In this episode of Healing Is My Hobby, Jessica Colarco, LCSW, breaks down one of the most misunderstood topics in mental health: trauma.

Many people believe trauma only applies to extreme, life-threatening events. But trauma is actually about nervous system overwhelm — when experiences exceed our capacity to process them in the moment.

Jessica explains the difference between Big T trauma (major life-threatening events) and little t trauma (chronic emotional stress, relational wounds, and repeated experiences of not feeling safe, seen, or supported). Both shape how our nervous system learns to respond to the world.

This conversation reframes trauma through a compassionate, neuroscience-informed lens, helping listeners understand that trauma responses like hyper-vigilance, people-pleasing, emotional numbing, or overworking are not character flaws — they are adaptations your nervous system developed to survive.

The most hopeful part? Trauma is not permanent damage. Because of neuroplasticity, the nervous system can learn new patterns of safety, regulation, and resilience.

If you’ve ever wondered why certain situations trigger strong reactions or patterns you can’t quite explain, this episode offers clarity, understanding, and the first step toward healing.

1. Trauma is defined by nervous system overwhelm, not just by the event itself.
2. Big T trauma involves life-threatening events, while little t trauma involves chronic emotional stress and relational wounds.
3. Trauma responses are survival adaptations, not personal weaknesses.
4. Trauma is often stored in the body and nervous system, shaping how we react to stress.
5. Through awareness, regulation, and supportive practices, healing is possible.

00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview

01:05 Jessica's Background and Focus on Trauma

02:03 Defining Trauma: Nervous System Overwhelm

04:26 Big T Trauma: Life-Threatening Events

06:24 Little T Trauma: Chronic Emotional Experiences

08:06 Why Both Types Matter for Healing

09:04 What Trauma Is Not: Common Misconceptions

11:34 Trauma Is Not Permanent Damage

12:36 Trauma Stored in the Body and Nervous System

14:30 The Body Keeps the Score and Healing Strategies

15:55 Trauma's Impact on the Nervous System

17:52 Trauma Responses and Reactivity

20:18 Shifting from Self-Judgment to Compassion

21:36 Reflective Practice: Noticing Patterns

23:04 The Power of Understanding and Compassion

24:11 Next Steps in Healing and Upcoming Topics

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The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

What Happened to You by Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey

Gabor Maté's The Myth of Normal

trauma, nervous system, healing, big T trauma, little t trauma, mental health, regulation, safety, recovery, neuroplasticity

What if your overwhelm isn’t weakness… but your nervous system trying to protect you?

In a world that feels loud, fast, and often unsettling, it’s easy to assume something is “wrong” with us when we feel numb, reactive, exhausted, or on edge.

In this episode of Healing Is My Hobby, Jessica Colarco, LCSW, invites you to consider a gentler truth: many of your reactions to current world events aren’t character flaws — they’re trauma responses.

With over 19 years as a therapist specializing in anxiety and trauma, Jessica breaks down what nervous system overload actually looks like in real life. From doom-scrolling and hyperfixation to irritability, guilt, and hopelessness, she helps you understand why your body and brain may be responding the way they are.

This conversation is not about fixing yourself. It’s about understanding yourself.

Jessica reframes common stress reactions through a trauma-informed lens and offers simple, practical regulation tools you can use immediately — grounding practices, body-based resets, and compassionate mindset shifts that help bring your rational brain back online.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, emotionally flooded, disconnected, or just not like yourself lately, this episode will help you feel seen — and steadied.

💛 Ready for support?

Click here to get your free Collective Calm Toolkit — a gentle resource designed to help you regulate, ground, and reconnect when the world feels dysregulating.

Key Takeaways

1. Many reactions to world events are trauma responses — not personal flaws.
2. Numbness, hyperfixation, anger, guilt, and hopelessness are protective nervous system states.
3. Understanding your trauma responses builds self-compassion and reduces shame.
4. Regulation practices don’t have to be complicated to be effective.
5. Grounding and body-based exercises help bring your rational brain back online.

Chapters

00:00 Understanding Trauma Responses

02:52 Reframing Common Reactions

05:43 Regulation and Grounding Practices

08:52 Closing Thoughts and Future Directions

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trauma responses, nervous system, emotional regulation, compassion, mental health, grounding practices, healing tools

What if staying informed is actually dysregulating you?

And what if protecting your peace isn’t avoidance… but wisdom?

In this month’s Healing Lab, Jessica Colarco, LCSW, tests real-life nervous system practices to answer one question:

What actually helps us stay regulated in a dysregulated world?

