Healing Is My Hobby with Jessica Colarco, LCSW

Jessica Colarco
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Mental Health

Discover what heals you—mind, body, and soul. Hosted by licensed therapist Jessica Colarco, Healing Is My Hobby is a cozy space where clinical wisdom meets real-life healing. Each week, we explore mental health topics like anxiety, stress, depression, and burnout—with simple tools and compassionate insight to help you feel better. But this isn’t just talk therapy. Jessica also takes you along on her own healing journey—whether she’s trying a salt cave, diving into a life-changing book, or experimenting with new wellness rituals. This podcast is your invitation to learn, grow, and play with what healing can look like in your own life. Because healing doesn’t have to be heavy. It can be curious. Creative. Even fun.

  1. 4d ago

    When Stress Becomes Anxiety: Is It a Problem or a Prediction?

    When Stress Becomes Anxiety: Is It a Problem or a Prediction? All through September, we talked about your nervous system: stress signals, regulation, and the idea that calm isn't the only healthy state. This month, we're taking that conversation one step further into anxiety. Anxiety doesn't always look like a panic attack. Sometimes it looks like overthinking, irritability, procrastinating, or being incredibly productive. Sometimes it's asking "are you sure you're not mad at me?" for the third time, Googling the same question for the fifth time, or lying awake at 2 a.m. holding a very serious meeting with yourself about a problem that doesn't exist yet. In this episode, Jessica breaks down the difference between stress and anxiety, why anxiety has such a hard time with uncertainty, and one simple question that can help you create a little space between you and the worry. In this episode, we talk about: How stress and anxiety overlap, and how they're differentWhy stress usually responds to what is happening, while anxiety responds to what might happenAnxiety's difficult relationship with uncertainty, and how it tries to create certainty through overthinking, preparing, Googling, and reassurance-seekingWhy planning and worrying are not the same thingThe key question: Am I dealing with a problem, or a prediction?Why your body reacts to an anxious story as if it's happening right nowWhy the goal isn't to stop worrying, but to start recognizing what's happening when anxiety shows up Try this this week: When you notice yourself getting caught in a worry, pause and ask: What is actually happening right now?What am I predicting might happen?Is there an action I need to take, or am I trying to create certainty? You don't have to make the anxiety disappear. Just notice. Coming up next week: Your anxiety is actually trying to protect you, even when it's making your life harder. Understanding why your brain learned to do this can help you stop fighting anxiety and start responding differently. Free resource: Feeling disconnected from yourself, or so used to pushing through that you're not sure what you need anymore? Download Your Personal Care Plan, a free guide to help you slow down, check in, and think intentionally about what actually supports you. Find it in the resource library at heal.jessicacolarcolcsw.com. Want to go deeper? Explore courses and other offerings at heal.jessicacolarcolcsw.com. Connect: 📩 Join the newsletter at healingismyhobby.com 📷 Instagram: @healingismyhobby ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@healingismyhobby 🩺 Clinical practice: jessicacolarcolcsw.com 📷 Instagram: @jessicacolarcolcsw 🎵 TikTok: @jessicacolarcolcsw tress vs anxiety, what is anxiety, anxiety vs stress difference, when stress becomes anxiety, anxiety and uncertainty, intolerance of uncertainty, overthinking, what if thinking, worry vs planning, anxious predictions, catastrophizing, reassurance seeking, anxiety at night, can't sleep from anxiety, 2am anxiety, nervous system and anxiety, anxiety symptoms, high functioning anxiety, anxiety and procrastination, anxiety therapist, CBT for anxiety, problem vs prediction, anxious thoughts are not facts, managing worry, anxiety podcast, mental health podcast, healing podcast, nervous system regulation, Jessica Colarco LCSW, Healing Is My Hobby

  2. Sep 28

    Not Everything That Feels Urgent Is Urgent: Telling the Difference Between Real Urgency and Anxiety

