43 | 3 Hidden Signs You’re Numbing Out Instead of Practicing Real Self-Care

Do you ever call late-night scrolling “me time”? Or raid the pantry for “comfort food” — only to end up more drained than before? Maybe you even snap at your kids or partner, thinking it’s a release, but later the guilt feels heavier than the anger ever did.

Here’s the truth: numbing isn’t self-care. It’s survival mode — and it keeps you stuck.

In this episode, I’ll uncover 3 hidden signs you’re numbing instead of nourishing, and what real self-care actually looks like. You’ll learn:

• Why scrolling fogs your brain instead of calming it (and the 10-minute swap that actually restores peace)
• How “comfort food” steals more than it gives, and how to uncover what you’re really craving
• The surprising truth about snapping — why it doesn’t release tension, and what to do instead

You’re not broken. You’re not weak. You’re just overloaded and out of alignment — and there’s a way forward.

👉 Grab your F R E E P.A.U.S.E. Guide: 5 Triggers Keeping You Stuck (and How to Break Free). ✨ Click Here Now. ✨

✨ Click Here Now to Sign Up for the Bootcamp!✨

🎶 Instrumental Acoustic Guitar Music by Viacheslav Starostin (original_soundtrack),

W E B S I T E - LisaCovert.com

I N S T A G R A M - @lisamcovert

Transcript

Ever find yourself scrolling your phone for “just a minute,” grabbing a snack you’re not even hungry for, or snapping at the people you love — and convincing yourself it’s self-care? Like, “hey, I deserve this,” or “this is just my me time.”

I get it. I’ve done it, too. Because in the moment, it feels like relief. But let’s be real — it doesn’t leave you refreshed. It leaves you drained, foggy, guilty, and wondering why the calm never lasts.

And it’s not just the scrolling, the snacking, or the snapping. Sometimes it’s even those little projects we convince ourselves are “for us.” Maybe you start daydreaming about repainting the front porch, or you disappear into Pinterest boards planning a full kitchen remodel you don’t even have the budget or energy for right now. For a little while, it feels like escape, like a distraction from everything else. But at the end of the day, you’re just as overwhelmed as when you started — only now with another half-finished project or another thing on the to-do list.

Here’s the truth: numbing isn’t self-care. Checking out isn’t the same as filling up. And today I want to show you how to spot the difference, so you don’t waste your energy on things that promise peace but never actually give it to you.

So you might think: “Okay, I’ve set my phone down. Now how do I quiet my mind?” And let me tell you — it doesn’t always happen instantly. But over time, you begin to feel what peace actually feels like, instead of just chasing it.

Here’s the deal: our minds are always spinning — running through the to-do list, replaying yesterday’s conversation, planning tomorrow’s carpool. It’s like your brain is juggling three days at once. No wonder it feels exhausting.

When you slow down for just ten minutes, whether through journaling, deep breaths, take a short walk or simply staring out the window, you’re giving your mind a chance to put some of those balls down. You start to notice: oh, this is what calm feels like.

And here’s what science tells us — just 10 minutes of daily mindfulness has been shown to ease anxiety, boost mood, and even improve sleep and healthy habits over time. Little micro-changes, practiced consistently, add up to big transformation.

Imagine that for yourself — ten quiet minutes where you’re not pulled in every direction, but simply present with your own thoughts. You breathe deeper. Decisions feel clearer. And for once, you think, I can handle this.

So the truth is, intentional presence — even something as simple as sitting in silence — will fill you up more than any scroll session ever could.

And here’s where it shows up in another way: the pantry. You’re not even hungry, but you wander in, grab the snack bar, maybe the chips, maybe the ice cream. And in your head it sounds a little like a toddler tantrum: “Why can’t I just have this? Why can’t I?”

We call it comfort food, but let’s be honest — it’s not always comfort. Sometimes it really is comfort, like when you finally take your bra off and put on the oversized sweatshirt at the end of the day. That’s comfort. You’re looking forward to it.

But a lot of the time, it’s not comfort. It’s claiming one thing that feels like yours. That one late-night snack. That one cocktail. That one extra scroll through Pinterest. It becomes this small territory of mine in a life where you don’t feel like much belongs to you anymore.

And I get it — sometimes it feels like you’re giving up everything else, so why should you give up this too? But here’s the shift: these numbing “one things” aren’t actually yours. They’re not giving to you — they’re taking from you. They leave you bloated, tired, frustrated, and more disconnected than before.

So instead of reaching for food or drink to fill the gap, ask yourself: “What do I actually need right now?” Sometimes the answer is water. Sometimes it’s a walk. Sometimes it’s a cry you’ve been holding back all day. Because food won’t fix feelings — and numbing won’t give you back what you’re missing.

And that’s when the bigger question creeps in: if I stop leaning on food or scrolling or snacking, what do I do with the emotions underneath?

Quick pause—because what I’m about to share has helped a lot of women come up for air.

I used to think overwhelm was just part of being a mom… part of life. I mean, the stress, the short fuse, losing myself somewhere between the never-ending to-do lists, the laundry, everybody else’s needs—and let’s be honest… all the things I wanted for myself?

Whether it was building a business, finally getting the house organized, or chasing down those personal goals… they always came last. Or worse, I’d try to squeeze them in and it just made everything feel heavier.

That’s just how it goes, right?

But let me be real with you… it wasn’t working. I was exhausted, resentful, and waking up every day already behind—and not just behind on my tasks, but weighed down by heaviness. Heavy emotions, heavy thoughts… all of it.

And I finally hit that moment where I realized—I don’t want to live like this anymore.

That’s exactly why I created the Empowered Living 6-week course. It’s how I went from constantly overwhelmed to finally stepping into ownership of my life. Not just surviving—but actually feeling confident, present, and dare I say… excited to show up for my life again.

If you’re listening right now thinking, “Yep, that’s me…” this is your sign. You deserve to feel good again. You deserve to lead a life that actually feels like your own.

Head to lisacovert.com/empoweredliving, click Apply Now, and learn how to reset from overwhelm to ownership — because it’s time to lead a life that feels like yours again.

When emotions stay unspoken, pressure builds. And eventually, it leaks out as snapping — at your kids for bickering, your partner for scrolling on his phone, or the stranger who cuts you off in traffic. In the moment, it feels like release. But afterward, the guilt weighs more than the anger ever did.

Here’s the truth: snapping doesn’t release tension, it recycles it. You don’t feel lighter — you feel heavier.

The solution is not to stuff it down or ignore it. The solution is to become aware of what you’re feeling and manage it before it overflows. And this isn’t complicated — it’s about small, practical resets that anyone can do.

Here are a few proven options:

• Pause and breathe. One deep breath slows your nervous system and gives your brain a chance to re-engage logic before words fly out.
  
  
  
• Step away. Even 60 seconds in another room, or walking outside to get fresh air, helps your body reset.
  
  
  
• End-of-day release. Instead of carrying it into the night, offload the stress in healthy ways: write it down, stretch for five minutes, cry if you need to, or take a hot shower. These aren’t luxuries — they’re pressure valves.
  
  
  
• Music reset. Play a song that matches your mood and let yourself move or sing it out. The body needs a way to metabolize what the mind is holding.
  
  
  

This is not about perfection. You will still have moments where you snap — everyone does. But the more you practice pausing and resetting, the less control those reactions will have over you.

So the question becomes: if numbing isn’t care, and snapping isn’t release — then what does real self-care look like?

Here’s the answer: real self-care is checking in, not checking out. It’s noticing what you’re feeling, choosing how to move through it, and giving yourself what you actually need.

And when you do that, everything shifts.So let’s bring this all together. You’re not broken. You’re not weak. You’re not failing. You’re just overloaded and out of alignment.

Real self-care isn’t about checking out with snacks, scrolls, or snaps. Real self-care is about checking in — being honest about what you’re feeling, giving yourself permission to release it in healthy ways, and making choices that bring you peace instead of guilt.

And here’s the bigger truth: when you learn to pause, notice, and manage what’s going on inside, everything around you shifts. The arguments at home soften. The tension at work eases. The weight on your shoulders feels lighter. Not because everyone else suddenly changes, but because you show up differently. That’s the power you actually have — and it’s always been there.

If you want help starting, I created a free resource just for you: the P.A.U.S.E. Guide. Inside you’ll find 5 common triggers that keep women stuck in overwhelm — and the simple shifts that break you free. It’s short, practical, and comes with a bonus phone image so you can keep the reminder close whenever life feels heavy. You can grab it at lisacovert.com/triggers. And if you’re ready to go deeper — if you want to not just spot the triggers but actually practice releasing them — the Empowered Living course is where I walk you through it step by step.

But whether you grab the guide or join me in the course, remember this: peace is possible for you. Not when the world gets easier. Not when everyone else gets it together. But right now — when you choose to pause, release, and care for yourself in a way that truly lasts.

I’ll see you in the next episode, where we’ll keep going — together.