per week.

Chronic over-commitment is one of the primary drivers of nervous system dysregulation. This summer, practice declining one thing per week — a social obligation, an extra responsibility, an event you said yes to out of guilt. Say no with kindness and without elaborate justification. Your energy is finite. Protecting it is not selfish. It's essential.

5. Find a slow, repetitive practice and return to it.

Earlier this year on the Healing Is My Hobby podcast, I talked about my experiment with slow crafting during our burnout month. Diamond painting. Cross-stitch. Baking something by hand. These slow, repetitive activities activate a flow state that quiets the default mode network — the part of the brain responsible for rumination and self-referential worry. They are, quite literally, a nervous system intervention. Find yours. Do it without guilt.

A note about this summer in particular

This summer on Healing Is My Hobby, I'm doing something a little different. Every Monday, I'm dropping a short micro episode called a Healing Moment — a guided breathing practice, a journal prompt, or an action step. Just a few minutes, just for you, to support your nervous system and your healing between seasons.

These episodes are small by design. Because I believe in small. I believe in consistent. I believe that showing up for yourself in a few intentional minutes each week adds up to something real over time.

Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and I'll see you every Monday this summer.

You deserve this season. Let yourself actually have it.

To subscribe to the newsletter, visit healingismyhobby.com. Follow along on Instagram and YouTube @healingismyhobby. And if you're looking for support with a therapist, you can learn more about my clinical practice at jessicacolarcolcsw.com.

Who Are You, Really? This Month We're Talking About Identity.

After months of sitting with trauma, grief, and shame — it's time to ask the question underneath all of it: who are you when you strip away everything you were told to be?

June on Healing Is My Hobby is all about identity.

And I want to start with a question that might make you pause.

Who are you?

Not the version of you that shows up for everyone else. Not the labels you've been carrying since childhood. Not the roles you've adapted into because it felt safer than being fully yourself.

Who are you — really?

That's what we're exploring this month. After March (trauma), April (grief), and May (shame and self-worth), identity felt like the natural next stop. Because here's what I've noticed — both in my clinical work and in my own life: when you start doing the real work of healing, you look up one day and realize that some of what you thought was you... wasn't really you at all.

And that can feel disorienting. But I want you to hear this: that's not a crisis. That's actually the beginning of something really important.

Episode 1: Your Identity Was Never Just Yours (Expert Insight)

We open the month by going back to the root. Where does identity actually come from?

In this episode, I break down the clinical and psychological framework behind identity formation — what we inherit, what we adapt, and what we internalize from our earliest environments. We talk about attachment, family systems, cultural messaging, and the way that the roles we took on as children have a way of quietly running the show in adulthood.

This one is foundational. If you've ever caught yourself wondering why you keep showing up the same way even when you don't want to — this episode gives you the lens to understand it.

Episode 2: The Role Inventory (Therapy Is My Cardio)

This is our guided activity episode, and it's one of my favorites this month.

I walk you through a structured Role Inventory — a practice designed to help you audit the labels and roles you're currently carrying. Not to tear them down, but to get honest about which ones actually fit, which ones you chose, and which ones were handed to you a long time ago and just... never returned.

You'll walk away with a real, usable tool. Something you can come back to — especially during seasons of transition, stress, or identity confusion.

This is the episode to share with a friend who's in a season of "I don't know who I am anymore." Because that feeling has a name, and there's a way through it.

Episode 3: Auditing Your Labels (Healing Lab)

The Healing Lab is where we get experimental — and this month's experiment is deceptively simple.

For seven days, I invite you to notice every fixed label you use to describe yourself. Out loud or in your head. And then ask one question: is this actually true, or is this who I learned to be?

We pull from narrative therapy and the research on self-story — the idea that the stories we repeat about ourselves, over and over, literally become the self we inhabit. That's a powerful thing. It means the labels aren't permanent. It means a rewrite is possible.

This isn't about dramatic reinvention. It's about getting a little more honest, and a little more spacious, than the story you've been telling.

Episode 4: Identity Disruption and the Path to Integration (This Might Be a Trauma Response)

We close the month with something that I think a lot of people need to hear but don't often talk about.

Sometimes what feels like an identity crisis is actually a trauma response. Identity disruption — that sense of "I don't know who I am," depersonalization, the feeling of going through the motions of your life without really being in it — these experiences have clinical roots. And they deserve a real explanation.

In this episode, I walk through what identity disruption actually looks like, what causes it, and how to tell the difference between identity collapse and identity evolution. Because those two things can feel identical from the inside — but they're very different, and knowing which one you're in changes everything.

We also talk about integration: what it means to put the pieces back together in a way that actually reflects who you're becoming, not just who you used to be.

A Note From Jessica

Identity work is some of the most tender work there is.

It asks you to question things that feel very certain — labels that have been with you so long you forgot they were ever a choice. It can feel destabilizing at first. That's normal. That's part of the process.

But on the other side of that disorientation is something really valuable: a self that you actually recognize. A self you chose.

That's what healing makes room for. Not just recovering from what happened to you — but discovering who you are when you're not just surviving it anymore.

I'll see you in the episodes.

— Jessica

New episodes drop every week this month. Subscribe so you don't miss one.

Want to go deeper? Sign up for the newsletter — Notes From The Healing Journey — at healingismyhobby.com.

Follow along on Instagram @healingismyhobby and YouTube @healingismyhobby.

Interested in working with Jessica clinically? Visit jessicacolarcolcsw.com or follow @jessicacolarcolcsw on Instagram.

Keywords & Search Terms: identity healing, identity crisis therapy, who am I, narrative therapy, role inventory, identity disruption, trauma response identity, self-concept, adapted roles, fixed labels, IFS parts work, identity formation, healing podcast, mental health podcast for women, LCSW podcast, emotional healing, self-awareness, integration after trauma, identity work, Jessica Colarco LCSW

Shame Is Not a Character Flaw. It’s a Wound.

By Jessica Colarco, LCSW

Most women I work with think the shame they carry is proof of something true about them.

They walk into my office — accomplished, capable, deeply caring women — and somewhere beneath the surface, there’s a voice that whispers: There’s something fundamentally wrong with me. Not that they did something wrong. Not that they made a mistake. But that they are the mistake.

That’s shame. And it is one of the most painful, most misunderstood experiences a person can carry.

This month on Healing Is My Hobby, we’re going deep on shame and self-worth. And I want to start here, with the most important thing I can tell you:

Shame is not evidence of who you are. It is a wound that formed in relationship — and it can heal in relationship, too.

What Shame Actually Is — Clinically Speaking

Shame is a self-conscious emotion — meaning it’s directly tied to how we perceive ourselves. Clinically, it’s defined as the painful feeling that we are fundamentally defective, unworthy, or unlovable as a person.

Brené Brown’s research describes shame as the intensely painful feeling of believing we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging. As a therapist, I’d add: it is also one of the most isolating experiences a human being can have, because shame tells us to hide.

Shame lives in the body — in the heat that rises to your face, in the urge to shrink, in the sudden desire to disappear. It’s not just a thought. It’s a full-system response.

Shame vs. Guilt: Why the Difference Actually Matters

People use shame and guilt interchangeably, but they are meaningfully different — and understanding the difference can change how you relate to yourself.

Guilt says: “I did something bad.”

Shame says: “I am bad.”

Guilt, when it’s healthy, is actually a compass. It points us toward our values — it says, "That action wasn’t aligned with who I want to be. I can repair this." Guilt motivates accountability and repair.

Shame, by contrast, collapses inward. It doesn’t say "I made a mistake." It says "I am a mistake." Shame shuts down motivation. It breeds hiding, disconnection, and self-protection — not repair.

This distinction matters enormously in healing. When we learn to identify which one we’re feeling, we stop treating shame like it’s information about our character — and we start treating it like what it actually is: a wound asking for care.

Where Shame Comes From

Shame is not something we are born with. It is something we learn.