    Not Everything That Feels Urgent Is Urgent: Telling the Difference Between Real Urgency and Anxiety An uncomfortable email arrives and you feel like you have to answer right now. A text goes unanswered and you need to know why. You remember a small task and it has to be done before you can sit down. Urgency can feel like important information, but sometimes it's anxiety in a very convincing disguise. In this final episode of our September series on our relationship with doing, I bring the month together by looking at what sits underneath so many of these patterns: urgency. We explore how thoughts and physical sensations reinforce each other, why our brains get so good at "handling it" to find relief, and how to tell the difference between actual urgency (about the situation) and emotional urgency (about the discomfort the situation creates inside us). This isn't about ignoring what matters or swapping urgency for avoidance. It's about creating enough space between the feeling and the action to realize you have a choice. In this episode, we explore: The difference between actual urgency and emotional urgency, with real-life examples"Open loops" and why unresolved things feel so hard to leave aloneHow we create activity when we can't create certaintyA favorite CBT question: Am I responding to a fact or a prediction?False deadlines, or "discomfort deadlines," and the questions that expose them (According to whom? By when? What happens if I wait?)Urgency vs. avoidance vs. regulation, and what flexible responding looks likeWhy so much healing is learning we can survive an unfinished moment This week's Healing Experiment: Identify one false deadline. When your brain says "do it now," ask what the actual deadline is. If there isn't one, create a small intentional delay (10 minutes, 30 minutes, or until tomorrow) and notice what thoughts, body sensations, and fears show up. Then ask: Is this urgency giving me useful information, or is it asking me to make discomfort disappear? This week's takeaway: Not everything that feels urgent is urgent. The feeling is real, but it doesn't have to be an instruction. Sometimes the most regulating thing you can do isn't fixing the problem. It's discovering that you can wait. Resources mentioned: Visit my Healing Library at heal.jessicacolarcolcsw.com to find: Your Personal Care Plan (free worksheet): a way to care for yourself that takes your actual capacity into accountNervous System Regulation Plan: a self-guided resource for understanding your nervous system more deeplyWhy You Can't Stop: my 7-module course for going deeper into the patterns we explored all September Catch up on the September series: Why You Can't Stop • Why Rest Doesn't Always Feel Restful • You Don't Have to Earn Rest • Nervous System Regulation Isn't the Same as Being Calm Connect: 📩 Sign up for the newsletter at healingismyhobby.com 📷 Instagram: @healingismyhobby ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@healingismyhobby 🩺 Clinical website: jessicacolarcolcsw.com 📷 Instagram: @jessicacolarcolcsw 🎵 TikTok: @jessicacolarcolcsw urgency and anxiety, emotional urgency, false deadlines, discomfort deadline, anxiety disguised as urgency, fact vs prediction, CBT for anxiety, cognitive behavioral therapy, intolerance of uncertainty, tolerating uncertainty, open loops, reassurance seeking, checking behaviors, overthinking, high-functioning anxiety, productivity anxiety, compulsive productivity, people pleasing, nervous system regulation, nervous system activation, can't relax, urgency vs avoidance, anxious texting, waiting for a text back, emotional regulation, mindful pause, therapist podcast, mental health podcast, Healing Is My Hobby, Jessica Colarco LCSW

