There are seasons where responsibility feels heavy.
Unwanted, even.
Like one more thing added to an already full plate.

But sometimes, responsibility isn’t just something to get through — it’s the very thing that grows us.

In this episode, I’m reflecting on how often growth doesn’t happen in the quiet, prepared, well-rested moments we imagine it will. Instead, it shows up right in the middle of chaos — when someone hands us a job we didn’t exactly volunteer for, and we have no choice but to figure it out.

I share two very real stories from farm life that taught me this in a big way.

The first takes us into the calf shed — back to the very first job I ever properly took on on the farm: feeding calves. What I thought would be the “easy” job quickly became a steep learning curve, especially when we were hit with crypto during calving season, in the middle of COVID, with no staff. Tubing sick calves every three hours was terrifying, overwhelming, and something I didn’t feel ready for — but it was also the moment I realised I was far more capable than I thought.

The second story is about learning to drive the tractor. Something I didn’t grow up doing, didn’t feel confident with, and honestly avoided for a long time because the timing never felt right. It wasn’t until I had space — real space, without pressure or someone watching over my shoulder — that I could learn in my own way and at my own pace. And once again, responsibility quietly turned into confidence.

As I talk through these stories, I also reflect on how closely this mirrors motherhood.

We give our kids small responsibilities every day — feeding the dog, shutting gates, carrying eggs, helping out — and we watch how those moments build their confidence. Yet when it’s us standing on the edge of something new, we’re so much harder on ourselves. We forget that we deserve the same opportunity to learn, to wobble, and to grow.

This episode is a reminder that confidence doesn’t come before responsibility — it comes because of it. That growth rarely feels empowering in the moment. And that many of the things you now do without thinking once felt completely overwhelming.

If you’re in a season where responsibility feels uncomfortable, heavy, or just plain scary, I hope this episode helps you see it a little differently — not as something that’s breaking you, but as something that might be quietly shaping you.

• Why growth so often happens in chaos, not calm
• Feeding calves and learning hard things in high-pressure moments
• The fear and responsibility that comes with tubing sick calves
• Learning to drive the tractor later than I thought I “should”
• Why confidence usually comes after responsibility, not before
• The strong parallels between farm life and motherhood
• How responsibility builds confidence in our kids — and in us
• Why communication matters when we want to learn and grow
• Recognising just how capable you already are

Connect with Jess:

@thejess.knight

Join the Grounded Journey Waitlist

When I first connected with Krysta on Instagram a couple of years ago, I had no idea we’d eventually sit down and record a conversation like this — two women on opposite sides of the world, somehow living through the same questions, tensions, and gut feelings. This episode is all about stepping out of the boxes we’ve put ourselves in, slowing down long enough to hear our own thoughts, and letting change unfold in a way that actually supports us… not burns us out.

Krysta shares how she left the corporate world after just three months, trusting a gut instinct that her purpose would never fit inside a nine-to-five. From there, she built multiple businesses over ten years — social media management, podcast management, and now a new chapter in coaching blended with wellness practices. What I loved most is how she talks about intuition, yoga, and slowing down not as “woo woo,” but as tools that gave her space to breathe, think, and live below that 99% stress line she used to sit at.

We also talk about what it’s like to shift identities in an industry like agriculture, where boxes and expectations can feel tight. Krysta opens up about choosing to become a yoga teacher — something she feared people in her ag community wouldn’t understand — and how that decision has invited deeper connection, curiosity, and honesty in her life and business.

This conversation keeps circling back to one thing: women aren’t meant to carry all of this alone. Whether it’s listening to the quiet, protecting your capacity, saying no, tending to your own “garden of ideas,” or simply finding five minutes to breathe, there is space for all of us to slow down and build lives that actually feel like ours.

• How Krysta knew early on that corporate life wasn’t where her purpose lived.
• The imposter syndrome that still shows up — even ten years into entrepreneurship.
• Listening to your gut and why quiet moments matter more than we admit.
• Becoming a yoga teacher while working in agriculture…and why it felt scary.
• Breaking out of the “boxes” rural women are often placed in.
• Slowing down after years of running at 99% capacity.
• Burnout, boundaries, and the power of saying no.
• Finding what genuinely works for you instead of copying others’ systems.
• Daily rituals, journaling, movement, and supporting your own nervous system.
• Why connection — especially online — matters so deeply for rural women.
• What cultivating contentment looks like in Krysta’s life right now.

If Krysta’s week-long self-care + business series sounds like what your end-of-year soul is craving, the link is waiting for you in the notes.

