The Matriarch Mindset Podcast

Today we’re talking about those moments when you just don’t know what you feel.

Maybe someone asks, “How are you doing?” and you freeze. You know you should know, but the best you can come up with is, “I don’t know.” You’re not exactly sad, not exactly happy, not exactly angry—but you’re not fine either.

I want you to know: that’s not unusual. It’s part of being human. Feelings are layered and complex, and sometimes we’ve been moving so fast we haven’t paused to notice them. Other times, we’ve pushed them down so well that naming them feels impossible.

That’s why today I want to share a practical journaling tool that can help you slow down and uncover what’s happening inside. I call it the 3-Layer Journal Exercise. It’s simple, it’s clear, and it creates space for you to connect with yourself—and with God—on a deeper level.

Layer One: The Surface Check-In

Ask: “What am I aware of right now?”

Write whatever comes:

• Physical sensations: “My shoulders are tight.”
• Circumstances: “I’m late for work.”
• Environment: “The kids are loud in the background.”

Don’t overthink. Just notice.

👉 Prompt for your journal: “Right now, I notice…”

Layer Two: The Emotional Naming

Ask: “What emotion might be underneath this?”

This is where many of us get stuck. Use a feelings list or wheel if you need help. Just pick one or two words. Don’t judge it. Don’t explain it yet. Just name it.

Naming emotions lowers their intensity. Psychologists call it “name it to tame it.”

👉 Prompt for your journal: “Underneath the surface, I might be feeling…”

Layer Three: The Meaning Layer

Ask: “What does this feeling point to? What does it show me about what matters to me?”

Feelings are messengers. Anxiety might point to a longing for safety. Sadness can reveal how much you value connection. Even anger often points to what you care about deeply.

This is where God often speaks. Psalm 139:23–24 (NIV) says: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

👉 Prompt for your journal: “This feeling is showing me that I care about…”

Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay

Hey friends, welcome back to The Journaling Room! I’m Kendall, and today we’re talking about a practice that’s tiny in effort but massive in impact: naming your emotions in your journal.

This episode is called “Name It to Tame It,” and I’ll show you why putting a word to what you’re feeling can help you come back to peace, clarity, and self-trust—especially when life feels messy or you feel emotionally stuck.

We’re diving into why this works, how it helps regulate your nervous system, how it connects to spiritual growth, and why it’s one of the kindest things you can do for yourself.

Here are some prompts to help you build emotional fluency:

1. What am I feeling right now? Try to go beyond “sad” or “mad”—be specific.
2. Where do I feel this in my body?
3. What triggered this emotion, and what story did I attach to it?
4. What might be underneath this surface emotion?
5. What does this part of me need right now? Comfort? Boundaries? Rest? Honesty?

And here’s a bonus tip: Create an emotion word bank at the back of your journal. Keep a list of words like: restless, tender, bitter, grateful, agitated, disheartened, delighted. The more vocabulary you have for your emotions, the more clearly you can understand and care for yourself.

Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay

Hey friends, welcome back to The Journaling Room! I’m Kendall, and I’m so glad you’re here. Today’s episode might just shift the way you handle conflict, disappointment, and emotionally charged moment.

It’s all about using a simple practice I call pen and pause to keep your peace, protect your relationships, and honor the person you actually want to be, not just the emotion you’re feeling in the moment.

I know what it’s like to say something in a heat-of-the-moment reaction—and regret it later. But there is another way. Let’s talk about it.

Here’s how you can try this for yourself.

Next time your body starts buzzing with conflict or a heavy emotion, use these prompts:

1. What am I feeling in my body right now? Where do I feel it?
2. What’s the actual circumstance—and what story am I adding to it?
3. What am I afraid is true about me or them in this moment?
4. What do I wish they would do? What do I need to take care of myself regardless of what they choose?
5. What do I want to be true of me by the end of this conversation?
6. If love—not fear—was guiding me, how would I proceed?

These questions help you shift out of emotional reactivity and into emotional ownership. They create space to act from your values, not your wounds.

Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay

Welcome back to The Journaling Room Podcast. I’m your host, Kendall Snyder, and today I want to take you behind the scenes of one question—just one journal prompt—that completely changed how I show up in a hard relationship.

This episode is a little more personal. A little more raw. And I hope, in some small way, that my story helps you reflect on your own—especially if you’ve ever wrestled with what love looks like when it’s not being returned the way you hoped.

Here are a few questions to explore:

📓 Journaling Prompts:

1. “What does unconditional love look like in this relationship right now?”
2. “Where am I silencing myself in the name of peace?”
3. “What would it look like to protect my heart and still love well?”
4. “Am I trying to earn love or live loved?”
5. “What expectation or ‘manual’ do I need to release?”
6. “What do I need to believe in order to show up with peace instead of pressure?”

And one of my favorites when I’m feeling vulnerable:

“Jesus, show me how to love like You—truthfully, fully, and with grace.”

Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay

In this powerful joint episode of The Christian Life Coach Podcast with Shanna Pyzer and The Journaling Room Podcast with Kendall Snyder, special guest Kim Boylan shares her inspiring story of faith, marriage, parenting, and perseverance through life’s hardest challenges.

Kim opens up about:

• Celebrating 46 years of marriage and the lessons learned about building a godly foundation.
• Navigating a later-in-life faith journey and walking through cancer diagnoses for both herself and her husband.
• The surprising way Christian life coaching equipped her to face trials with resilience and hope.
• Shifting from “Mama Bear” parenting to spiritually supporting adult children.
• Her unique morning routine that starts with prayer before her feet hit the floor.

This episode is filled with wisdom for Christian women in midlife who are balancing faith, family, and personal growth. Whether you’re seeking encouragement for your marriage, tools for parenting adult children, or a reminder that God is faithful in every season, Kim’s story will inspire and uplift you.

Connect with Kim:

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

Breath of Heaven Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/978894212300994

Connect with Kendall:

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

https://www.instagram.com/journalingroompodcast/

Connect with Shanna:

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

Website: shannapyzer.com

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

Resources Mentioned:

Edie Wadsworth: https://www.instagram.com/ediewadsworth/

Legacy of Prayer: https://amzn.to/4ooLAJg

Hey friend, welcome back to The Journaling Room Podcast. I’m your host, Kendall Snyder—and today, we’re talking about a version of emotional regulation that doesn’t always get airtime.

Not what to do when you're flooded with anger or tears... But what to do when you feel nothing.

If you've been navigating burnout, emotional flatness, or that numb, tired fog that makes everything feel kind of far away—this episode is your invitation to take a deep breath, meet yourself gently, and remember: you're not broken. You're human. Let’s explore how journaling can help us slowly, lovingly invite emotion back in.

Here are four journaling prompts for days when you feel emotionally shut down:

1. “What do I notice right now in my body?”

“My chest feels tight.” “My shoulders are heavy.” “I feel buzzy. Or hollow. Or blank.”

This brings you into the moment—no emotion required.

2. “If I could feel something, what might it be?”

This is not a pressure-filled question. It’s an invitation.

“If I could feel... maybe I’d feel tired. Lonely. Grieved.”

It opens the door without forcing anything.

3. “What do I miss feeling?”

This reconnects you with past experiences of emotion.

“I miss feeling excited.” “I miss laughing easily.” “I miss even crying—it meant I was connected.”

4. “What does my numbness need from me today?”

Maybe it says: time, stillness, warmth, or grace. Let it speak. It usually will.

Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay

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