  3. Sep 21

    Regulation Isn't the Same as Being Calm

    Somewhere along the way, calm became the gold standard for mental health. But what if we've been measuring regulation by the wrong thing? In this episode, Jessica explains why nervous system regulation isn't about staying calm. It's about recognizing what's happening inside you, understanding what you need, and responding without treating every uncomfortable feeling like an emergency. You'll learn how to catch your earliest signals, why relief and regulation aren't always the same thing, and how to build a regulation menu that fits you. In this episode Why "how do I calm down?" may be the wrong questionWhy calm is one healthy nervous system state, not the only one, and why flexibility is the real goalHow your nervous system gives you information through body sensations, thoughts, and behaviorsWhy your early signals (a 3 out of 10) give you more choices than your loudest ones (a 9)How activation shows up differently for different people: busyness, irritability, control, reassurance seeking, and checkingWhat shutdown and depletion can look like, and why a strategy for overstimulation may not help when you're disconnectedHow coping skills can become another way of demanding the feeling disappearThe difference between relief and regulationWhy a regulation menu works better than one perfect coping skillWhy regulation is an experiment, not a performance Key takeaways You don't have to be calm to be regulated. You can be anxious, irritated, or sad and still make an intentional choice about what happens next.Instead of asking "Did this make me feel better?", try asking "Did this help me respond differently?"The goal isn't to memorize 30 coping strategies. It's to know yourself well enough to have a few realistic options when your system starts giving you information.Tracking your early signals is about learning your patterns, not monitoring yourself all day for signs that something is wrong. This week's healing experiment Catch one early signal. Choose something small, not your biggest symptom or the moment you're already at a 10.Pause and name it: "My system is starting to get activated," or "I'm starting to shut down."Ask yourself, "What might I need right now?"Try one thing.Afterward, don't ask whether the feeling went away. Ask, "Did this give me a little more choice in how I responded?" Resources mentioned My Nervous System Regulation Plan: a fillable, self-guided workbook that helps you identify your regulated baseline, recognize your signs of activation and shutdown, build your own regulation menu, and track what actually helps. Find it in the course and resource library at heal.jessicacolarcolcsw.com. Why You Can't Stop: Jessica's 7-module, self-paced course on the patterns underneath constant doing. Find it at heal.jessicacolarcolcsw.com. Connect 📩 Sign up for the newsletter at healingismyhobby.com 📷 Instagram: @healingismyhobby ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@healingismyhobby 🩺 Clinical practice: jessicacolarcolcsw.com 📷 Instagram: @jessicacolarcolcsw nervous system regulation, regulation vs calm, how to calm down, coping skills, regulation menu, nervous system regulation plan, early warning signs of anxiety, signs of nervous system activation, shutdown and depletion, dysregulation, relief vs regulation, anxiety coping skills, grounding techniques, overstimulation, emotional regulation, healing experiment, nervous system flexibility, reassurance seeking, checking behaviors, irritability and anxiety, mind-body awareness, CBT therapist, licensed clinical social worker, Healing Is My Hobby podcast, Jessica Colarco LCSW, Why You Can't Stop course

  4. Sep 14

    You Don't Need to Earn Your Rest

    Why do so many of us treat rest like a reward instead of a basic need? In this episode, Jessica unpacks the hidden rule a lot of high achievers live by: I can rest once everything is done. The problem is, the finish line keeps moving — there's always one more email, one more task, one more thing to get ahead on. Jessica explores where this belief comes from, why it hits especially hard for people who are "good at" being productive, and what it actually takes to start relating to rest as a resource instead of a prize. What We CoverWhy "I'll rest when I'm done" sets up a finish line that never arrivesHow everyday messages (work before play, don't be lazy, hard work pays off) quietly turn into rigid rules about earning restWhy high-achieving people are especially good at finding the next task — and why that keeps rest out of reachThe difference between rest as a reward and rest as a resourceHow we moralize productivity vs. rest (productive = responsible, resting = lazy) — and why that framing isn't trueNoticing the double standard: the compassion we extend to others' need for rest vs. the standard we hold ourselves toWhat guilt during rest is actually telling us (and what it isn't)A personal example from Jessica about catching herself moving the goalpost on restHow productivity can get tangled up with identity ("I'm the one who handles everything") and why that's worth examiningThis week's healing experiment: resting before you've earned it This Week's Healing ExperimentChoose a small moment when something could still be done — and stop anyway. Ten minutes. Leave something undone on purpose. Notice what comes up (the thought, the guilt, the urge to get back to it) without rushing to fix it. Ask yourself: what rule do I think I'm breaking right now? Mentioned in This EpisodeWhy You Can't Stop — Jessica's 7-module self-paced course on nervous system regulation, anxiety, and the beliefs underneath productivity and control. Early bird pricing ($197) available through September 14th. 🔗 heal.jessicacolarcolcsw.comNervous System Regulation Plan — a free fillable workbook to help identify your regulated baseline, early signs of activation/shutdown, coping patterns, and go-to strategies. Available in the resource library. 🔗 heal.jessicacolarcolcsw.com Connect📩 Newsletter: healingismyhobby.com 📷 Instagram: @healingismyhobby ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@healingismyhobby 🩺 Clinical practice: jessicacolarcolcsw.com 📷 Instagram: @jessicacolarcolcsw Healing Is My Hobby — because healing doesn't have to be your whole life. It can just be something you keep practicing along the way.