Resources & Links:

Grounded Farm Wife Journal

Connect with Krysta:

@ruralpodcastnetwork

@krystapaffrath

www.krystapaffrath.com

Connect with Jessica:

@groundedfarmwife

www.groundedfarmwife.com.au

In this episode, Jess shares a heartfelt life update, reflecting on the challenges faced during the calving season, including personal health struggles and the impact of burnout. She discusses the importance of setting boundaries for mental and physical health, the transformative experience of attending retreats, and the journey towards finding clarity and alignment with her values. Jess emphasizes the need for self-care and the importance of community support, especially for rural women, as she looks forward to new beginnings and projects.

Some days feel heavy — not because you’re doing life wrong, but simply because life is hard. And that’s something we don’t say often enough.

In this episode, I’m talking honestly about what it means to sit in the hard seasons without guilt, pressure, or pretending. Whether it’s endless laundry, school holiday chaos, or just the daily grind of farm life, I want to remind you that you’re not failing — you’re human.

We talk about the pressure to romanticise your life (hello sourdough and glass jar laundry liquids), why high-achieving women often push through without pausing to celebrate what they’ve already overcome, and how learning to say “this is hard” might be the strongest thing we can do — not just for ourselves, but for our kids too.

• Why life often feels hard even in our best seasons, and how accepting that truth can lighten the load
• Insights from The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris, including why chasing constant happiness can leave us feeling more stuck
• The rise of romanticising rural life on social media — and why it can backfire when it adds more pressure instead of joy
• The sourdough example: how doing “what looks good online” can sometimes cause more stress than peace
• A not-so-glamorous look at laundry: the unrealistic tips that make us feel worse (and why decanting detergent won’t fix burnout)
• The importance of saying “this is hard” without guilt — especially in farm culture where getting the job done often takes priority over how we feel
• Why hard doesn’t mean bad — we grow and build resilience when life challenges us
• How acknowledging our emotions helps us and teaches our kids emotional regulation in real, everyday ways

🎧 Listen to this episode if you need a reminder that you're not weak for feeling worn out — you're strong for showing up anyway.

Tag me @groundedfarmwife or send this to a friend who might be in a hard season too.

Resources and Links

• Grounded Farm Wife Journal
• Values Bundle

Connect with JESSICA:

Follow me on Instagram Instagram

Join my newsletter community Join my newsletter community

Check out my website Website

Find the complete show notes here: https://www.groundedfarmwife.com.au/podcast-1/37

Mother’s Day isn’t always the joyful, relaxing celebration it’s made out to be. In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on the pressure, disappointment, and hidden challenges so many of us mums quietly carry on a day that’s supposed to be “all about us.”

Let’s be honest — the expectations are huge. We’re meant to feel appreciated and pampered, but often, it’s us mums who are still organising the day, juggling the kids, and trying to make it special… for everyone else. Meanwhile, our kids don’t really know the difference between Mother’s Day and a Tuesday. We say we want a break, but even asking for that can feel like a big ask.

And then there’s social media. We scroll through highlight reels of families smiling in perfectly clean homes, posting about heartfelt cards and fancy breakfasts. But we’re not seeing the chaos behind the scenes, the meltdowns, or the fact that sometimes we receive a gift while sitting in a trashed kitchen. It becomes another day for comparison — and the feeling that somehow, we’re not doing it right.

Mother’s Day tries to squeeze all the recognition and gratitude for motherhood into one overly commercialised day. But what if we don’t feel seen? What if we feel let down? I’ve had so many conversations with mums who feel quietly hurt by the way this day plays out — and no one talks about it out loud.

In this episode, I reflect on:

• Why the pressure to have a “perfect” Mother’s Day often backfires
• The impact of over-commercialised celebrations and social media comparison
• How romanticising motherhood can make us feel worse, not better
• The meaning behind those cards and flowers — and what we really want
• Why it’s so hard to feel seen on a day that’s meant to be about us
• The idea that maybe… we don’t have to make such a big deal out of it

Resources and Links

• Grounded Farm Wife Journal
• Values Bundle

Connect with JESSICA:

Follow me on Instagram Instagram

Join my newsletter community Join my newsletter community

Check out my website Website

Find the complete show notes here: https://www.groundedfarmwife.com.au/podcast-1/36

Ever fall into bed at night thinking, "Where did the day even go?" I used to feel that way all the time. Between kids, cows, and the chaos of farm life, it felt impossible to get even a few moments to myself. But everything shifted when I started to really look at where my time was going—and in today’s episode, I’m walking you through the 3 effective steps I took to budget my time better and finally make room for myself in the day.

