Hey friend, welcome back to The Journaling Room Podcast—I’m your host, Kendall Snyder, and today’s episode is for all of us who have a stack of half-used journals, five cute pens we swore would change our life, and a tiny whisper of guilt every time we see them sitting untouched.

Yep. We’re talking about the myth of the perfect journaling routine.

Spoiler alert: it doesn’t exist. Let’s go ahead and normalize inconsistency, talk about how to gently return to journaling when you’ve drifted, and remind ourselves why the point was never perfection—it was presence.

Here are 3 grace-based re-entry points:

1. The “One Thing” Prompt:

“What’s one thing I need to get out of my head today?”

2. The “What’s True” Check-In:

“What’s true about me right now—even if it’s messy?”

3. The “Restart” Sentence:

“It’s been a minute, but I’m back. Here’s what I’m thinking today…”

No shame. No pressure. Just a start. That’s the beauty of this practice. You can pick it up anytime.

Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay

Today’s episode is all about the practice—yes, the daily practice—of letting go. Not just once. Not in a big dramatic movie moment. But over and over again. Letting go of expectations. Of control. Of outcomes. Of how we thought things would be.

It’s vulnerable work… but oh, it’s freeing. And journaling can help us do it with honesty and hope.

Here’s what I journal when I feel that gripping need to control:

📓 Prompt 1:

“What am I holding too tightly right now?”

📓 Prompt 2:

“What outcome am I trying to force?”

📓 Prompt 3:

“What would letting go look like in this moment—not forever, just for today?”

These are not easy questions—but they’re clarifying. Because the moment we name the thing we’re clenching, we can begin to open our hands.

📓 Journaling Prompt:

“God, here’s what I’m trying to carry on my own today…” (then write it all out) End it with: “I trust You with this.”

And here’s a visual I love: Imagine each day you carry a full basket. You get to the end of the day and empty it before God. The next morning, you fill it with only what He hands back.

That’s letting go. That’s how we live lighter.

Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay

Today’s episode is for the woman who’s been doing all the things... until she just can’t. If you've ever gone from high-functioning to total freeze-mode, this one's for you.

Let’s talk about what happens when overwhelm turns into shutdown—how to recognize the signs early, and how journaling can gently help you reboot.

1. Name What’s True

Often the scariest part of shutdown is not knowing why we feel so off.

📓 Try this prompt:

“Right now, I feel ______ because ______.” Write without editing. Let the truth come up without judgment.

2. Lower the Bar

Instead of asking yourself to “fix it,” just ask:

“What feels hard right now?” Sometimes writing that down is more effective than pushing through it.

3. Create a Soft Re-Entry Plan

After naming what’s true, you can gently guide your mind toward comfort.

📓 Prompt:

“If I were taking care of myself like someone I love, what would I do next?” This might be: drink water, take a walk, text a friend, or simply rest.

4. Remember What Grounds You

📓 Prompt:

“What has helped me in the past when I’ve felt like this?” This brings your brain into memory-based problem solving—activating hope.

5. Listen to Your Nervous System, Not Shame

This is huge: Don’t try to bully yourself into momentum. Journal your way into compassion.

📓 Prompt:

“What might my body be trying to tell me through this shutdown?”

Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay

Today we’re diving into something that so many women carry quietly—guilt.

Specifically, the kind of guilt that shows up in the everyday moments: When we raise our voice. When we forget something important. When we work late. When we don’t show up the way we wish we could.

Sometimes it’s called mom guilt, but it doesn’t stop there.

Today’s episode is for every woman who’s ever thought: "I should’ve done more. I should’ve done it better."

We're going to write our way through that guilt and uncover something far more powerful—grace.

So grab your journal, your favorite pen, maybe a cozy spot, and let’s begin.

Here are your journaling prompts to walk through guilt and step into grace:

1. What am I feeling guilty about right now? Describe the situation without judgment.
2. What thought is creating this feeling of guilt?
3. Is this thought true—or is it rooted in fear or perfectionism?
4. What would grace say to me in this moment?
5. What does God’s Word say about this situation?
6. What do I want to believe instead?
7. If I were coaching a friend who felt this way, what would I say to her?

Optional prompt:

• What would it look like to receive God's grace in this area today?

Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay

If you’ve ever walked past a quiet bedroom and felt your throat catch… If you’ve opened the pantry and realized their favorite snack is still there... If your arms feel just a little too empty, and your calendar a little too blank...

This episode is for you.

Today, we’re talking about missing them — your grown kids, your away-at-school teens, your just-married young adults. That ache in your chest? That’s love. And journaling can give that love somewhere to go.

We’ll walk through:

• How to write through the ache without drowning in it
• Why your grief is sacred, not shameful
• A guided letter-writing practice to express what you’re feeling and remember what matters
• And Scripture that holds you in this season

If you’ve been missing them lately — let’s make space for that together.