Not perfectly. Not as a productivity hack.

But as an experiment.

This month’s lab included:

1. A 48-hour news fast
2. Intentional social media boundaries
3. Simple polyvagal practices (including surprisingly powerful humming)
4. A daily “What’s In My Control?” journaling ritual
5. A tender collective grief practice

Jessica shares what worked, what didn’t, what surprised her (hello, humming), and what she’s keeping moving forward.

You’ll hear:

1. Why the first 24 hours of a news fast are the hardest
2. How constant information overload keeps the nervous system on high alert
3. A simple explanation of the vagus nerve and how to activate your body’s calming system
4. The phrase that became this month’s anchor:

“I can care deeply and still protect my peace.”

1. How the full Serenity Prayer reframed control and surrender
2. Why naming grief can feel heavy — and relieving at the same time

This episode isn’t about disconnecting from the world.

It’s about learning how to engage without abandoning yourself.

Because healing isn’t about doing everything.

It’s about noticing what supports your nervous system — and letting go of what doesn’t.

If you want to experiment alongside Jessica, download the Collective Calm Toolkit inside the newsletter at:

👉 healingismyhobby.com

No pressure. No perfection. Just gentle support.

For more resources and blog posts:

healingismyhobby.com

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Clinical practice:

🖥️ jessicacolarcolcsw.com

Instagram: @jessicacolarcolcsw

In this episode of Healing Is My Hobby, Jessica Colarco takes a compassionate look at doom scrolling—not as a lack of discipline or willpower, but as a nervous system response to uncertainty, fear, and information overload.

We’re living in a time of nonstop headlines, constant alerts, and a lingering sense of urgency. When the world feels unpredictable, our brains naturally search for information as a way to regain control. Jessica breaks down what’s really happening in the brain and body during doom scrolling, why novelty and dopamine keep us stuck in the loop, and how understanding this response can soften self-judgment and lead to real change.

You’ll also learn a simple three-step Doom Scroll Reset to help interrupt the cycle—without shame—and how offering safety to your nervous system is far more effective than criticism. Plus, Jessica shares supportive resources, including the Collective Calm Toolkit, to help you regulate emotions in a chaotic world.

Click here to get your free Collective Calm Toolkit

Key Takeaways

1. We're living in a time of constant information, urgency, and uncertainty.
2. Doom scrolling is not a willpower problem; it's a nervous system response.
3. Dopamine hits from novelty can create a loop that's hard to break.
4. Understanding the brain's response to uncertainty can help us interpret our actions with compassion.
5. The three-step doom scroll reset includes pausing, grounding, and replacing behaviors.
6. Compassion leads to faster change than criticism.
7. Our nervous systems seek safety and control in uncertain environments.
8. Offering safety is key to breaking nervous system loops.
9. The Collective Calm toolkit provides resources for emotional regulation.
10. Healing is a personal journey; what works for one may not work for another.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Emotional Fitness

01:37 Understanding Doom Scrolling

04:33 Doom Scroll Reset Techniques

07:21 Practical Applications and Resources

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Would you like to learn more about Jessica’s clinical practice? Click here.

emotional regulation, doom scrolling, nervous system, mental health, self-care, therapy, mindfulness, coping strategies, social media, anxiety

What happens when the world feels overwhelming—and your nervous system won’t settle?

In this episode of Healing Is My Hobby, Jessica Colarco explores what it really means to stay regulated in a dysregulated world. Through personal reflection and therapist-informed insight, Jessica shares how our nervous systems respond to stress, uncertainty, and perceived threat—even when danger is indirect.

Using a recent personal experience as a touchpoint, this episode gently unpacks the difference between survival mode and intentional regulation, reminding listeners that frustration and gratitude can coexist. You’ll learn why feeling overwhelmed makes sense, how grounding supports the nervous system, and how small, practical tools can help you feel steadier when life feels chaotic.

This episode offers reassurance, perspective, and simple practices to help you care deeply—without carrying everything at once.

