262804066 198. What to Do When Life Feels Heavy, But You "Should Be Grateful" - Journal Entries

Episode 198

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Published on:

25th Nov 2025

198. What to Do When Life Feels Heavy, But You "Should Be Grateful"

Do you have A LOT going on right now? You keep telling yourself you’re fine — you should be fine — but something still feels heavy?

You’re doing the things, showing up for everyone, checking the boxes… but underneath, you’re tired in a way that gratitude doesn’t fix. Maybe you’ve been carrying stress that no one sees. Maybe there’s a grief you’ve been trying to outrun. Or maybe you’re just exhausted from pretending you’re okay because “other people have it worse.”

Here’s the truth: you can be grateful and still feel overwhelmed. Both can exist. And in this episode, I’m vulnerably sharing the heavy things happening in my life currently + the moment I finally stopped minimizing what I was feeling — and the 2 shifts that helped me breathe again.

You’ll understand:

  • Why naming hard things doesn’t make you ungrateful — it makes you honest
  • The question that softened my hardest weeks: “How can this be easy?”
  • How to stop carrying emotional weight that was never yours in the first place
  • The journaling question that helped me see what I was carrying that wasn't mine

After listening, you’ll feel permission to stop “should-ing” yourself into silence and finally honor what’s heavy without getting swallowed by it.

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About the Podcast

Journal Entries
Journal Entries is the podcast for ambitious women in business and leadership who want to stop bringing their work stress home.

Host Samantha Hawley, MBA and Clarity Coach, specializes in the ripple effect — how your internal state at work directly impacts your patience, presence, and peace at home with your family.

If you're making $100k+ but find yourself snapping at your kids after a tough workday, overthinking during bedtime, or feeling like you can't turn off "boss mode" — this podcast will help you master the transition from boardroom to living room. Because success shouldn't cost you your sanity or your family connection.
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Samantha Hawley