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Sustainable Minimalists

Stephanie Seferian

Eco-friendly, non-toxic minimalism made simple

  • 48 minutes 46 seconds
    The C Word (Cancer!)

    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: 

     

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    11 October 2024, 11:03 am
  • 1 minute 59 seconds
    Introducing Smart Money Happy Hour
    I hope you'll enjoy Smart Money Happy Hour with Rachel Cruze and George Kamel. We have become regular Thursday listeners and we hope you check it out to see why!
    11 October 2024, 10:03 am
  • 42 minutes 49 seconds
    Selective Mediocrity

    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

     

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    10 October 2024, 4:10 am
  • 46 minutes 25 seconds
    Rebuilding Your Village

    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:

     


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    8 October 2024, 4:10 am
  • 45 minutes 9 seconds
    Edit Your Life

    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:



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    4 October 2024, 12:54 pm
  • 39 minutes 55 seconds
    The Antidote To Hedonic Adaptation

    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:

     

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    1 October 2024, 4:10 am
  • 36 minutes 57 seconds
    The Commercialization Of Kids

    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 addiction


    Resources mentioned:


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    27 September 2024, 10:48 am
  • 45 minutes 36 seconds
    Removing The Mask

    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:

     

    Resources mentioned:

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    26 September 2024, 12:05 pm
  • 35 minutes 3 seconds
    A Mindful Wardrobe Refresh

    Want to be "up to date" with your wardrobe choices? Fashion forwardness understands that the textile industry is incredibly polluting; having your finger on the fashion pulse, then, is about consciously choosing not to participate in trends.


    And yet we somehow must dress ourselves. While fast fashion is quite literally made to fall apart, wearing what we wore decades ago isn't a good look. So what on earth is a sustainable minimalist to do?


    On today's show: How to mindfully refresh your wardrobe with tips straight from experts. 

     

    * 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 of the expert-backed techniques we are discussing today:

    [8:30] All Killer, No Filler! Stop settling for garments that are "good enough"

    [17:00] Adapt, Don't Abandon: How to pair an outdated item with something that's on trend

    [24:00] Refine your style with The 3-Word Method

    [26:00] Raise the dead! (A.K.A. bring back to life high-quality, foundational pieces)

    [31:00] When all else fails, consider a uniform 

     

    Resources mentioned:

     


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    24 September 2024, 4:10 am
  • 35 minutes 59 seconds
    Ripple Effects

    More free time and less stress. Extra money in the bank. While minimalists often report such benefits of the lifestyle over and over, for many of us, it goes deeper. Indeed, a minimalist lifestyle may fundamentally change the way we interact with the world.

    As this podcast approaches its 500th episode I find myself curious about the ways in which adopting a minimalist or minimal-ish outlook has altered the ways in which we as community act and think.

    On today's show: A conversation with minimalist Elaina Jindra about just some of the ways her life is different these days.

     

    Here's a preview of the minimalism-inspired habit changes we are discussing today:

    [8:00] Watching less television and turning away from mass media

    [14:00] Buying in bulk, no more

    [19:00] Storing it at the store? Sure. Plus: Storing it at Goodwill!

    [22:00] Eating healthier and drinking less alcohol

    [25:00] Stepping into the role of 'creator' while losing the identity of 'consumer'

     

    Resources mentioned:

    • Sign up for the Sustainable Minimalists newsletter (it's free!) here
    • Hobby Hour (via Substack)

     

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    19 September 2024, 10:19 am
  • 34 minutes 10 seconds
    Phthalates And Kids Products

    Just because a product is marketed to babies or kids doesn't mean it's safe, and new research published just last week has alarming things to say about the presence of phthalates in personal care products for children. 

    While minimalists know that excess stuff harms our emotional well-being and mental loads, *sustainable* minimalists understand that products can harm our physical health. On today's show: Applying the tenets of sustainable minimalism to the hair and skin products our children use each day.

     

    Here's a preview:

    [7:00] If phthalates make plastics flexible and bendy, what on earth are they doing in personal care products?

    [10:00] Don't see the term 'phthalate' on a product's ingredients list? That doesn't mean it's phthalate-free!

    [13:00] Are phthalates the reason why our daughters are getting their periods younger and younger?

    [19:00] No 10-step skincare regimen to see here: Here's a 5-step cleanup regimen for your household

    [25:00] Musings on the tween and teen skincare beauty craze

     

    Resources mentioned:

     

    Products mentioned on today's show:

     

     

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    17 September 2024, 10:38 am
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