Sustainable Minimalists

Does it sometimes feel as though the passive act of being alive is too expensive and too difficult? You're not alone: Many scholars argue that late stage capitalism is what happens when everything (literally everything!) is commodified. Existing feels unnecessarily hard, too.There IS good news: Surviving (and perhaps even thriving!) in a late stage capitalist society is possible. On today's show Laura Oldanie shows us exactly how to sur-thrive, with 6 actionable steps. Here's a preview of the strategies we're discussing today:[15:00] Pay attention to when and how you're influenced[17:00] Think of yourself less as a consumer and more as producer[21:00] Use your attention capital wisely[27:00] Embrace different forms of currency (free time, perhaps?)[35:00] Reduce unnecessary consumption and get off that capitalist hamster wheel, for good Resources mentioned: Join us for Book Club! We are super fun, I promise! Digital Minimalism (by Cal Newport) https://timebanks.org Episode #211 Redefining Wealth (with Shannon Hayes) Capitalism Survival Guide E-Book   This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! **If you're a financial supporter over on Apple Podcasts and want to join Book Club, please email me and let me know! For privacy reasons, Apple won't share your contact info with me. Just email me and I'll happily add you!** Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

Despite our massive financial and material gains, happiness in the US has been in a consistent state of decline since at least the 1940s.The research is clear: Materialism is toxic to human happiness. On today's show author Jeff Golden suggests practical ways to nourish in our lives the things that can help us live well (while simultaneously avoiding the hooks of money and stuff). Here's a preview:[5:30] We live amidst unimaginable wealth, yet we are unhappier than ever before. Here's why[10:00] Materialism is toxic to happiness, and not for the reasons you think[16:00] Exactly why you should choose your neighborhood wisely[22:00] Want to be happier? Don't put your effort into amassing stuff; put it here instead[30:00] Are we overly concerned about owning stuff so that we don't have to face our internal lacks?  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.

For so many of us, day in and day out home maintenance feels like a gigantic weight on our shoulders. And because conventional gender roles pervade, matters of the home often continue to be one (wo)man's burden.Decluttering, tidying, organizing, and cleaning, oh my! On today's show: A conversation with professional organizer Sona Avetisyan about getting our partners and our children to pitch in. Here's a preview:[5:00] What is it about clutter that's so triggering for women?[10:00] Status quo fallback prevention 101[13:00] Sick of nagging? Here's what works when I need my kids to help the heck out[18:00] Let's talk partners! Musings on what to do when your partner can't/won't pitch in[28:00] In defense of bringing playfulness back into our closest relationships (It's not that deep!)  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.

When we buy something, it's not necessarily about the *thing*. Oftentimes we are buying into a story about ourselves; namely, what we simply must fix as we seek to get one step closer to our aspirational, in-a-perfect-world self.Important truth time: You are not a perpetual self-improvement project, and no product can fix what was never broken in the first place. On today's show: A conversation with author Cait Flanders about why she broke up with self-help content and flaws-first marketing messages (and why, too, she never looked back). Here's a preview:[5:00] Buying stuff to escape your feelings? (Me too.)[10:00] The "there's something wrong with you" messaging starts in childhood, my friends[13:00] Where's the line between prioritizing self-growth versus living in that perpetually sad place of 'less than'?[20:00] Here's how your life may change if you stopped spending $$ on products to fix what you've been told is broken[26:00] Musings on letting go of our aspirational selves once and for all Resources mentioned: The Year Of Less The Mindful Consumer on Substack Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide To Reclaiming Yourself (by Nedra Glover Tawwab)   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.

Americans spend about 21 hours per day inside. On the whole, we are also more depressed and anxious than ever before.Many of us have been trained to seek out commodified services to unwind (I'm looking at you, #selfcare!). But what if a potential solution cost zero dollars and offered zero risk?On today's show: An invitation to welcome nature back into your life, with 5.5 novel suggestions that are backed by science. Here's a preview:[9:00] Walk barefoot! (Around your yard, at least)[14:00] Don't knock it 'til you've tried it, camping edition[20:00] We don't have to optimize every second. Here's how to wander like a boss in a wild space[26:00] Get your hands dirty[34:00] 2 hours per week outdoors offers a laundry list of benefits, so move your favorite activities outsideResources mentioned: Rooted: Life at the Crossroads of Science, Nature, and Spirit (by Lyanda Lynn Haupt) Why Gardening Is So Good for You (via The New York Times) Episode #465: Optimizing Your Walks (with Annabel Abbs) Cornell Lab bird app   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.

Hyper-capitalism — also called late-stage capitalism — is what happens when material resources, lifestyle activities, and everything in between becomes both commodified and consumable. In hyper-capitalistic economies, products get invented that no one needs or wants. Celebrities are revered like gods. Inequity is everywhere, and citizens internalize the idea that their worth is measured by some mysterious combination of career success and amassed material goods.Many argue that the United States has entered its hyper-capitalist era, as Americans report that the relentless demands of trying to keep up results in working longer hours, increasing loneliness, and lowered life satisfaction.On today's show: A conversation with New York Times bestselling author Kirsten Powers about the ways in which Americans are experiencing the effects of hyper-capitalism in real time. Here's a preview:[5:00] A laundry list of hyper-capitalism's consequences in 2024[11:00] Europe doesn't consume way America does. They're not as lonely, either[15:00] Taking a good, hard look at our disordered American beliefs[19:00] Implications associated with celebrity worship[26:00] Pay for what you get? Not in this case! Debunking the privatized healthcare myth[33:00] Musings on nationwide learned helplessness  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.

There's plenty of distressing research into what smartphones are doing to adults' attention spans, focus, and memory. And on child/teen development? Emerging research is even more alarming. We are change makers, and change making means making difficult decisions, having difficult conversations, and going against the grain. On today's show: Why we need to (yet again!) rethink our approach to technology and delay the age at which we give our children access to smartphones. Here's a preview:[8:30] 57% of Americans report being "addicted" to their smartphones. Are you one of them? [11:30] Smartphone addiction isn't your fault! Here's exactly how social media keeps your attention so they make more $$[17:30] How to declutter your cell phone like a boss[26:00] What recent research says with regard to the impacts of smartphones on children's/teens' wellness[37:00] 5 reasons parents say they're pulled to give their child a smartphone, plus alternative solutions![43:00] Individual actions impact the collective. How to make delaying the smartphone a staple in your community Resources mentioned: The Smart Phone Compulsion Test Wait Until 8th How To Break Up With Your Phone (by Catherine Price) The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness (by Jonathan Haidt) Investigation: How TikTok's Algorithm Figures Out Your Deepest Desires (via The Wall Street Journal) Have Smart Phones Destroyed A Generation? (via The Atlantic)   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.

Want to feel calmer and happier? You don't have to shell out hundreds of dollars for the newest wellness product or service. In fact, the solution doesn't cost a cent: simply get in touch with your breathing.Breath is an amazing and responsive teacher. That's because if we breathe as we live — take in and let go — we can't go wrong.On today's show: An invitation to meet yourself with author Jean Hall. Here's a preview:[5:00] The breath underpins everything we do in life, and yet we rarely bring awareness to it. Why not?[10:00] 5 wellness benefits re: paying attention to your breathing patterns[25:00] Exploring the pause changes everything[29:00] Flowing with the breath is great practice for learning how to flow with life Resources mentioned: Breathe: Simple Breathing Techniques For A Calmer, Happier Life Jean on Instagram   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.

From phone calls to blind dates to punctuation to civil discourse, the internet has changed every aspect of human life. While some losses are insignificant, the rise of the internet has also resulted in larger repercussions, like shorter attention spans, a collective inability to sit in solitude, and the the utter demolition of personal privacy.On today's show: A conversation with author and New York Times columnist Pamela Paul about the ways in which the internet has fundamentally changed human existence. Here's a preview:[8:00] Do humans need to experience boredom once in awhile? (Absolutely yes, and here's why)[14:00] Not-so-thanks to the internet, the past no longer stays in the past[20:00] The hive mind and queen bees: Does the internet hamper independent thought?[27:00] Parenting implications associated with the loss of the kitchen landline[35:00] Ruminating on the disappearance of the phone call Resource mentioned:100 Things We've Lost to the Internet  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.

I received an email last month from two Dutchmen who have been sailing around the world for 8 years in search of climate solutions. They asked to visit my home and chat. I obliged, and I'm so happy I did.On today's show: an in-person interview with Floris van Hees and Ivar Smits — also affectionately known as Sailors For Sustainability — about the wisdom they've gained from their adventure.Here's a preview of 4 pieces of wisdom we are discussing today: [7:00] Leaving the "golden cage" is big risk, sure. But there's also big reward[16:00] America isn't normal![22:00] Bad news sells, but there's plenty of good going on in the world because humans are incredibly adaptable[43:00] When the smoke in the global theater thickens, the exit signs will shine brighter  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.