Sustainable Minimalists

When it comes to environmental concerns, there's certainly plenty to worry about at the moment. Whether you and your family is eating microplastics on the regular may not be your list of top concerns.

But it’s an important topic to cover. While the health effects of microplastics on humans are not fully understood, common sense measures that reduce our exposures to both the plastic itself and also the endocrine-disrupting chemicals that are on and in such particles are certainly prudent. On today's show: How to eat, drink, and inhale fewer microplastics as you go about your days.

Here's a preview:

[6:00] Synthesizing the latest research into the effects of microplastics on human health

[11:00] Stop eating microplastics! 3 practical action steps in the kitchen

[27:00] Inhalation and absorption matters: Why vacuuming and dusting helps

[35:00] 3 (super easy) ways to reduce your plastics exposure when you're out and about

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In 1901, American families spent 20% of their income on non-necessities.  But 123 years later? These days that figure has risen to 50%. Many of us spend hard-earned money in hopes of acquiring things that money can't buy, and the result? Nearly 3 and 4 of Americans identify finances as a top stressor in their lives.

Marketers have created consumer desire, sure, but it's entirely possible to spend in alignment with your values. In a world of disposable incomes, global warming, and far too much cortisol, we need values-based spending now more than ever, because spending on your core values benefits your wallet, your sanity, and the planet all at once.

On today's show author Jill Sirianni encourages us to drill down our core values so we spend less, save more, and recenter our lives around what's actually important.

Here's a preview:

[8:30] The Number One reason not to buy to solve your problems (It rarely works!)

[15:00] Faith, Family, Friends, and Fulfilling work: Identifying core values and the Four Fs

[18:00] It's not deprivation, but it could be sacrifice ... How does self-care fit into the values-based spending conversation?

[26:00] Nailing down your values and curb impulse spending for good

Resources mentioned:

Thanks to E-Cloth for being the feature sponsor of this episode! Use my code "Minimalists15" for 15% off sitewide at: https://us.e-cloth.com/

Once upon a time (oh, about 175 years ago) we were epic creators. Human hands made things, grew things, built things, and even invented things on the regular. But these days? By and large, we identify as consumers, and our hands are mostly used for typing and swiping.

And yet, when we consume too much, many of us experience stress, anxiety, and depression. We know it because we're living it: Our possessions can possess us. 

If we create more, we may very likely consume less. On today's show: Moving the needle of contentment away from over-consumption back to self-sufficiency by highlighting what research has to say about the wellness benefits associated with using our hands to create.

 Here's a preview:

[4:30] Exactly when and how did we lost our collective abilities to create (Here's lookin' at you, mail-order catalog)

[9:30] Our hands are marvels. Marvels, I say!

[15:00] Crafting is good for you, so pick up those knitting needles, woodworking tools, or art supplies

[20:00] In defense of active leisure (and I do mean active!)

[24:00] Puzzles, board games, and the wellness benefits associated with "supercharged socializing"

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Tomatoes, green beans, peaches, and so much more: Our great-grandmas knew a thing or two about food preservation, and yet these days few of us can. It's a time- and labor-intensive practice, sure. But it's also a self-sufficient life skill. 

Whether you grow some or all of your own food or seek out bargains at the store and farmers' market, canning the season's bounty means you'll be eating well all year round. You'll also be participating in a nearly waste-free practice (no plastic to see here!). 

Back to our great-grandmas for a hot minute: They infused love in every jar, and so can you. On today's show author Sarah Thrush invites us to go back to food preservation basics with advice on how to integrate canning into a self-sufficient, money-saving, and sustainable lifestyle.

Here's a preview:

[10:00] Say it loud, say it proud: There's no self-sufficiency without community!

[15:00] The #1 Rule of canning, plus: why it's super important to start small

[19:0o] The One Week, One Month, One Year principle: Here's exactly how Sarah keeps enough food on hand to feed her family for an entire year

[25:00] Troubleshooting the most common canning conundrums

[33:00] Take it outside and make it a party! The benefits to canning outside with your family

Thanks to E-Cloth for being the feature sponsor of this episode! Use code "Minimalists15" for 15% off sitewide: https://us.e-cloth.com/

Resources mentioned:

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

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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?

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!)

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

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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 outside

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