  5. Sep 7

    Why Rest Doesn't Feel Restful

    You finally sit down to rest… and your brain starts running through your to-do list. Sound familiar? In this episode, Jessica breaks down why stopping and regulating are not the same thing — and why your body can stop moving long before your nervous system actually settles. What We CoverWhy rest isn't defined by physical stillness — you can be lying in bed while your nervous system is still fully activatedThe real goal of nervous system work: not constant calm, but flexibilityWhy the "go" transition is easy and the "stop" transition is hard — and how to build a bridge between the two"Productive rest": why we sneak achievement into relaxation (podcasts on walks, productivity guilt while reading, closet reorganizing as emotional avoidance)A personal story about Jessica cleaning out her daughter's closet the weekend before she left for collegeHow to ask "what does my system need right now?" instead of reaching for generic coping skillsWhy regulation isn't about making a feeling disappear — it's about responding differently while you're still feeling it This Week's Healing ExperimentPick one transition in your day that tends to feel abrupt (work → home, dinner → bedtime, etc.). Give yourself a 5-minute bridge before diving into the next thing, and ask: What state am I in? What does my system actually need? Mentioned in This Episode🎓 Why You Can't Stop — Jessica's 7-module self-paced course for people who are great at doing, but struggle to stop. Early Bird pricing: $197 (September 14th), moving to $247 after. 📓 My Nervous System Regulation Plan — a workbook to help you identify your own signs of activation and shutdown, and build a personalized regulation menu. Available here. Connect📩 Newsletter: healingismyhobby.com 📷 Instagram: @healingismyhobby ▶️ YouTube: youtube.com/@healingismyhobby 🩺 Clinical practice: jessicacolarcolcsw.com 📷 Instagram: @jessicacolarcolcsw Coming up next week: "You Don't Need to Earn Your Rest" — digging into the belief that you have to do enough before you're allowed to stop. nervous system regulation, why can't I relax, rest vs regulation, nervous system dysregulation, how to actually rest, productive rest, productivity as coping mechanism, nervous system flexibility, fight or flight to rest and digest, transitions and nervous system, somatic regulation, CBT therapist podcast, anxiety and productivity, empty nest anxiety, avoidance through busyness, coping skills that actually work, grounding techniques, nervous system activation and shutdown, healing is my hobby podcast, Jessica Colarco LCSW, why you can't stop course, nervous system regulation plan workbook, therapist tips for burnout, high achievers and rest, mental load and rest, self-care that isn't productive, how to unwind after work, chronic busyness anxiety

  6. Sep 1

    Why You Can't Stop: When Productivity Starts Feeling Like Safety

    What happens when you finally have nothing to do? For some of us, the answer isn't relief. It's discomfort. In the Season 2 premiere of Healing Is My Hobby, Jessica explores what happens when productivity becomes more than a habit and starts functioning as a way to manage anxiety, uncertainty, and nervous system activation. In this episode, you'll explore: Why productivity itself isn't the problemHow your brain learns from the relief you get after doing, fixing, checking, or controllingWhy anxiety can sometimes look incredibly productiveThe difference between “this needs to be done” and “I need to do this so I can feel okay”How identity and worth can become connected to productivityA simple experiment for creating more space between discomfort and action Ready to Go Deeper?Why You Can't Stop is Jessica's seven-module, self-paced course for people who are really good at doing—but have a much harder time stopping. LAUNCH WEEK: $197 EARLY-BIRD PRICING After the first week, enrollment is $247. A payment plan is also available. Explore Why You Can't Stop, My Nervous System Regulation Plan, and Jessica's other courses and resources at: 👉 Available at heal.jessicacolarcolcsw.com Your Healing ExperimentThe next time you feel an urgent need to do, pause and ask: Does this actually need action right now—or am I looking for relief? Healing Is My Hobby and its accompanying courses and resources are educational and are not therapy or a substitute for individualized mental health treatment. Nervous System Regulation Plan — not ready for the full course yet? This fillable workbook helps you identify what regulation feels like for you, your earliest signs of activation and shutdown, your go-to coping behaviors, and the strategies that actually work for your nervous system. 👉 heal.jessicacolarcolcsw.com Coming Up Next WeekYou've finished work, sat on the couch, even taken the day off — and somehow you still can't relax. Next week: why rest doesn't feel restful, and what happens when your body stops but your nervous system doesn't. Connect📩 Newsletter at healingismyhobby.com 📷 @healingismyhobby on Instagram ▶️ YouTube at youtube.com/@healingismyhobby 🩺 jessicacolarcolcsw.com 📷 @jessicacolarcolcsw productivity anxiety, nervous system regulation, why you can't stop, anxiety and productivity, activation vs stillness, coping mechanisms, high achiever anxiety, rest and guilt, nervous system dysregulation, trauma-informed therapy, CBT, self-worth and achievement, people pleasing, perfectionism, chronic busyness, burnout, mental health podcast, therapist podcast, Healing Is My Hobby, Jessica Colarco LCSW, Why You Can't Stop course