It forms in the early relational experiences of our lives — in how we were responded to when we cried, when we made mistakes, when we needed something, when we expressed emotion. When a child’s needs are consistently met with criticism, withdrawal, or humiliation, the child doesn’t conclude that their caregiver is struggling. They conclude that they are the problem.

Shame also travels through family systems. The messages we absorbed — about emotions, about needs, about worth, about who we were allowed to be — often weren’t spoken aloud. They were felt. They lived in silence, in dismissal, in the way certain topics were never discussed. Generational shame passes down quietly, and many of us are carrying beliefs about ourselves that were never really ours to carry.

Culture adds another layer. Women, in particular, absorb shame-based messaging about their bodies, their emotions, their ambitions, their sexuality, their worth as mothers or professionals or partners. The accumulation is not small. It is constant.

What It Means to Heal Shame

Shame heals in relationship. This is one of the most important things I know as a therapist, and one of the most important things I’ve learned in my own healing.

Shame grows in secrecy. It thrives in isolation. It tells us not to speak, not to show, not to let anyone too close. And so healing requires the exact opposite — not exposure for its own sake, but witnessed belonging. The experience of being seen in a vulnerable moment — and not being rejected.

Healing also means learning to separate the wound from the truth. The shame you carry is not a verdict. It is a response to an experience. And like any wound, it deserves care, not further judgment.

Therapeutically, this work can include:

• Identifying shame triggers and the beliefs underneath them (CBT lens)

• Learning to meet shame with self-compassion rather than self-attack

• Exploring the parts of you that carry shame — and the younger versions of yourself they’re protecting (IFS lens)

• Building the capacity to tolerate vulnerability without collapse

• Finding safe relationships where shame can be witnessed and released

None of this work is linear. It takes time. It takes support. But I want you to know — it is possible.

A Note From Me to You

I don’t write about shame from a distance. I have done my own deep work here — sitting with the places in my life where I confused productivity with worth, where I overfunctioned in relationships because some part of me didn’t believe I was enough just as I was. That work changed my life, and it shapes everything I bring into the therapy room.

This month, I want to go there with you. Not to dredge up pain for its own sake — but because I believe, deeply, that when we understand the wound, we stop letting it write the story.

You are not what shame told you. Let’s find out what’s actually true.

Stay Connected

If this resonated with you, I’d love to keep the conversation going. Sign up for my newsletter at healingismyhobby.com for weekly reflections on this month’s theme. You can also follow along on Instagram and YouTube @healingismyhobby, and if you’re looking for support with a therapist, you can learn more about my clinical practice at jessicacolarcolcsw.com.

APril’s Focus: Grief

Grief Is Not Just About Death — And That's Exactly the Problem

When most people think about grief, they picture a funeral. A casserole on the doorstep. A sympathy card. Permission, in other words, to feel devastated.

But what happens when you're grieving something that doesn't get a casserole?

What happens when you're mourning the friendship that slowly dissolved? The version of yourself you had to leave behind? The marriage that looked fine from the outside but felt hollow for years? The child you imagined raising — and the adult they became instead? The life you thought would be yours by now?

These losses are real. They are heavy. And for so many of the women I work with, they carry them completely alone — because somewhere along the way, they learned that this kind of grief doesn't count.

This month on Healing Is My Hobby, we're talking about all of it.

The Grief That Doesn't Get Named

There's a concept in grief therapy called disenfranchised grief — grief that isn't publicly acknowledged, openly mourned, or socially supported. It's the grief that gets minimized, redirected, or met with a well-meaning 'at least.'

At least you're still young.

At least you have other kids.

At least it wasn't a 'real' relationship.

At least you knew it was coming.

The 'at leasts' don't help. They actually do the opposite — they teach you to shrink your pain. To talk yourself out of it. To feel embarrassed for still being sad.

And when you're embarrassed by your own grief, you stop processing it. It doesn't go away. It just goes underground.

