Cultivate Contentment

Jess Knight
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Are you a rural farming woman, wife, or mother struggling to find peace in your busy life? Do you find yourself trying to squeeze joy out of your daily routine, manage stress that seems never-ending, and somehow reconnect with your passions in the midst of it all? Do you love your rural life yet often feel overwhelmed by the challenges it brings? Welcome to "Cultivate Contentment," the podcast designed just for you. I'm Jessica Knight, a fellow rural woman, wife, and mother. I get it—I've been there, right there in the trenches, juggling the demands of farm life, motherhood, and trying to keep my sanity intact. I understand the challenges you face every day. From being a first-generation dairy farmer to raising three energetic boys, I'm right there with you, navigating the ups and downs of rural life. Come along with me and my guests as we explore balancing farm life with personal needs on a realistic level, practical ways to sprinkle a little joy and peace into your daily routine, nurturing relationships without losing your sense of self, and how to keep stress at bay and prevent burnout. All while staying focused on what we really want; feeling content and settled in our lives. This is a show to delve into the heart of your daily struggles and triumphs, providing practical advice and heartfelt support to help you find peace and fulfillment in your unique journey. I know how hard it can be to juggle the responsibilities of farm life, motherhood, and personal well-being. "Cultivate Contentment" aims to be your companion and guide, offering insights and strategies that resonate with your experiences. So, whether you're savoring a cup of coffee before the morning chaos begins, stealing a moment of quiet on your drive to town, or popping in your earbuds while wrestling with laundry and dishes, I invite you to join me. Let's laugh, learn, and cultivate contentment together.

  1. 3D AGO

    Living Life for the Ordinary Days Not the Big Moments

    I recorded this episode because I couldn’t stop thinking about how much of life is made up of the days we barely notice. Not the big moments. Not the holidays or milestones or the things we plan and count down to. Just the ordinary days. The school runs. The washing. The late nights. The conversations we half-listen to because we’re already thinking about what’s next. This isn’t a new idea. I’ve heard versions of it for years. I’ve nodded along to it. I’ve repeated it. But I don’t think I ever really lived it. I think I’ve been living like today is the obstacle and the good stuff is coming later. Like life will feel better once things slow down, or settle, or reach whatever imaginary point I’ve been waiting for. Turning forty has stirred something in me. So has farm life. So has motherhood. So has sitting on the couch at the end of another long day and asking, what is this all for? And realising — almost painfully — that this is what it’s for. These days. These moments. The ordinary ones I keep rushing past. In this episode, I talk honestly about the grief that can come with realising how much time slips by unnoticed. About how easy it is to live for the big moments and miss the life that’s actually happening. About what I’m noticing now — not because I’ve figured it out, but because I don’t want to keep living like this bit doesn’t count. This episode is for the farm mum who is building a life for her family and quietly wondering when she gets to enjoy it. It’s not about fixing anything. It’s just about staying. In this episode, I talk about:Why most of our lives are made up of ordinary days — and what happens when we treat them like they don’t matterHow living for holidays, milestones, or “later” can pull us out of the life we’re already inA moment on the farm that made it painfully clear what we’re actually doing all of this forThe grief that can come from realising how much time passes while we’re rushingWhat I’m learning about finding joy and meaning in the everyday — not perfectly, just more honestlyThere’s no takeaway. No checklist.Just something to sit with as you move through your own ordinary days. Connect with Jess: @thejess.knight Join the Grounded Journey Waitlist

    18 min

  2. FEB 4

    Questioning the Empty Cup Theory in Motherhood

    This episode has been circling for me for a while. Not in a neat, “this would make a good episode” kind of way — more in that nagging, tap-on-the-shoulder way where something just won’t let you go. I keep coming back to the phrase “you can’t pour from an empty cup” — and how often it gets used in conversations about motherhood. I know what people are trying to say when they use it. I know it usually comes from a good place. But the more I sit with it, the more it feels out of step with the reality of a lot of mothers’ lives. Because the truth is, mothers pour from empty cups all the time. Not because they’re doing it wrong. Not because they’re failing to prioritise themselves. But because there are seasons where there simply isn’t space to stop and refill before you keep going. In this episode, I talk through a conversation I had recently with a woman deep in the trenches — little kids, farm business, trying to build something of her own — and how well-meaning advice about “filling her cup” actually added more guilt to an already heavy load. I reflect on guilt, productivity culture, and the way motherhood is often framed as a problem to optimise your way out of. And I share what I’m slowly learning (and still needing to be reminded of): that feeling overwhelmed, empty, or stretched thin is often a completely normal response to the season you’re in — not a sign that you’re doing something wrong. I also talk about what actually helps in full, demanding seasons. Not in a fixing way. Not as advice. Just as honest reflection. Things like lowering expectations, adjusting the load where you can, and letting go of the idea that your cup has to be full all the time. This episode isn’t about solutions or self-care checklists. It’s about recognition. About naming what’s heavy. And about letting the season you’re in make sense. In this episode, I talk about:Why the “you can’t pour from an empty cup” idea doesn’t always fit motherhoodHow guilt sneaks in and takes up spaceThe link between productivity culture and self-blameWhy some seasons don’t respond to effort — only timeLetting go of impossible expectationsWhat actually helps in full, demanding seasonsAdjusting the load instead of trying to fix yourself Connect with Jess: @thejess.knight Join the Grounded Journey Waitlist

    23 min

  3. JAN 28

    When I Think About 2016 and Who I Was Then

    This episode is a little different. I’m scrolling back through my camera roll from 2016 and talking out loud about what comes up. There’s no plan and no tidy storyline — just memories, moments, and the things I notice now that I didn’t have words for at the time. In 2016, life was full and heavy. I had young children, we were early into farm ownership, and most days were about getting through rather than slowing down. Looking back now, I can see how much I was carrying — the pressure to do everything “right”, the weight of expectation, the way I shut down emotionally just to keep functioning. This episode isn’t about lessons or advice. It’s about sitting with a season as it really was, noticing who I was then, and offering a bit of compassion to that version of myself. If you’ve ever looked back at a past season and realised you were carrying more than you knew at the time, this episode is for you. In this episode, I talk about:Scrolling through my 2016 photos in real timeLife in a full demanding season with young children and farm lifeThe pressure I felt to be the “perfect” woman and motherComparison, milestones, and quiet guiltWinter sickness, exhaustion, and long nightsWhat connection looked like in survival modeFinding small outlets that kept me goingHospital stays, premature birth, and emotional shutdownLooking back with compassion instead of judgement Connect with Jess: @thejess.knight Join the Grounded Journey Waitlist

    27 min

  4. JAN 7

    Looking Back Before Moving Forward

    As a new year begins, there’s often a rush to set goals, make plans, and decide how this year will be different. But before we move forward, I wanted to pause. In this episode of Cultivate Contentment, I’m reflecting on the year just gone — not through the lens of achievement or failure, but through the lens of reality. What did this year actually ask of us? What didn’t happen, and why does that make sense now? What quiet work did we do that no one else saw? This conversation came from my own need to slow down and acknowledge a year that asked a lot — particularly in motherhood, personal growth, and capacity. Instead of jumping straight into planning, I’m sharing four reflective questions that helped me see the year more clearly and with more compassion. I talk honestly about: A year that was heavier in motherhood than I realised at the timeThe business plans that didn’t unfold — and why that doesn’t mean failureThe unseen internal work of asking for help, setting boundaries, and changing how I show upWhat I’m ready to loosen my grip on as I move forwardWhy my word last year was progress, and why this year it’s intentionalThis episode isn’t about fixing or reinventing yourself. It’s about giving the year you’ve just lived the respect it deserves — before asking more of yourself in the year ahead. I’ve also created a free reflection guide to go with this episode, so you can sit with these questions in your own time. You’re welcome to write along as you listen, come back to it later, or simply let the conversation settle. If all you do today is listen and recognise yourself in parts of this story, that’s enough too. Download the free reflection guide here. Connect with Jess: @thejess.knight Join the Grounded Journey Waitlist