  7. Aug 31

    Healing Moment: The Discomfort of Doing Nothing

    This week, Jessica closes out the summer Healing Moments series with an invitation: what if you let yourself be uncomfortable — on purpose? Not unsafe. Not overwhelmed. Just uncomfortable. For anyone who identifies as an overachiever, a fixer, or a chronic doer, stillness itself can feel unbearable — and productivity often becomes a quiet way of avoiding harder feelings like uncertainty, boredom, or loneliness. This week's practice: Find 5–10 minutes and intentionally don't fill them. No phone, no podcast, no folding laundry, no to-do list. Just sit — with your coffee, on the porch, wherever. Notice what comes up: the urge to reach for your phone, a sudden memory of everything you "should" be doing, restlessness, even guilt. Instead of chasing the discomfort away, try sitting with the thought: I can be uncomfortable and still be okay. Healing isn't always about finding the next thing to do. Sometimes it's discovering that you can stay with yourself when you're doing nothing at all. Season 2 of Healing Is My Hobby starts later this week. 🎉 Connect📩 Sign up for the newsletter at healingismyhobby.com 📷 Follow on Instagram: @healingismyhobby ▶️ Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@healingismyhobby 🩺 Learn about Jessica's clinical practice: jessicacolarcolcsw.com 📷 Follow Jessica's clinical page: @jessicacolarcolcsw

  8. Aug 24

    Healing Moments: What Do You Want to Leave Behind Before September?

    This is the last journal prompt of the summer — and next week's Healing Moment is the final one before Season 2 launches. So this week's prompt is about making space for what's next by naming what you're ready to release. Today's prompt: What do I want to leave behind before September? Some ways to go deeper: What thought pattern have you been dragging around all summer (or longer) that you're genuinely tired of?Is there a habit or coping behavior that's stopped serving you?Is there a relationship dynamic, resentment, or expectation you're willing to loosen your grip on?Is there a smaller, more fearful, more apologetic version of yourself you're ready to stop leading with? You don't have to be fully ready to release it — you just have to be willing to name it. Write it down, then write this: I am willing to leave this behind. I don't need it where I'm going. A first look at Why You Can't Stop 🌱 Jessica shared a first glimpse behind the scenes at Why You Can't Stop — a 7-module, self-paced course for anyone whose nervous system has been stuck in go mode for so long that stopping feels unsafe. It's designed to help you understand the pattern, not just white-knuckle through it. Launching in September, with more details coming soon. Season 2 of Healing Is My Hobby begins next Monday. 🎉 Connect📩 Newsletter at healingismyhobby.com 📷 @healingismyhobby on Instagram ▶️ YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@healingismyhobby 🩺 jessicacolarcolcsw.com 📷 @jessicacolarcolcsw on Instagram

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About

Discover what heals you—mind, body, and soul. Hosted by licensed therapist Jessica Colarco, Healing Is My Hobby is a cozy space where clinical wisdom meets real-life healing. Each week, we explore mental health topics like anxiety, stress, depression, and burnout—with simple tools and compassionate insight to help you feel better. But this isn’t just talk therapy. Jessica also takes you along on her own healing journey—whether she’s trying a salt cave, diving into a life-changing book, or experimenting with new wellness rituals. This podcast is your invitation to learn, grow, and play with what healing can look like in your own life. Because healing doesn’t have to be heavy. It can be curious. Creative. Even fun.

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