Healing Is My Hobby with Jessica Colarco, LCSW7 Loka 2025

What I Learned from Trying to Heal My Stress

Jessica reflects on a month of experimenting with stress-reduction tools. By journaling daily stress levels and practicing box breathing and the 4-7-8 technique, she shares why stress isn’t something you “fix,” it’s something you tend—day by day. The big takeaway: consistency > perfection.

Key takeaways

Stress care is ongoing tending, not a one-time fix.
Micro-practices work: even 5 minutes can reset your day.
Keep experimenting; consistency beats perfection.

Try this

Box Breathing (4x4x4x4): Inhale 4 • Hold 4 • Exhale 4 • Hold 4 (repeat 3–5 rounds).
4-7-8 Breath (for sleep): Inhale 4 • Hold 7 • Exhale 8 (repeat up to 4 rounds).

Chapters:

00:00 — Welcome & Context

October theme recap and why this reflection episode matters.

00:20 — What the Data Said

Daily journaling + 1–10 stress ratings; noticing spikes without obvious triggers.

01:05 — Mindset Shift

“Stress isn’t something we fix—it’s something we tend.”

01:35 — Tools That Helped

Box breathing for shoulder tension resets; 4-7-8 for falling asleep.

02:20 — Consistency > Perfection

Five minutes of presence can change the day.

02:45 — Reflection Prompt for You

“What’s one experiment that helped you stress a little less this month?”

03:05 — Stay Connected & Next Steps

Share your experiment; newsletter invite; how to reach Jessica.

Want to stay in the know? Subscribe to our newsletter here.

Contact Jessica here.

Let's connect:

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

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

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