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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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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As we step into a new year, the pressure to reset, improve, and “get it right” can quietly wake anxiety up. In this opening January episode of Healing Is My Hobby, licensed clinical social worker Jessica Colarco invites listeners to slow down and begin the year differently.

Instead of diving into productivity or self-fixing energy, this episode offers a compassionate introduction to anxiety—what it is, how it shows up, and how we can build a more supportive relationship with it. January doesn’t have to be a clean slate or an intense overhaul. It can be a recalibration, a continuation, and a chance to choose intention over intensity.

This episode sets the tone for the month of January, where we’ll gently explore anxiety in ways that feel human, accessible, and nervous-system informed—because healing doesn’t have to be heavy to be meaningful.

1. Why January can feel activating rather than refreshing
2. How anxiety thrives on urgency, pressure, and self-doubt
3. What anxiety is (and what it isn’t)
4. The difference between fixing yourself and supporting yourself
5. How to work with your nervous system instead of fighting it
6. Why the goal isn’t eliminating anxiety—but changing your relationship with it
7. A gentle alternative to New Year’s resolutions
8. Simple, compassionate intentions to anchor you this month

Instead of asking, “What do I need to fix about myself this year?”

Try asking:

“What do I want to support in myself this year?”

Choose one soft intention—not a resolution, not a transformation—just a steady anchor. Let that be enough.

Throughout January, Healing Is My Hobby will explore anxiety with curiosity and compassion—looking at how it shows up in our bodies, thoughts, and behaviors, and how we can respond with more choice and kindness.

1. Podcast & Resources: healingismyhobby.com
2. Instagram & YouTube: @healingismyhobby
3. Clinical Practice: jessicacolarcolcsw.com
4. Instagram: @jessicacolarcolcsw

Thank you for being here. May this year feel less about proving something—and more about coming home to yourself.

anxiety, managing anxiety, anxiety support, nervous system, mental wellness, self-compassion, new year anxiety, emotional regulation, gentle healing, mental health podcast