Key Takeaways

1. Healing can be playful and woven into daily life.
2. It's normal to feel overwhelmed after unexpected events.
3. Both frustration and gratitude can coexist.
4. Our nervous systems react to perceived threats, even indirectly.
5. Regulation means supporting your body, not ignoring reality.
6. Grounding techniques can help shift our nervous system back to safety.
7. The 5-4-3-2-1 grounding method engages the senses for regulation.
8. Small moments of grounding can accumulate to create stability.
9. Caring deeply does not mean carrying everything at once.
10. Noticing when you're in survival mode is key to regulation.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Healing and Personal Growth

01:57 Navigating Trauma and Growth Mindset

04:51 Understanding Nervous System Responses

09:16 Grounding Techniques for Regulation

10:05 Conclusion and Resources for Support

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Let's connect:

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@healingismyhobby

Would you like to learn more about Jessica’s clinical practice? Click here.

mental wellness, personal growth, nervous system, grounding techniques, trauma recovery, emotional regulation, self-care, mindfulness, therapy, coping strategies

What if every season of life deserves to feel brighter?

Chasing Brighter began as a guide for women in midlife—but this season, we’re expanding the conversation. Because no matter your age, your season, or your story, you deserve joy, growth, and connection.

In Season Five, Jessica and Kelly invite you into a deeper, more honest space—one that celebrates realness over perfection and growth over pressure. This season is about connection, authenticity, and permission to be exactly who you are.

✨ Real is the new perfect—and we’re just getting started.

February on Chasing Brighter is all about turning inward and gently starting again. While Valentine’s Day often focuses on romantic love, we’re shifting the focus to self-connection.

Winter invites rest, reflection, and slowing down—so we’re leaning into that energy with tools and conversations to help you:

1. Reset your mindset and nervous system
2. Rest without guilt
3. Reconnect with yourself before reconnecting with others

We created a 7-Day Brighter Challenge: A Self-Love Reset to help you gently reconnect with yourself in this season of life.

Join our newsletter to receive your free download and start your reset with us.

👉 Head to chasingbrighter.com for details and to subscribe.

1. More diverse stories and voices
2. Honest conversations about growth, identity, and joy
3. Practical tools for self-care, connection, and lively living
4. Permission to let go of perfect and embrace what’s real

What if your anxiety isn’t a sign that something is wrong with you—but proof that your body learned how to survive?

In this episode of Healing Is My Hobby, Jessica Colarco explores how anxiety often comes from past trauma, not just present-day stress. She breaks down how the nervous system learns to stay on high alert, why collective stress can amplify those responses, and how to gently support your body back into safety.

You’ll learn grounding and mindfulness tools, how to reframe anxiety as a protective strategy, and why healing isn’t about erasing the past—it’s about understanding it with compassion and patience.

If you’ve ever thought, “Why am I so anxious when nothing is wrong?”—this episode is for you.

Key Takeaways

1. Anxiety can be a trauma response, not just stress.
2. The body learns to stay alert from past trauma.
3. Reframing anxiety as a protective strategy is crucial.
4. Gentle check-ins can help manage anxiety.
5. Mindfulness practices can aid in grounding.
6. Collective stress affects our individual nervous systems.
7. Setting media boundaries is essential for mental health.
8. Healing involves understanding, not erasing the past.
9. Your emotional responses are valid and make sense.
10. Change is possible with support and patience.

Chapters

00:00 Understanding Anxiety Beyond Stress

03:28 Tools for Managing Anxiety

04:33 Collective Stress and Its Impact

05:58 Resources for Healing and Support

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anxiety, trauma response, nervous system, emotional responses, mindfulness, grounding practices, collective stress, media boundaries, healing, mental health

Can something as simple as tea, slow movement, or tapping shift your nervous system?

In this episode of Healing Is My Hobby, Jessica Colarco steps into the Healing Lab to test gentle, accessible tools for calming anxiety—Tai Chi, herbal tea, and Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) tapping. She shares honest reflections on what felt grounding, what surprised her, and what truly helped regulate her nervous system.

You’ll experience a guided tapping exercise, learn how ritual and movement can support emotional regulation, and hear why curiosity and self-acceptance might be the most powerful healing tools of all.

👉 Click here for your free Gentle Grounding Menu

Key Takeaways

1. Healing is personal and curiosity matters.
2. EFT tapping is a standout tool for emotional regulation and anxiety.
3. Tai Chi has real powerful grounding rituals.
4. Herbal tea is a low-cost, accessible grounding tool.
5. Curiosity is a powerful part of healing.
6. Tapping on specific points can reduce stress.
7. Research supports Tai Chi as a mind-body practice.
8. The ritual of tea can act as a mindfulness practice.
9. Self-acceptance is crucial in emotional healing.
10. Finding the right class and mindset is important for Tai Chi.

