Sustainable Minimalists

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.

Before aluminum coated in Teflon, there was cast iron.Our great-grandparents revered cast iron in the kitchen because it lasts *forever*. And with proper care? It's naturally non-stick, no PFAS necessary.These days cast iron is experiencing a renaissance of sorts, and for many good reasons. On today's show cast iron historian Kyle Seip answers our burning questions about how to cook on and care for our beloved cast iron cookware (it's way easier than you think!). Here's a preview:[6:00] Before aluminum, it was iron: A brief cast iron history[11:00] What a price tag says about new and vintage cast iron pieces[13:00] Getting to the bottom of the confusing health claims[18:00] How do you clean cast iron? Is soap OK?[22:00] When to use enamel-coated cast iron (hey there, Le Creuset!) versus when reach for traditional[25:00] Everything you need to know about seasoning your cast iron (spoiler alert: you don't need to do much!)[27:00] Troubleshooting a rusty skillet Resources mentioned: Smithey Cast Iron Kyle On Instagram @castiron_kyle   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.

Is the glass half empty, or is it half full? According to Tony Robbins, trading your expectations for appreciation instantly changes everything. Psychological research agrees: Gratitude has the power to improve every single aspect of your life.On today's show: how to truly feel gratitude for your stuff and people. Here's a preview:[3:00] Want to be 18% happier? It's as easy as putting on a new pair of glasses, metaphorically speaking[10:00] HABITUATION! Our brains are primed to forget why certain stuff and people are important [19:00] Say it with me: Stuff doesn't create gratitude! 3 tips for feeling grateful for what you already own[28:00] We expect way too much from our partners. Let's fix that together[35:00] Feeling less than grateful for the people in your life? That's normal (there's also a simple antidote) Resources mentioned: Episode #460: Pleasure-Saturated The Gratitude Diaries: How A Year Looking On The Bright Side Can Transform Your Life (by Janice Kaplan)   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.

Packaged foods (obviously) have ingredients lists. Our favorite beauty products have ingredients lists. And those cleaning products under the kitchen sink? Yup, they've got ingredients lists, too.Ever wonder why our clothes don't have ingredients lists? While we'd *like* to think our favorite garments are made of woven fibers and nothing more, the sad truth is there are countless unregulated chemicals in our closet go-tos (and these chemicals are likely harming our health).On today's show investigative journalist Alden Wicker explains why synthetic fashion and dyes made from fossil fuels are so deeply intertwined with the rise of autoimmune disease, infertility, asthma, eczema, and more; she also suggests concrete action steps for curating a clean(er) closet. Here's a preview:[7:00] Uncovering the chemicals in our clothes and what they're doing to our health[10:30] Taking a special look at the especially problematic petrochemical-based azo dyes (often used on petrochemical-based fibers)[17:00] If all this stuff is in our clothing, why don't garments have ingredients lists?[22:00] Carter's, Victoria's Secret, and victim body blaming[31:00] Why 'organic' doesn't mean much when it comes to clothing[36:00] For subscribers! Action steps for curating a clean(er) closet Resources mentioned: To Dye For: How Toxic Fashion Is Making Us Sick — And How We Can Fight Back Plastic-Free Activewear? Here are 15 Brands That Use Natural Instead of Synthetic Fibers (via Eco Cult) The Best Non-Toxic Fashion Brands For Chemically Sensitive People (via Eco Cult) Future Card   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.