Grief Beyond Death: What Actually Qualifies

In my clinical work, I hold space for grief that looks like a lot of different things. Here are just a few of the losses that absolutely deserve acknowledgment:

• The end of a friendship or chosen family relationship

• Divorcing or separating from a partner — even one who wasn't good for you

• Losing a version of yourself — to illness, motherhood, trauma, time

• The gap between who you were and who you became

• Unmet expectations for your life, your body, your career

• A relationship with a parent you always wished you could have had

• The child you hoped for, before grief became infertility or loss

• A role you outgrew — or one that was taken from you

None of these come with a funeral. Most of them don't come with much acknowledgment at all. But they show up in the body, in sleep, in the way you go quiet in certain conversations. Grief has a way of making itself known.

Ambiguous Loss: When There's No Clear Ending

One of the most disorienting forms of grief is what psychologist Pauline Boss called ambiguous loss — loss without closure. Loss where the person is still physically present but emotionally, relationally, or cognitively gone. Or where someone is gone, but their presence lingers in a way that makes it impossible to fully move forward.

This shows up when you're caring for a parent with dementia. When you've estranged from a family member who is still alive. When a relationship has been over in every meaningful way, but the paperwork hasn't caught up. When you're waiting for a door to close that never quite does.

Ambiguous loss is particularly painful because it denies us one of the things humans need most when we grieve: a narrative. A beginning, middle, and end. Without that, we keep circling back — looking for resolution in a place where resolution isn't available.

Healing here doesn't always look like letting go. Sometimes it looks like learning to hold two truths at once.

What Grief Actually Needs From You

Here's what I want you to hear: you don't have to justify your grief. You don't have to compare it to someone else's loss or measure whether it's 'enough' to be real. If something mattered to you, losing it — in any form — deserves space.

That doesn't mean you have to fall apart. It means you get to be honest about what you're carrying.

Grief needs acknowledgment before it can move. It needs to be named, witnessed, and allowed — not fixed, bypassed, or rushed. The work of grief isn't about getting over it. It's about learning to integrate it. To carry the loss without it carrying you.

What We're Covering This Month

Over the next four weeks, we're going deep on grief in all of its forms. Here's what's coming on the podcast and in the newsletter:

• Week 1: What grief actually is — and why so many of us are carrying it without knowing it

• Week 2: Disenfranchised grief — the losses nobody validates, and why that silence makes everything harder

• Week 3: Grieving a person who is still alive — ambiguous loss, estrangement, and the grief that has no clear ending

• Week 4: Identity grief and life stage loss — when the hardest thing you've lost is a version of yourself

If any of this resonates — if you're carrying something you've never quite had permission to call grief — this month is for you.

Subscribe to the newsletter below so you don't miss a single week. And if you're ready for support that goes deeper than a podcast can offer, I'd love to work with you.

CTA: Sign up for the Notes From The Healing Journey newsletter at healingismyhobby.com

Follow @healingismyhobby on Instagram and YouTube

Learn about working with Jessica: jessicacolarcolcsw.com

February Reflection: Staying Regulated in a Dysregulating World

+ What We’re Exploring in March

If February had a theme, it was this:

How do we stay regulated in a world that feels increasingly dysregulated?

Between nonstop news cycles, social media overload, political tension, family stress, and everyday life demands, many of us have been operating with a nervous system that feels constantly “on.”

On alert.
On edge.
On overload.

This month on Healing Is My Hobby, we slowed that down.

Not by pretending the world isn’t overwhelming.
Not by bypassing reality.
But by asking a different question:

How do we care for our nervous systems while living in reality?

What We Explored in February

Throughout February, we talked about:

• What regulation actually means (it’s not perfection or constant calm)
• How the nervous system shifts between activation and shutdown
• Micro-resets that support stability
• News fasting and social media boundaries
• Polyvagal-informed practices like humming, breathwork, and nature exposure
• The difference between fixing yourself and regulating yourself

One of the most important reminders this month was this:

Regulation is not about controlling your reactions.
It’s about increasing your capacity.

It’s not about becoming unbothered.
It’s about becoming more resilient.

And maybe most importantly:

Regulation is not selfish.

When we regulate ourselves, we show up more clearly, more compassionately, and more intentionally in our families, workplaces, and communities.

What I Noticed Personally

As part of our Healing Lab experiments, I tested news fasting and intentional social media limits.

And what became clear was this:

Constant exposure to information isn’t the same as being informed.

The nervous system does not distinguish between scrolling about stress and living inside of it.

Boundaries didn’t make me disconnected.
They made me steadier.

And steadiness changes everything.

What We’re Exploring in March: Trauma

As we move into March, we’re shifting from regulation to something deeper:

Trauma.

Not in a dramatic way.
Not in a labeling way.
Not in a “dig up your past” way.

But in an educational, empowering way.

Because trauma is one of the most misunderstood concepts in mental health.

Some people assume it doesn’t apply to them.
Others assume it explains everything.

This month, we’ll be exploring:

• What trauma actually is — and what it isn’t
• The difference between Big T and little t trauma
• How trauma lives in the body
• High-functioning trauma responses like perfectionism, overworking, and hyper-independence
• How trauma and anxiety overlap
• How to work with triggers without overwhelming yourself

The goal isn’t to pathologize you.

The goal is to give you language.

Because when we understand our patterns, we stop shaming ourselves for them.

Why Trauma?

Many of the coping strategies we rely on — overworking, scrolling, numbing, staying busy — aren’t random.

They’re adaptive.

They helped us survive something.

Understanding trauma helps us move from:

“What’s wrong with me?”
to
“What happened to me?”

And even more gently:
“What did I learn I needed to do to stay safe?”

A Gentle Invitation

If February helped you feel steadier, March may help you feel clearer.

You don’t have to identify as “traumatized” to learn something from this month.

You just have to be curious.

Healing isn’t about becoming someone new.

It’s about understanding who you had to become.

And that understanding?
Changes everything.

Anxiety, Gently: What It Is, How to Work With It, and What We’re Exploring This Month

Anxiety is one of those words we hear all the time—yet so many people still feel confused, overwhelmed, or even ashamed when they experience it.

This month on Healing Is My Hobby, we’re slowing things down and taking a softer, more compassionate look at anxiety. Not from a “fix yourself” place—but from a place of understanding, curiosity, and choice.

Because anxiety isn’t a personal failure.
It’s a nervous system response.
And it deserves care, not criticism.

What Anxiety Really Is

At its core, anxiety is your body’s way of trying to protect you.

It shows up when your nervous system senses uncertainty, pressure, or perceived threat—even when there’s no immediate danger. Anxiety can sound like what if…, feel like tightness in your chest, or look like overthinking, avoidance, or constant busyness.

Some common experiences of anxiety include:

• Racing thoughts or mental looping

• Feeling on edge, restless, or keyed up

• Difficulty sleeping or fully relaxing

• A sense of urgency or pressure to “figure it all out”

• Physical sensations like tension, nausea, or shallow breathing

Anxiety often gets louder during transitions—new years, life changes, health concerns, relationship shifts—because uncertainty activates our survival wiring.

And here’s the important part:
Anxiety isn’t trying to ruin your life.
It’s trying to keep you safe—just a little too aggressively sometimes.

A Gentler Way to Work With Anxiety

Instead of asking, “How do I get rid of this?”
What if we asked, “What does my anxiety need right now?”

Here are a few supportive ways to begin changing your relationship with anxiety:

1. Get Curious About Your Thoughts

Anxiety loves future-focused “what if” thinking. Gently noticing when your mind jumps ahead—and practicing pulling your attention back to the present—can soften its grip. You don’t need to argue with every anxious thought; sometimes simply naming it is enough.

2. Support Your Sleep

An anxious nervous system struggles without rest. Improving sleep quality—through routines, winding down earlier, or creating a calming nighttime ritual—can significantly reduce anxiety intensity.

3. Build in Realistic Self-Care

Self-care doesn’t have to be elaborate. Small, consistent moments of care—like stepping outside, stretching, drinking water, or saying no—send powerful safety signals to your nervous system.

4. Practice Mindfulness (Without Pressure)

Mindfulness isn’t about clearing your mind. It’s about noticing what’s happening—without judgment—and gently anchoring yourself in the present moment. Even a few slow breaths can interrupt anxiety’s momentum.

What We’re Exploring This Month on Healing Is My Hobby

Throughout this month, Healing Is My Hobby will be focused on anxiety—approached in a way that feels human, compassionate, and doable.

You can expect:

• A gentle introduction to anxiety and how it shows up in everyday life

• Education around anxiety disorders and when extra support may be helpful

• Practical tools grounded in therapy, mindfulness, and nervous system care

• “Therapy Is My Cardio” segments that turn coping skills into approachable practices

• Healing Lab experiments where I try different anxiety-supporting tools (like herbal teas, tapping, and tai chi)

• Reassurance that healing doesn’t have to be heavy or perfect

This month is about learning how to meet anxiety with more understanding—and less self-judgment.

A Final Note

If anxiety has been showing up loudly for you lately, you’re not broken.
You’re human.
And your nervous system is doing its best.

My hope is that this month’s conversations help you feel less alone, more informed, and more empowered to care for yourself in ways that actually feel supportive.

You don’t have to fix yourself.
You get to support yourself.

I’m so glad you’re here. 🤍

December Wrap-Up: What Social Media Is Really Doing to Our Minds And How We Can Reclaim Our Peace

As the year winds down, December brought a powerful theme to Healing Is My Hobby:

our relationship with social media, our nervous systems, and our emotional well-being.

Whether we realize it or not, most of us live in a constant state of low-level overstimulation. Our brains are absorbing more information in an hour than previous generations consumed in an entire day. And for many of us, that information is coming from one place:

Social media.

This month, through our Therapy Is My Cardio series and the Healing Lab experiment, I took a deep dive into what social media is doing to us — not just psychologically, but physically, emotionally, and neurologically.
Here’s what I learned, what surprised me, and the small shifts that can help all of us feel more grounded in a digital world that never stops moving.

📱 The Emotional Cost of Constant Stimulation

In our December Therapy Is My Cardio episode, we explored the cognitive load of scrolling — how every image, video, caption, opinion, and emotional tone becomes something for our brains to process.

In just one minute of scrolling, we encounter:

• facial expressions

• political takes

• celebrations and tragedies

• humor and beauty standards

• ads

• opinions

• conflict

• inspiration

• comparison triggers

This flood of content creates:

• mental fatigue

• fragmented attention

• irritability

• emotional numbness

• overstimulation

It’s not that social media is inherently bad — it’s that our brains were never designed for this much input.

💬 How Social Media Shapes Our Mood, Identity, and Nervous System

Throughout December, we talked about:

Comparison Culture

How easy it is to measure our worth against curated highlight reels — and how this distorts our sense of self.

Validation Loops

The pull of “just checking” becomes a habit loop reinforced by dopamine, making it harder to disconnect.

Emotional Overload

Even positive content takes up emotional space.
Our systems can only absorb so much before they shut down.

Trauma Triggers

For many people, certain content activates old wounds — often without them realizing what’s happening in their body.

🧪 The Healing Lab: My 4-Day Social Media Reset

This month, I put myself through a real experiment:
I logged off for four days.

I didn’t expect it to be easy, but I was surprised by how often I reached for my phone without thinking.
The urge to check — especially in the first 48 hours — was strong. It wasn’t about connection. It was a reflex, a coping strategy, a way to avoid discomfort.

Here’s what I learned:

1. Discomfort Is Insightful

When I couldn’t scroll, emotions surfaced: boredom, loneliness, irritation, fatigue.
Those emotions weren’t problems — they were information.

2. Social Media Adds Less Value Than I Thought

Once the urges quieted, I realized how peaceful it felt not to be plugged in.

3. “Post It and Leave It” Is My New Rule

Borrowing from Therapy Is My Cardio, I now share content without checking it afterward.
No likes. No comments. No spirals.

4. My Productivity and Presence Increased

With fewer micro-distractions, I felt more grounded, creative, and connected to my actual life.

5. I’m More Intentional Now

I don’t avoid social media — but I choose when I use it.
And that choice makes all the difference.

💡 What December Taught All of Us

Across every episode and experiment, a clear message emerged:

Our digital lives need boundaries. Not punishment, not restriction — boundaries that help us return to ourselves.

Some of the most powerful shifts are simple:

• No-morning scrolling

• App limits

• Notifications off

• Posting without monitoring

• One-breath interruptions

• Replacing scrolling with something grounding

• Asking: “What is my body needing right now?”

These practices don’t eliminate social media — they transform our relationship with it.

🌱 Closing Reflection: Reclaiming Our Digital Peace in 2026

As we move into a new year, consider this:

Social media can be a tool, a connector, and a source of creativity —
but only when we stay in the driver’s seat.

December reminded me, and hopefully reminded you, that:

• our attention is precious

• our nervous system has limits

• our emotional well-being deserves protection

• our real lives are happening outside the scroll

If this month taught us anything, it’s that intentionality changes everything.

Here’s to a calmer, clearer, more grounded digital life in the year ahead.
And here’s to choosing connection that nourishes — not overstimulates.

Healing Lab: Can Heat + Tiny Creative Moments Really Help With Burnout? Here’s What I Learned

Burnout isn’t just “being tired.”
It’s a full-body, full-brain depletion that can make even simple things feel overwhelming. And during November’s burnout theme on the Healing Is My Hobby podcast, I wanted to put two gentle, accessible practices to the test — not theoretical self-care, but real-life experiments I could do as a busy therapist, mom, and human who’s sometimes running on fumes.

So this month’s Healing Lab explored two questions:

1. Does warm-water therapy actually melt burnout?
2. Can tiny glittery dots (AKA diamond painting) calm a fried nervous system?

Here’s what happened when I tried both.

🔥 Experiment 1: Warm-Water Immersion (A.K.A. Heat Therapy)

Why I Tried It

Burnout lives in the body. When we’re overwhelmed, our stress response system, specifically the sympathetic nervous system, gets stuck on “high alert.” Warm water naturally helps shift the body into rest mode. Research shows that passive heat therapy:

• Lowers cortisol

• Reduces muscle tension

• Improves sleep quality

• Activates the parasympathetic “rest & restore” mode

In other words: heat helps your body breathe again.

What I Tested

To make this experiment realistic (because not every night allows for a spa-level routine), I tried three versions:

1. A nightly 10-minute hot tub ritual
No phone, soft lighting, silence.

2. An Epsom salt bath with calming music
A little at-home retreat energy.

3. A foot soak + breathwork combo
Perfect for busy days when I didn’t have time or energy for more.

What I Noticed

It was almost shocking how quickly my body responded. Within seconds of getting into warm water, my shoulders dropped. My breath slowed. That “tight chest burnout feeling” loosened.

Here’s what stood out:

• The hot tub helped me sleep deeper and wake up less tense.

• The bath was the most soothing emotionally—I felt genuinely comforted.

• The foot soak was the easiest and most surprisingly effective. Paired with slow breathing, it gave me a full nervous system reset in under five minutes.

Does heat therapy melt burnout?
Not magically. But yes, it softens it. It creates space. It helps the body remember what calm feels like.

🎨 Experiment 2: Diamond Painting & Slow Crafting

Why I Tried It

Burnout isn’t just physical exhaustion, it’s cognitive overload.
Slow, repetitive creative activities activate “flow,” a state that:

• Decreases rumination

• Boosts mood through gentle dopamine release

• Restores attention

• Helps the brain focus on one soothing task

Diamond painting felt like the perfect low-pressure entry point.