These steps aren’t complicated, but they’ve been game changers: first, I started tracking my time in 15-minute blocks to see where the day was actually going. Then I focused on protecting those little pockets of time once I’d found them (which meant setting boundaries, even with my husband!). And finally, I gave myself permission to embrace unstructured time—not every moment has to be productive. If you’ve been craving a bit more space in your day, I hope this chat feels like a breath of fresh air.

Key Points Covered in this episode:

• How tracking my time in small blocks helped me find free moments I was missing
• Why protecting time with boundaries made a huge difference
• The power of unstructured time (and how I plan for it!
• Letting go of routines that don’t work for this season of life
• How budgeting my time better made me feel more present, calm, and in control

Resources and Links

• Grounded Farm Wife Journal
• Values Bundle

Connect with JESSICA:

Follow me on Instagram Instagram

Join my newsletter community Join my newsletter community

Check out my website Website

Find the complete show notes here: https://www.groundedfarmwife.com.au/podcast-1/34

Navigating the Unpredictability of a Life in Agriculture

Episode Summary:

Farm life is filled with uncertainty, and it's something that we, as rural women, know all too well. From weather changes to market fluctuations, the unpredictability of agriculture can make it challenging to find a sense of stability. But even in the midst of this ever-changing landscape, there are ways to navigate these challenges with grace and contentment. In this episode, I dive into the highs and lows of farm life and share how I've learned to embrace the unexpected while finding joy in the everyday moments.

Whether you're dealing with a sudden storm that ruins your crops or the stress of fluctuating farm income, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the unpredictable nature of agriculture. But I've found that by focusing on what we can control and leaning into the support of our communities, we can not only survive but thrive in this unpredictable world. Join me as I share some personal stories, practical tips, and a reminder that contentment can be found, even in the most unexpected places.

On today’s episode…

In this episode about Navigating the Unpredictability of a Life in Agriculture, we cover:

• How to cope with the stress and uncertainty of farm life

• Practical tips for finding stability in an unstable environment

• The importance of community support and connection during tough times

The Break I Didn’t Plan, and the Lessons I Didn’t Expect

Episode Summary:

After an unplanned break from the podcast, I’m finally back, and today I want to fill you in on where I’ve been and what I’ve learned during my time away. Life got busy in all the best—and most unexpected—ways, and I found myself needing to step back and focus on my family, the farm, and my own well-being. In this episode, I’m sharing the lessons I didn’t expect to learn during this break. I’ll talk about how I had to let go of perfectionism, embrace the fact that things weren’t going to go as planned, and find contentment in the chaos of it all.

You’ll hear updates from my summer break, including family adventures, personal growth, and the challenges I faced getting back into my routine. From attending the Australian Dairy Conference to speaking at the Gippsland Red Meat Conference, the past few months have been a whirlwind of experiences. Most importantly, I’m talking about how I’ve had to reset my expectations and give myself the grace to move forward, even when it feels hard. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by unrealistic standards or struggled to get back into the swing of things, this episode is for you.

Key Points Covered in This Episode:

• My summer break in full: I share personal stories about our family trips to Melbourne, summer days spent by the pool, and how Christmas with family brought both joy and chaos to the farm. I also give an update on how the kids’ return to school brought its own set of challenges, both logistically and emotionally.
• The pressure of perfectionism: I dive into how I originally had grand plans to keep the podcast running smoothly over the holidays but quickly realized that life doesn’t always go as planned. I talk about the unrealistic expectations I had set for myself and how I finally let go of the idea of being “perfect” in every role.
• How I found my way back: Getting back into the swing of things wasn’t easy. I share how listening to my friend Emily’s podcast helped me stop making excuses and take that first step forward again. We often wait for the perfect time to start, but sometimes, it’s just about taking the first small step, even when it feels tough.
• A new mindset: I’ve learned that we’re all still learning, no matter how old we are. I reflect on a conversation with my kids about how they’re there to learn at school, not to be perfect. It reminded me that we, as adults, often hold ourselves to impossible standards, but we need to embrace growth and progress instead of perfection.
• What’s coming next: I talk about my plans for the future, including exciting potential podcast guests, updates on farm life, and how I’m balancing it all with my new health journey, working with a kinesiologist, personal trainer, and naturopath to take care of my well-being.

Resources and Links

• Grounded Farm Wife Journal
• Values Bundle
• Emily Reuschel "Do hard things: stop waiting for ideal conditions to start living"

Connect with JESSICA:

Follow me on Instagram Instagram

Join my newsletter community Join my newsletter community

Check out my website Website

Find the complete show notes here: