The Sustainable Minimalists Podcast

Research finds that by and large happiness is a learned and cultivated behavior. Even better? Decades of psychological research lay the foundation for a handy-dandy formula that helps us *increase* the amount of happiness we experience in our daily lives.On today's show: abandoning cultural expectations in favor of a happiness formula that's both practical and empirically-based. Here's a preview:[3:00] If happiness isn't a state of being, what is it, really? Should we even seek it out?[7:45] H = S + C + V! An easy-to-understand formula for a happier life[16:00] Adults today are less happy than adults in previous generations, and here's why[21:00] 7 research-backed ways to increase your level of enduring happiness Resources mentioned: Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment by Dr. Martin Seligman Episode #343: The Distorted Mirror This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tri

Sustainability has the reputation of being, well, expensive. When money's tight, how do modern families decide what to prioritize with their dollars? Today I chat with Whitney Leigh Morris about the space where eco-consciousness and finances collide.Here's a preview:[3:30] Think you can't afford to be eco-friendly? Think again[6:00] $8 leggings from Target or a $35 pair from an ethical brand? It's complicated ... [13:00] Electric vehicle? Heat pump? How to get in the habit of asking whether you *actually* need that big ticket eco-item[16:00] Thoughts on replacing items that are in working condition for more energy efficient options[19:30] Are carbon offsets really worth the money?[26:30] What 'voting with your dollars' really means Resources mentioned: Episode #326: Gifting Boundaries with Whitney Whitney 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 @sustainable

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, December 1 2023:[00:30] Frustration and skepticism surrounding the latest climate summit happening now[5:30] A plane just flew across the Atlantic without fossil fuels, but let's reign in our excitement[10:00] Lead pipes, be gone[14:00] The plight of the wolverine  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.

Like wine? Me too! On today's show: Everything you need to know about selecting wine that's aligned with your values. Here's a preview:[3:00] Why, oh why aren't there ingredients labels on alcohol?[8:00] Your favorite wine may have up to 6 dozen additives within. Let's chat about a few of them[13:00] Do sulfites deserve their bad rap? (hey there, red wine headaches!)[20:00] Grapes are listed as #8 on the EWG's Dirty Dozen. Should we be buying organic wine?[24:00] Biodynamic wine is organic, but organic wine isn't necessarily biodynamic. Here's why[33:00] How to buy wine like an informed and conscious consumer  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.

Many of us have a complicated relationship with our stuff. And while no one wants their possessions to possess their lives, our stuff often has fascinating stories to tell.On today's show: A conversation with psychotherapist and professional organizer Helen Sanderson about what the state of our homes reveal about our psychology. Here's a preview:[3:45] Pack rat, minimalist, or somewhere in between? Here's what our homes show us about ourselves[6:15] How to best guide your child toward tidiness, no nagging necessary[12:00] When a neat freak and a slob get married: How to best navigate differences in home maintenance styles[17:00] Home management is like tending a garden (and other applicable metaphors)[20:00] Thoughts on finding the drive to get to "maintenance" Resources mentioned: The Secret Life of Clutter Helen 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 @su

It’s crazy but it’s true: Only in America do we trample each other for sales exactly ONE day after being thankful for what we already have.Corporations want us to believe that happiness lies in stuff, but research consistently suggests otherwise. On today's re-air: A conversation with blogger Barbara Alfeo about making the most of the day after Thanksgiving in ways that have nothing to do with shopping.Here's a preview:[4:00] A Black Friday primer: Its humble origins and its spectacular modern-day popularity[8:15] Why do we over-shop? It's likely to fill the hole that our communities used to fill[12:00] Get out of the stores and get off the internet; have an anti-Black Friday instead. Here's how[20:00] Are you *just* a consumer or are you a helper, a volunteer, a friend? Here's why Black Friday is the perfect day to give back[26:00] How to set clear cut gifting limits so you don't overspend on Cyber Monday and throughout the holiday season This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (

Is that Christmas in the air, or is it capitalism?There's no doubt about it: overconsumption degrades the planet. Enter Secondhand Sunday, a new-ish shopping holiday that's nestled between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It's dedicated to all-things thrifted and redirects shoppers away from mass consumption and toward pre-loved items instead. On today's show Poshmark's Kelly Mason inspires us to think differently about shopping during the holidays.(P.S. Are you putting up your Christmas tree this weekend? Listen to Episode #323: O Christmas Tree first!) Here's a preview:[2:45] The case for normalizing secondhand items as gifts[6:00] We live in a different world than we did as children! Here's why it's high-time our giving rituals adapt to our current enviro-reality[13:00] Would your loved ones be open to receiving a secondhand gift? This is what market research says[15:00] Skeptics, unite! How to best dip your toe into the secondhand lifestyle[21:00] Why it's individual voices (a.k.a. yours and mine) that cont

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, November 17 2023:[2:45] Climate disasters are expensive, yo[7:30] Earth just experienced its hottest year in 125,000 years[12:00] The planet is "woefully off track" on 41 out of 42 global climate goals   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 holidays are meant to be about peace, joy, and togetherness … but they often end up steeped in chaos, rush, and overspending.Not this year! There’s really no better time than right this minute to practice slowing down and getting intentional *before* we say yes to another obligation or hit 'add to cart'.On today's show podcast host Desirae Endres reminds us that the holidays aren't just for kids; they are for us to enjoy too.  Here's a preview:[6:30] First things first: We can't manufacture perfection, and kids make their own magic[11:00] Are you the behind-the-scenes magic maker? The importance of remembering what YOU love about the season[23:00] Protect your peace by zeroing in on what's within your control[29:00] Focus on contentment, not on comparison! Shining light on the chasm between our idealized (ahem...commercialized) celebrations versus real life Resources mentioned: Your Minimal-ish Holidays: 30 Days to a More Intentional Season Desirae on Instagram This show is listener-supported. Thank you

Are you doing gratitude wrong?So many of us are always waiting for more. But when you greet each moment gratefully? You're always receiving.On today's show author Kristi Nelson offers a mini-formula for grateful living (put this conversation on as you're preparing for Thanksgiving!). Here's a preview:[10:00] It's not happiness that makes us grateful; it's gratefulness that makes us happy (and other research-backed benefits to grateful living)[20:00] Is what once was plenty now no longer enough? Practical ways to fight back against "gratitude tolerance"[26:00] The super-simple solution to mind grind[30:00] Thoughts on practicing gratitude during moments of grief, illness, and struggle Resource mentioned:Wake Up Grateful: The Practice Of Taking Nothing For Granted 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 enviro-news you need to know for Friday, November 10 2023:[00:30] Microplastics are now in clouds; here's what this means[3:00] The leaf blower problem[10:30] The world's first solar SUV has entered the chat[11:00] An electric plane just flew from Vermont to Florida (!) Resources mentioned: Episode #260: The White Gold Rush  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.

Choosing the right hand soap and body wash isn't *just* about cleanliness. You deserve non-toxic products and our waterways deserve non-polluting ones, so it's really about committing to a higher standard of care.We're likely using soap every day for the rest of our lives; it's prudent, then, to get intentional about this must-have product. On today's show: conscious consumerism in the soap aisle. Here's a preview:[3:00] Are antibacterial/antimicrobial soaps really necessary?[6:30] A hand sanitizer tangent: pro tips for buying and using sanitizer the *right* way[9:00] Research finds that putting products with toxins on our skin is more deleterious to our health than eating them, and here's why[11:00] Everything you absolutely must know about Triclosan[19:00] How to excel at the hand soap class of life via Stephanie's handy-dandy grading rubric Resources mentioned: Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap bars Vermont Soap Company  Attitude personal care products Carina Organics   This show is listener-supported. Thank you

Perhaps you're a veteran investor, or maybe you're just now starting to financial plan. Either way, where you put your money can substantially increase (or decrease!) your annual carbon footprint. Don't put your money where your mouth is; put it where your values are. On today's show financial consultant Shila Wattamwar leads an advanced level discussion about sustainable investing for the eco-conscious.  Here's a preview:[5:00] The sneaky ways you may be funding fossil fuels with your $$[8:00] How well do ESG rating scales actually work? (And why aren't these measures standardized?)[21:00] Proxy ballots are an opportunity. Don't throw them in the trash![25:00] What a time to be alive: A financial advisor's thoughts on next gen "alternative investments" New to sustainable investing? Listen to these episodes first!  Episode #278: Divesting Episode #258: Conscious Spending Episode #205: How To Right-Size Your Budget  Resources mentioned:  Sustainability With Soren www.SustainableMe.Today Net-Zero Banking Allian

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, November 3 2023:[00:30] French cheese, meet climate change[4:00] This is why olive oil is so expensive right now[6:30] Why many scientists are now saying climate change is an all-out 'emergency'[11:00] Cities are notoriously hot. Here are some cutting edge cooling solutions   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.

Some environmentalists call Christmas the world’s greatest annual environmental disaster, and for good reason: All that cheap, ultra-trendy decor adds up. On today's show: getting intentional about our holiday decorations once and for all. Here's a preview:[3:00] Let's talk numbers: How much do Americans spend each year on holiday decor?[10:00] 3 ways in which 'Christmas Creep' encourages us to spend more than we intended on decorations[13:00] The origins of those inflatable lawn thingys: Where did they come from and when will they disappear?[22:00] Don't go out and buy another decoration until you've displayed the decorations you already own, and here are 4 reasons why[32:00] Want to make your child smile? Don't buy a cheap piece of holiday decor; do this instead Resources mentioned: Big Mouth Billy Bass Episode #323: O Christmas Tree Episode #101: 5 Spaces To Declutter Before Christmas Episode #051: How To Handle Holiday Clutter (with Joshua Becker) Episode #327: Holiday Boundaries Episode #326: Gift Bounda

Many of us shy away from the word 'activist' because the term brings to mind a very specific type of person. But if you're regularly taking action to make the world a better place? Guess what my friend, you're already an activist (yes, really!).What matters is not the size of the action, nor how vigorous the action is. It's all about consistency. On today's show author Omkari Williams helps us find the kind of social justice engagement that feels both empowering *and* sustainable.Here's a preview:[4:00] Activism isn't just marching and picketing: Here's what micro activism looks like in the day to day [10:30] Are you a headliner, an organizer, a producer, or an indispensable? How to determine your unique activist archetype[22:00] The status quo isn't working for the vast majority of us. So where's the passion for change?[30:00] How to know whether your efforts constitute shallow work or deep work Resources mentioned: Micro Activism: How You Can Make a Difference in the World without a Bullhorn Take Omkari's A

The enviro-news you need to know for Friday, October 27 2023:[00:30] The West Antarctic ice sheet appears to be headed for an eventual “collapse”[3:00] The oil giants are feeling pretty darn good about their futures, apparently[6:30] Why on earth is the US government funding enhanced oil recovery?[13:00] This potential climate warrior may be gearing up for a White House run  Resources mentioned: Companies capture a lot of CO2. Most of it is going into new oil. (via WaPo) 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.

It's sad but true: Americans are some of the most chronically stressed people on the planet. On today's show: how to incorporate Japanese lifestyle philosophies into our lives for reduced stress, greater well-being, and a longer life.Here's a preview:[3:00] The physiology of stress: What *actually* goes on in our bodies when we encounter a stressor?[11:00] 5 reasons why Americans are among the most stressed in the world[20:00] The secret to a great life isn't the accumulation of $$, it's this[27:00] How being in a hurry is inversely proportional to your quality of life Resources mentioned: Americans Are Some of the Most Stressed-Out People in the World, a New Global Survey Says (via Time) Stressed in the U.S.: 12 Tools to Tackle Anxiety, Loneliness, Tech Addiction, and More by Meg Van Deusen Episode #384: Forest Bathing 101  Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life   This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! Join our (free!) Facebook community here. Find your tribe. Sustainable

Whether you’re dining at a restaurant or ordering takeout, eating out leaves a footprint.On today's show: asking the right questions, minimizing food waste, and reading through All. The. Greenwashing the next time you head to a restaurant.Here's a preview:[6:30] The food waste issue at fine dine, quick serve, and fast casual[12:00] Farm-to-table? How to find restaurants that actually care about environmental sustainability[22:30] The best way to *gently* suggest a change in a restaurant's policy[27:00] Our lives may be go go go, but our food doesn't have to be! Resources mentioned: Michelin Green Star restaurants Episode #093: How (Exactly) To Cook Zero-Waste Meals Episode #270: Desperation Dinners Episode #038: What's For Dinner? 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 enviro-news you need to know for Friday, October 20 2023:[00:30] These are the places that could become ‘unlivable’ as the Earth warms[3:00] Engineer the ocean to curb climate change? Hmm ...[6:30] Ozone-destroying gasses are largely banned. So why are they still being emitted into the atmosphere?[13:00] Climate rules are coming for corporate America[15:00] The enviro-implications of that Taylor Swift tweetResources 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.