✍🏼 Journaling Prompts:

1. What do I miss most about having them close — and what do I want to remember forever?
2. How can I express my love today — through prayer, letter, or blessing — even from afar?
3. What does God want to show me about the lasting impact of my love in their life?

Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay

If you're in a season where your kids are grown — or growing — and your role as “Mom” is changing daily... If you're finding yourself in that confusing space of “How do I still love well without overstepping?”... If you feel both proud and a little heartbroken watching them fly...

This episode is for you.

We’re talking about how to:

• Journal through the emotional shift of parenting adult kids
• Move from control to connection, from managing to mentoring
• And most of all — how to let go without feeling like you’re losing something

This isn’t an easy transition — but it is a holy one. So grab your journal, settle in, and let’s walk through this together.

✍🏼 Journaling Prompts:

1. What am I being invited to let go of in this season — and what am I being invited to hold with open hands?
2. How do I want to show up in my adult children’s lives — not out of fear, but from love and trust?
3. What new purpose or passion is God stirring in me now that the parenting chapter is shifting?

Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay

We’re talking about dreaming again. Not the Pinterest-perfect version. Not the five-year plan version. But the kind that starts in your spirit and says, “What if…?”

If you’ve ever wondered:

• “Do I still get to dream?”
• “What if I don’t even know what I want anymore?”
• “Is it too late to begin again?”

You’re in the right place. This episode is an invitation — to listen inward, to write what’s been stirring, and to remember that dreaming is part of how you reflect your Creator.

We’ll explore:

• Why so many women disconnect from their dreams
• How journaling helps you rebuild that bridge — safely, gently, and honestly
• A guided prompt to help you ask: “What do I want for me in this season?”
• And a few powerful truths that will help you believe it's not too late

So go grab your journal and your favorite cozy drink, and let’s start dreaming — one page at a time.

✍🏼 Journaling Prompts:

1. What do I want for me — emotionally, spiritually, creatively, physically — in this season?
2. What old dreams or passions am I ready to revisit with fresh eyes and new grace?
3. What might God be inviting me to co-create with Him in this next chapter?

Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay

Today’s episode is for the woman whose nest is empty, or emptying. Your roles are shifting. Your rhythms are different. Your days are quieter. And maybe, instead of feeling peaceful… it just feels hollow.

I want to help you explore that gently through journaling — so you can honor what was and lean into what still is.

In this episode, we’ll walk through:

• What the quiet reveals about our hearts, identity, and hopes
• Tools from Life Mentoring School for managing thought spirals and honoring grief
• A guided two-part journaling practice to process loneliness and awaken new purpose
• Scripture that reminds us: just because the season changed doesn’t mean your calling did
• And reflective prompts to bring peace into your new rhythm

If you’ve ever wondered: Who am I now that the noise is gone? Let’s find out — one page at a time.

✍🏼 Journaling Prompts:

1. What did I love most about the season I’m leaving — and how can I honor it well?
2. What quiet dreams have been waiting for me beneath the busyness?
3. What is God revealing to me about my identity, purpose, and presence in this chapter?

Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay

I want to talk to the woman who feels… unseen.

You’ve been folding laundry no one thanks you for. Making appointments no one remembers. Noticing when the lightbulb goes out. Remembering the birthday party gift. Holding the emotions, the pieces, the peace.

That’s the invisible work of motherhood. And it’s real. It’s constant. And it’s often exhausting.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing so much that no one really notices — this episode is for you.

Today, we’ll:

• Talk about why invisible work matters — even if it’s not acknowledged
• Explore tools from the Life Mentoring School to reclaim your worth
• Walk through a two-part journaling exercise to validate and celebrate what you carry
• And anchor it all in the truth that God sees what others overlook

So take a deep breath. Grab your journal. And let’s write our way back to what’s true.

✍🏼 Journaling Prompts:

1. What invisible work do I do regularly that deserves to be named and honored?
2. Where have I seen the fruit of my unseen labor in my family or home?
3. What does God want me to know about the way I serve — even when no one else sees?

Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay

Let’s talk about mom rage.

You know the moment: The chaos is building, your patience is gone, you’re overstimulated and overtouched — and the next tiny thing pushes you over the edge.

You snap. You yell. You slam a drawer. You cry in the closet.

And immediately, the shame floods in. “What is wrong with me? Why can’t I keep it together?”

If you’ve ever been there — you’re not alone. And more importantly — you’re not a bad mom.

Today we’re going to:

• Talk about what rage is really trying to tell you
• Use the Life Mentoring School tools of emotional ownership and nervous system awareness
• Walk through a safe-space journaling practice to move through emotion without guilt
• And gently anchor our hearts back in truth

You ready? Deep breath. Let’s begin.

✍🏼 Journaling Prompts:

1. What’s underneath my rage? What emotions am I actually needing to feel?
2. What support, structure, or boundary would help me avoid building to that point again?
3. What does grace say about me today — even when I didn’t get it all right?

Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay