Sustainable Minimalists

Many people — and many societies, for that matter — rely on short-sighted quick wins as their Number One go-tos when managing oversized problems. But what works in the short-term likely isn’t best in the long run; worse, such near-sightedness rarely considers its impacts on generations to come.Enter longpath thinking, a mindset that prioritizes future-conscious thinking and behavior.On today’s episode I speak with author and futurist Ari Wallach. Ari argues that when we step away from knee-jerk reactions we will both reclaim meaning in our lives and help preserve the planet for future generations. And if making daily decisions by considering their reverberations 500 years from now sounds revolutionary to you, you’re absolutely right. Ari’s on the show to ease the transition to future-consciousness in 3 simple steps. Here’s a preview: [2:00] “Future” isn’t a noun; it’s a verb. Here’s why[4:30] Debunking lifespan biases so as to create a better world for future generations[6:00] 3 problems associated with short-termism[11:30] How an understanding of transgenerational empathy encourages us to act on behalf of future generations[17:00] What doubling down on sandbag strategies means for fulfilling our collective moral obligations[20:00] 3 ways to start practicing longpath thinking and acting right now Resource mentioned:Longpath: Becoming the Great Ancestors Our Future Needs This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

These days, dry cleaners press shirts, industrialized farms grow monocrops, and factories churn out single-use varieties of (nearly) everything. And when a possession looks a little worn or a little torn? Many Americans trash it and buy new without a second thought.Life can be simpler, more affordable, and downright sweeter when you do things yourself and maintain what you already own. On today's show: Calling on the timeless wisdom of our great grandparents to re-learn specific, self-sufficient skills for the long haul. Here's a preview of the skills we are re-learning today:[5:30] How to  season your cast iron skillet[9:30] How to buy local food every week[21:00] How to best care for your leather footwear Resources mentioned: Episode #468: Cooking With Cast Iron Episode #494: Streamlining Non-Negotiables localharvest.org   This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists

Clothing swaps (or toy swaps, or book swaps, or home goods swaps) are a low-stakes way to declutter your closet and acquire new-to-you clothes. These events also happen to be the epitome of communal care and can fundamentally change how others view secondhand items.Share resources with your neighbors, reduce waste, and get socializing without exchanging money! On today's show 4-time clothing swap host Jess Schroeder divulges her pro secrets to hosting a successful event.  Here's a preview: [8:00] The price of clothes has dropped dramatically in the last 30 years. Are clothing swaps pointless amidst our cultural reverence for cheap goods?[13:30] What is it about a swap that's so darn fun?[19:00] Your questions answered: Exactly how to host a killer clothing swap[24:00] How to be size inclusive and other pro tips for hosts and guests alike Resources mentioned: Sophie Strauss on Instagram Sign up for our newsletter! This episode is sponsored by Better Help. Head to betterhelp.com/minimal for 10% off your first month.   This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

Since the dawn of the chemical era more than 300,000 chemicals have been invented, and many are made from oil and natural gas. While some manufactured chemicals have indeed provided benefit (Disinfectants! Antibiotics!), they have also caused great harm. Manufactured chemicals pollute every corner of the planet. They kill bees, fish, and mammals. They nearly destroyed the ozone and, yes, they give us cancer.Many types of cancer are on the rise in the US, and one explanation for this increase lies in our world of chemicals. On today's show environmental investigative reporter Kristina Marusic identifies the harmful environmental exposures linked to cancer; she also provides a step-by-step roadmap for reducing your cancer risk.Here's a preview: [2:00] Breaking down exactly what's happening with cancer rates around the world and why[12:00] The 3 Ps: 3 categories of pollutants that have clear links to childhood cancer[20:00] Pay special attention to these preventable environmental exposures if you have children[24:00] Revisiting the personal care product conundrum [28:00] The harmful environmental exposures you should zero in on at your child's daycare or school [36:00] In defense of being a loudmouth: You've been given a voice; here's how to best use it Resources mentioned:  A New War on Cancer: The Unlikely Heroes Revolutionizing Prevention Sample letters to send to your child's school and school board (via Non-Toxic Communities)  The Cancer Free Economy Network  The EWG's Healthy Living App  Silent Spring Institute The Center for Health, Environment, and Justice   This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

Our To-Do lists are never-ending, sure. But it's neither realistic nor fair to assume we can excel in every arena. Enter selective mediocrity, a.k.a. that conscious choice to let some stuff go. We simply can't do it all, and selective mediocrity enables us to give our whole selves to the tasks and goals that really matter. On today's show: A conversation with Dr. Whitney Casares about *actually* lowering our expectations (not just pretending we lowered them!) and preserving our precious time and energy. Here's a preview:[3:30] Feel like you're doing it all? Here are the 9 areas that take up the majority of a woman's time and energy[9:30] We moms aren't broken. The system is broken![21:00] How do you decide when and where to be 'selectively mediocre'?[24:00] Anxiety loves perfection because anxiety loves control. Musings on being OK with letting some things go[28:00] Women have been conditioned to put others' needs ahead of their own. Time to enact self-boundaries! Resources mentioned:Doing It All: Stop Over-Functioning and Become the Mom and Person You're Meant to Be  This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

A recent study finds Americans are spending notably more time at home, and it's not wholly the pandemic's fault. Thank technology: For the last 20 years Americans have slowly traded their social institutions — like churches and clubs — for isolation.Have we forgotten how to be social creatures? On today's show: A conversation with journalist Rosie Spinks about concrete ways to rebuild your proverbial village. Here's a preview:[4:00] Counting the ways in which the pandemic hastened a cultural shift toward isolation already in progress[9:00] You don't need friends; you need 50 people[16:00] Be the person who asks twice![24:00] The quiet genius of enacting place-based rituals[31:00] Reminder! Canceling is not a form of self-care[35:00] Are your social efforts rarely reciprocated? Enact this 3-second mindset shift Resources mentioned: What Do We Do Now That We're Here (via Substack) Kurt Vonnegut's commencement speech Episode #498: Removing The Mask   This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

Life is noisier, messier, and more complicated than ever. In our quest to keep up, we can try to do it all—with mixed results.Instead of life passively happening TO us, we each have the power to create the life we want to live. On today's show: A conversation with author Elisabeth Sharp McKetta about figuring out what matters most and hitting delete on what doesn’t. Here's a preview:[7:00] Before we edit, we must first examine: 3 questions to regularly ask when seeking a life of intention[9:30] The paradox of choice, plus: Why many of us rarely go after our first choice[16:00] Words of encouragement for listeners who examine their life and don't like what they see[21:00] Using your unique "core competencies" as organizing principles when editing your life[27:00] Editing for generosity: How to edit your narrative to benefit the collective[33:00] Elisabeth and Stephanie's thoughts on enjoying life despite the world's messiness Resources mentioned: Edit Your Life: A Handbook For Living With Intention In A Messy World The Mother-Daughter Puzzle by Rosjke Hasseldine This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

The US hails consumption as a patriotic duty. But refraining from buying isn't a punishment, and practicing a bit of self-control both resets our hedonistic baseline and re-centers our behaviors around moderation. It's paradoxical but true: Imposing temporary limits ultimately sets you free. On today's show author John Oakes discusses the numerous benefits associated with fasting from food, from spending, and everything in between. Here's a preview:[9:00] What do ancient philosophers have to say about self-control, holding back, and managing desires?[13:00] Musings on why it's important to put limits on ourselves even though our economy thrives when we consume without limits[25:00] We can do hard things! The personal benefits associated with embarking on a challenge and accomplishing it[29:00] Is overconsumption contributing to our nationwide 'modern malaise'? Resources mentioned: The Fast: The History, Science, Philosophy, and Promise of Doing Without Episode #049: The Why, How, and When of a No-Spend Challenge The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort to Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self   This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

Big tech trains kids to become consumers from … well, birth.Child-targeted marketing is cringe-worthy at best and unethical at worst. It also undermines children’s healthy development because it robs them of opportunities to play, imagine, and learn freely without manipulation.Today I speak with Dr. Susan Linn about the ways in which technology exploits children (and what we can do about it at home).(The podcast is approaching its 500th episode and in celebration I'm re-airing my Top 5 favorite episodes of all time. Here's #5.)Here’s a preview:[3:30] Brand loyalty? How media corporations exploit our children for profit[6:30] Societal implications associated with perpetually up-selling to kids[11:30] The ways in which big tech manipulates children into bonding with their devices[17:00] A good, hard look: Addressing our collective preoccupation with technology[28:00] Thoughts on breaking an older child’s screen addictionResources mentioned: Episode #337: Minimalist Screen Time and Slow TV  Who’s Raising the Kids? Big Tech, Big Business, and the Lives of Children Fair play This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

The Japanese argue that we each have three faces. The first is your idealized, near-perfect version; it's also the mask you present to the world. You reveal your second face selectively to very close friends and family, and you keep your third face — your true self — hidden from everyone (including, perhaps, yourself).Our first mask conveys self-assuredness. Of being happy, put together, and in charge. But beneath our masks, we are messy creatures. We may even be living in deep emotional pain. On today's show: A conversation with author Jarod K. Anderson about removing our masks, being vulnerable, and boldly accepting our authentic, messy selves. * A note from Stephanie: The future of this show is uncertain, and it needs hundreds (hundreds!) more supporters to stay afloat. If you find yourself thinking about the world differently after listening, please consider supporting the show with $5 per month or $45 per year. Thank you for doing your part  to keep Sustainable Minimalists in existence! https://sustainableminimalists.substack.com Here's a preview:[6:00] Shoulds, musts, and our cultural love of billable productivity[10:00] Jarod's thoughts on why we tend to turn to external validation and societally-approved markers to enhance self-esteem[13:00] The toxic myth that is 'rugged individualism'[18:00] Exactly why vulnerability is terrifying but essential [25:00] How to view the natural world as a medicinal anchor that accepts us just as we are Resources mentioned: Something in the Woods Loves You Jarod on Instagram  Resources mentioned: This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.