    23 min

  5. 12/17/2025

    When Responsibility Becomes Growth

    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. In this episode, I talk about:Why growth so often happens in chaos, not calmFeeding calves and learning hard things in high-pressure momentsThe fear and responsibility that comes with tubing sick calvesLearning to drive the tractor later than I thought I “should”Why confidence usually comes after responsibility, not beforeThe strong parallels between farm life and motherhoodHow responsibility builds confidence in our kids — and in usWhy communication matters when we want to learn and growRecognising just how capable you already are Connect with Jess: @thejess.knight Join the Grounded Journey Waitlist

    16 min

  6. 12/10/2025

    Slowing Down and Trusting Your Gut with Krysta Paffrath

    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. What We CoverHow 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

    45 min

  7. 12/03/2025

    Finding Myself Again — and What’s Next

    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.

    17 min
  8. You Can Love and Hate the Farm

    06/25/2025

    You Can Love and Hate the Farm

    I never thought I'd love this life as much as I do. And I also never expected it to feel so hard. In this episode, I open up about the emotional tug-of-war so many farm wives experience — the reality that you can love your life on the farm and still hate the parts of it that leave you feeling lonely, overlooked, and completely exhausted. I share what life looked like for us in the early years with three boys under four, how I carried the load through drought, newborns, and endless solo parenting, and how I finally stopped pretending it was all fine. You’ll hear honest stories about missing milestones, crying in hospital alone, resenting wet towels on the floor, and the mindset shifts that helped me stop bottling it all up. I also talk about the little changes that made a big difference — from bundling the kids up to take dinner to the paddock, to finally having those hard conversations with my husband about what we needed as a family. And I share the unexpected gifts in it all — the flexibility the farm actually gives us, and the privilege of being able to show up for our kids in ways not every family can. This is a vulnerable one, but it’s real. If you’ve ever found yourself thinking, “Is this what I signed up for?” while still feeling proud of the life you’ve built — you’re not alone. In this episode:Why it’s okay to love and hate the farm at the same timeWhat solo parenting looked like during the early yearsThe emotional and financial pressure of farming lifeWhen the resentment creeps in and how I’ve learned to name itHow I stopped pretending everything was fineThe small shifts that helped us survive busy seasonsWhy asking for help isn’t weakness — it’s wisdomHow the flexibility of farm life is also a giftA reminder that this life needs to work for your whole family ✨ You’re not doing it wrong if it feels hard. You’re just being honest. 💬 Let’s keep the conversation going: message me on Instagram and tell me what part of this episode you related to most. 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-1/40

    28 min
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About

Are you a rural farming woman, wife, or mother struggling to find peace in your busy life? Do you find yourself trying to squeeze joy out of your daily routine, manage stress that seems never-ending, and somehow reconnect with your passions in the midst of it all? Do you love your rural life yet often feel overwhelmed by the challenges it brings? Welcome to "Cultivate Contentment," the podcast designed just for you. I'm Jessica Knight, a fellow rural woman, wife, and mother. I get it—I've been there, right there in the trenches, juggling the demands of farm life, motherhood, and trying to keep my sanity intact. I understand the challenges you face every day. From being a first-generation dairy farmer to raising three energetic boys, I'm right there with you, navigating the ups and downs of rural life. Come along with me and my guests as we explore balancing farm life with personal needs on a realistic level, practical ways to sprinkle a little joy and peace into your daily routine, nurturing relationships without losing your sense of self, and how to keep stress at bay and prevent burnout. All while staying focused on what we really want; feeling content and settled in our lives. This is a show to delve into the heart of your daily struggles and triumphs, providing practical advice and heartfelt support to help you find peace and fulfillment in your unique journey. I know how hard it can be to juggle the responsibilities of farm life, motherhood, and personal well-being. "Cultivate Contentment" aims to be your companion and guide, offering insights and strategies that resonate with your experiences. So, whether you're savoring a cup of coffee before the morning chaos begins, stealing a moment of quiet on your drive to town, or popping in your earbuds while wrestling with laundry and dishes, I invite you to join me. Let's laugh, learn, and cultivate contentment together.

Information

  • Creator
    Jess Knight
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    48
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Jess Knight
  • Show Website
    Cultivate Contentment

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