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. 🎉
Hi friends, welcome back to Healing is My Hobby. I'm Jessica Colarco and this is your healing moment for the week. This is our final healing moment of the summer. Over the last few months, we've talked about grounding, slowing down, checking in with yourself, and making space for what you need. So for this last one, I want to leave you with something that might sound a little strange. What if you intentionally let yourself be uncomfortable?
Not unsafe, not overwhelmed, just uncomfortable because there is a difference. If you're an overachiever, a chronic doer, a fixer, or someone who is used to always being productive, slowing down can actually feel uncomfortable. You finally have an hour with nothing you have to do. And suddenly you're cleaning a closet, checking your email, making a list.
Starting a project, picking up your phone, finding something, anything to fill the space. And sometimes we tell ourselves, I just like being productive. And maybe you do. But sometimes productivity is also how we avoid discomfort. Because when we're constantly doing, we don't have to sit very long with uncertainty, boredom, sadness, loneliness, anxiety.
Or even just stillness. So here's your healing moment this week. Find a small pocket of time, even five or ten minutes, and intentionally don't fill it. Put your phone down, don't turn on a podcast, don't start folding the laundry. Don't make the grocery list. Just sit. Maybe have your coffee outside. Look out the window.
Sit on your porch and notice what happens inside of you when there is nothing you need to accomplish. You might notice the urge to reach for your phone. You might suddenly remember 17 things you should be doing. You might feel restless. You might even feel guilty. And instead of immediately making that feeling go away, try saying, I can be uncomfortable and still be okay.
You don't have to regulate it away. You don't have to turn this into another thing you're trying to be good at. You don't have to fix it. Just notice. Because part of healing is learning that discomfort isn't always a signal that something is wrong. Sometimes it's simply the feeling of doing something differently. So as we close out our healing moments for the summer, that's what I want to leave you with.
Where in your life could you practice allowing a little discomfort instead of immediately trying to escape it? Maybe healing isn't always about finding the next thing to do. Maybe sometimes healing looks like discovering that you can stay with yourself when you're not doing anything at all. Thank you for spending these little moments with me this summer. I will see you later this week for season two. A brand new season of healing is my hobby.
Until then, remember, you don't have to heal perfectly. You just have to stay curious about what heals you. If you want to sign up for the newsletter, you can sign up at healing is my hobby.com. You can follow me on social media at healing is my hobby. If you want to know more about my clinical practice, you can check out Jessica Calarco. If you want to know more about my clinical practice, you can visit my website at Jessica Calarco LCSW.com, where I also have a blog.
You can also follow me on Instagram at Jessica Kalarco LCSW.
