Show Notes
This week on The Crystal Paine Show, I want to talk about something that has unexpectedly changed my life this year - what I jokingly call my “grandma hobbies era.” When I first shared that phrase online, it stirred up more feelings than I ever expected. Some people really loved it, but some were really bothered by it. For me, it’s a playful way to describe something deeply meaningful: choosing activities that slow me down, calm my body, and help me feel present again! Two years ago, if I had heard myself talking about puzzles, watercoloring, baking, or crocheting a scarf, I probably would have thought something had gone very wrong. Back then, my life was full of adrenaline, constant urgency, and never-ending to-do lists. I didn’t realize how tightly I was living until I started to loosen my grip, and with the encouragement of my functional medicine doctor, I began intentionally creating space - working fewer hours, building in white space, and letting go of the need to always be “on,” and in that space, I found myself drawn to simple, creative things that didn’t demand anything from me other than just my attention. Listen in this episode as Jesse and I open up honestly about what it has been like to step out of fight mode and learn how to rest, and I share how scary it felt to reduce my work hours as the CEO of a company, how much anxiety that stirred up, and how it revealed an idol of control that I hadn't even realized I had. I also share the surprising ways that God met me in that place - financially, emotionally, and spiritually - when I ultimately chose to trust instead of hustle. Jesse and I also talk about what it feels like when your calendar finally has breathing room, when your to-do list doesn’t fill the page, and when people start to feel like opportunities instead of interruptions. We laugh about puzzles, sourdough, and my very flexible relationship with recipes, but even more than that, we talk about what it means to live from a calmer place and show up more fully to the people and work we love! Please tune in this week, especially if you are tired, running on adrenaline, or craving a slower, richer way to live. Maybe it’s time to find your own version of a “grandma hobby.” I hope that this conversation encourages you, and, as always, I would love to hear from you, so please feel free to reach out!
In This Episode [0:35] - This episode is about how the phrase “grandma hobbies” is a playful, positive term for calming activities that have unexpectedly improved my life! [3:07] - I talk about how leaning into energizing “grandma hobbies” helps me re-regulate my nervous system and move out of constant fight mode. [6:44] - Jesse and I discuss how living constantly in fight-or-flight exhausts the body because it was designed only for short-term survival. [7:30] - I explain how calming, repetitive hobbies redirect my focus and gently regulate my nervous system without adrenaline or urgency. [9:42] - I reflect on how letting go of rigid rules revealed how I was addicted to adrenaline and uneasy with newly open space. [11:11] - Hear how cutting back hours exposed my fear, control, and misplaced belief that success depended solely on me. [14:40] - I argue how choosing trust over hustle showed me that rest, not control, leads to freedom. [17:26] - Hear how working less has made my life richer, calmer, and more present across work, relationships, and creativity. [20:28] – Jesse and I talk about how working fewer hours has improved my energy, sleep quality, and overall well-being by preventing constant exhaustion. [21:31] - Jesse and I discuss how intentional stillness via simple, calming activities helps restore awareness, reduce stress, and regulate the nervous system! [24:36] - I am finding that simple creative hobbies create space, restore calm, and help me show up with joy and love!
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More from Crystal Paine Show
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Listen in to this episode of The Crystal Paine Show as Jesse and I talk about something that I have been working on for a long time: my sixth book, The 7 Habits of Financially Healthy Women, which comes out very soon on October 27th! The release date was originally September 15th, so having it pushed back six weeks at the last minute has made for an interesting fall. Between running our business during its busiest season and suddenly having all these podcast interviews lined up, I have had plenty to keep me on my toes but I am so excited to finally share this book with you! I’m telling the story behind the book, including why I believe this may be my last one, what I learned from writing my very first book, and how this project became something completely different from my original idea. I wanted to create something more intentional than a collection of blog posts: a short, story-driven book that combines practical financial guidance with the personal experiences that shaped my approach to money, which includes lessons from my parents, the influence of my grandparents, and the legacy that they have left behind. I share stories that I haven’t told publicly before, along with some of the creative, outside-of-the-box ways my family learned to save money and build financial freedom. We also discuss what financial health actually means to me. It’s not about having a huge bank balance, owning a home, or being debt-free. It’s about finding peace and living intentionally with whatever resources you have. I want you to see how budgeting can help you spend on what matters to you, whether that’s a vacation, a concert, or a special dinner, without the guilt and/or stress. I am also sharing the resources available to help you put these ideas into practice, including my free five-day budget makeover and the exclusive bonuses that come with pre-ordering the book. We talk about the money toolkit, resources for having conversations about finances with your spouse, and my five-lesson 5 Days to a Financially Healthier You course. My hope is that you’ll walk away feeling encouraged, equipped, and confident that financial health is possible right where you are. You don’t have to have everything figured out to start making meaningful changes! I hope that you enjoy this episode, and please be sure to preorder a copy of the new book!
I am honestly truly honored to have Lysa TerKeurst joining me for this conversation! Lysa has been such a meaningful mentor in my life for many years, and in her new book, Making Peace With What I Can’t Control, she tackles something that I think so many of us wrestle with: the exhausting desire to fix, manage, and control the people and circumstances that we love. This conversation with Lysa helped me see control in a way that I hadn’t really considered before – sometimes, our struggle with control doesn’t come from wanting power; it comes from responsibility, capability, and care. We love people so deeply that we don’t want to watch them make choices that could hurt them, but there’s a difference between helping someone and trying to control their outcome, and Lysa explains how trying to rescue others can eventually lead to anxiety, exhaustion, and codependency. Listen in as we discuss parenting, including a story from my six-year-old’s first cross-country race that helped me understand the difference between supporting someone and controlling them. That conversation leads into something that has been especially significant in my own life: our desire to control how other people perceive us. We talk about approval, overthinking conversations, replaying what we said, and how a mistake can become a label we believe about ourselves. Lysa also opens up about some of the most painful seasons of her life, including betrayal, divorce, disappointment, and moments when she questioned whether she could truly trust God, and she opens up about what it means to hold onto faith when God doesn’t do what we thought He would do and why accepting reality isn’t the same thing as giving up. If you’re in a season in which you feel like you’re trying desperately to hold everything together, I really hope that this conversation feels like someone throwing you a rope and saying, “Just hold on for today!” You are not alone, and you don’t have to control the outcome to be okay. I hope that you enjoy my conversation with Lysa, and, as always, please feel free to reach out to me with any thoughts or questions! I would love to hear from you!
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