What I Tested

• Diamond painting bookmarks (small + doable)

• Mini cross-stitch

• Paint-by-number

• Clay bead bracelet making

What I Noticed

Starting was the hardest part, burnout makes initiation feel huge. But once I began, something shifted:

• Diamond painting was my favorite. It was calming, structured, and offered tiny sparkles of joy (literally).

• Cross-stitch was the most meditative but required more patience.

• Paint-by-number was soothing but better for longer stretches.

• Bracelet-making was fun, bright, and perfect to do with my kids.

Do tiny glittery dots fix burnout?
Not completely.
But they absolutely helped my brain downshift, get present, and find micro-moments of joy, which are essential for recovery.

💛 The Big Takeaway

Burnout recovery doesn’t have to be dramatic.
It doesn’t require quitting your job, running away to a cabin, or reinventing your entire life.

It requires small, consistent moments of nervous-system repair.

Warm water softened my body.
Slow crafting softened my mind.

Together, they created space for me to breathe again — little windows of “me” within the chaos.

And that’s the whole spirit of the Healing Lab: tiny experiments that help us come home to ourselves.

✨ Try It Yourself: A Mini Healing Practice

If you want to try your own version of this Healing Lab experiment, choose one of these:

• A 5-minute warm foot soak

• A 2-minute diamond painting session

• One small row of a slow craft

Set a timer.
Let it be imperfect.
Let your nervous system downshift.

And if you try it, I’d love to hear about your experience — you can tag me on Instagram @healingismyhobby or send me a message.

Embracing Balance: October as a Season for Grounding

October marks a shift. The air gets crisper, the days shorten, and life often speeds up as we prepare for the holiday season ahead. While fall can be cozy and comforting, it can also stir up stress, anxiety, and feelings of being stretched too thin. This month is the perfect invitation to pause, check in with yourself, and find practices that keep you grounded.

Why Fall Transitions Can Feel Heavy

Seasonal changes can affect our mood, energy, and sleep. Our bodies are adjusting to less daylight, our schedules tend to get busier, and expectations—both at work and at home—start to pile up. It’s no wonder many of us notice an increase in stress and anxiety during this time.

Instead of pushing through, October offers an opportunity to slow down, recalibrate, and nurture your emotional well-being.

Simple Grounding Practices for October

Here are a few ways to support yourself this month:

• Create an evening routine. As the days shorten, prioritize sleep by winding down with a calming ritual—reading, stretching, or journaling.

• Set seasonal boundaries. Say no to the commitments that drain you, and yes to the ones that restore you. Protect your energy.

• Get outside. Even short walks in the crisp fall air can boost your mood and reduce stress.

• Journal for clarity. Take five minutes to write down what’s on your mind. This simple practice helps organize thoughts and calm anxious energy.

• Practice mindful breathing. A few deep breaths can shift your nervous system from stress to calm in just moments.

An Invitation to Heal

Healing doesn’t have to be complicated or perfect—it’s about experimenting with small shifts that support your mental health and create space for peace. October is a reminder that just as the seasons change, so can we. We get to release what no longer serves us and make room for rest, reflection, and renewal.

Take this month to listen to your body, honor your needs, and give yourself permission to slow down. Your healing is not just important—it’s essential.

welcome to healing is my hobby

I’m so glad you’re here. Healing Is My Hobby is a podcast created for therapy-curious adults who want real support, practical tools, and a little encouragement along the way. Healing can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be heavy. This space is designed to be warm, inviting, and just a little playful—because growth and self-care should feel doable and human.

Each episode combines my clinical experience as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with nearly two decades in the field, alongside my curiosity and love of trying new approaches. Together, we’ll explore the science of mental health, practical tools, and creative ways to bring more peace and balance into your everyday life.

I started this podcast because I know healing isn’t linear. It’s a journey filled with stops, starts, and unexpected detours. My hope is that Healing Is My Hobby gives you permission to explore, experiment, and find what truly works for you. This is your invitation to take a breath, set down the weight you’re carrying, and step into a community where your healing matters.

Welcome to the journey—I’m honored you’re here.

— Jessica Colarco, LCSW