Chapters

00:00 Exploring Healing Modalities for Anxiety

03:11 Introduction to Tapping Exercise

07:36 Introduction to Tapping Exercise

13:18 NEWCHAPTER

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Let's connect:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healingismyhobby/

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Would you like to learn more about Jessica’s clinical practice? Click here.

anxiety, healing, Tai Chi, emotional freedom technique, herbal tea, mindfulness, self-acceptance, emotional regulation, tapping, grounding

What if you didn’t have to answer every anxious “what if” to feel safe?

What if anxiety isn’t trying to predict the future, but pulling you out of the present?

In this Therapy Is My Cardio episode of Healing Is My Hobby, Jessica Colarco invites you to think about emotional fitness the same way you think about physical fitness. Anxiety, especially “what if” thinking, is treated here not as a flaw or failure, but as a habit that can be gently retrained.

This episode focuses on awareness as the first rep. Jessica helps listeners notice when their minds drift into future-oriented worry and guides them back into the safety of the present moment. Through grounding exercises, breathwork, and compassionate reframes, she walks you through how to separate thoughts from actual threat and how to calm your nervous system without needing to “fix” yourself.

You’ll practice a warm-up for mindfulness, learn how to respond differently to anxious thoughts, and move through a soothing cool-down that reinforces a powerful truth: you’ve handled hard things before, and you don’t need to solve the future to be okay right now.

This episode is a reminder that presence is a skill, anxiety is trainable, and this moment—right here—is enough.

👉 Click here for your free Gentle Grounding Menu

Key Takeaways

1. Anxiety loves to ask, 'What if something goes wrong?'
2. Future thinking is not a failure, it's a habit.
3. I have handled hard things before.
4. I can meet this one step at a time.
5. This moment is enough.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Therapy as a Workout

01:41 Understanding Anxiety and Future Thinking

02:09 Grounding Techniques to Combat Anxiety

03:29 Reframing Anxious Thoughts

04:15 Cooling Down and Releasing Worries

05:31 Preview of Upcoming Healing Tools

06:11 NEWCHAPTER

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Let's connect:

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Would you like to learn more about Jessica’s clinical practice? Click here.

anxiety, emotional fitness, mindfulness, grounding techniques, what if thinking, breathing exercises, self-compassion, healing, mental health, emotional core

Ever wonder why anxiety shows up even when “nothing is wrong”?

Anxiety gets a bad reputation, but what if it’s not the enemy?

In this episode of Healing Is My Hobby, Jessica Colarco invites you to take a softer, more compassionate look at anxiety, not as a flaw or something to “fix,” but as a natural nervous system response trying to keep you safe. Together, we explore the many ways anxiety can show up in your thoughts, body, and daily life, and why understanding it can open the door to more choice, ease, and self-trust.

Jessica breaks down common anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety, panic disorder, and OCD, shares how to recognize when anxiety may be interfering with your life, and offers practical, accessible tools to support regulation, without pressure or perfection. From CBT strategies and sleep support to self-care that actually calms the nervous system and mindfulness practices that bring you back to the present, this episode is about meeting anxiety with awareness instead of judgment.

If you’ve ever thought, “Why am I like this?”—this conversation gently reframes the question to: “What does my nervous system need right now?”

👉 Click here for your free Nervous System Year in Review printable

Key Takeaways

1. Anxiety is a nervous system response, not a personal flaw.
2. Understanding anxiety can provide more choices in how to respond.
3. Common anxiety disorders include GAD, panic disorder, and OCD.
4. Anxiety can manifest physically and emotionally.
5. Recognizing when anxiety interferes with life is crucial for seeking help.
6. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is effective for managing anxiety.
7. Improving sleep quality is essential for emotional regulation.
8. Self-care should focus on regulation, not indulgence.
9. Mindfulness practices can help ground individuals in the present.
10. Healing involves awareness, compassion, and consistent choices.

Chapters

00:00 Understanding Anxiety: A Compassionate Approach

01:40 Exploring Common Anxiety Disorders

06:39 Recognizing Symptoms and Seeking Help

07:58 Tools for Managing Anxiety

08:28 Cognitive Behavioral Techniques

10:15 Improving Sleep for Better Mental Health

11:48 The Importance of Self-Care

13:08 Practicing Mindfulness and Grounding Techniques

15:04 Embracing Healing and Moving Forward

16:17 NEWCHAPTER

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Would you like to learn more about Jessica’s clinical practice? Click here.

anxiety, mental wellness, personal growth, coping strategies, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, self-care, sleep hygiene, anxiety disorders, emotional regulation