Cultural messaging and suggests you should be happy all the time. But your "happy chemicals"—dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphin—evolved to motivate survival behavior, not make you happy.

In fact, unhappiness is your brain's default state.

On today's show Dr. Loretta Breuning [https://www.innermammalinstitute.org] argues that you can manage your happy chemicals when you know how they work in the state of nature, and she's here to show us how.

Here's a preview:

[9:00] Serotonin is about social dominance. Enter comparison and competition

[13:00] Want a dose of oxytocin? Be part of a herd

[15:30] Endorphin is the brain's natural opioid. But you can habituate to it!

[18:00] Just got something you want? That flood of happiness is dopamine's doing, but dopamine runs out

[25:00] We are living in an era of immense abundance. So why aren't we happy?

 

Resources mentioned:

 * Why You're Unhappy: Biology Versus Politics [https://amzn.to/3SuyGe5]
 * Become a subscriber on Substack! [https://sustainableminimalists.substack.com/]

 
 * This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! [https://sustainableminimalists.substack.com/]
 * Join our (free!) Facebook community here [https://www.facebook.com/groups/134165317219800/].
 * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/SustainableMinimalists/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sustainableminimalists/] + Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmEjOfANT67KkwTTp3pgSOg] @sustainableminimalists
 * Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

Unhappy? You're Normal

Every purchase you make has an impact on the world. If you aren't careful, your shopping choices contribute to climate change and social injustice. But when you align the contents of your shopping cart with your personal values you slowly but surely shape the market.

Times are uncertain and everyday goods are getting more expensive. Still, we should purchase with intention anyway. On today's show author and sustainability expert Diane Osgood [https://www.dianeosgood.com/about] offers a comprehensive roadmap that navigates each of us toward positive and sustainable shopping practices.

Here's a preview:

[4:00] 70% of the U.S. economy is driven by consumer spending. We citizens control the market!

[13:00] 3 easy-peasy shopping principles to guide you when you're feeling overwhelmed

[17:00] Should you listen to the angel on your shoulder, or the devil? Here's what to remember in those moments you want to backtrack

[21:00] *Exactly how* to avoid products made with forced labor or child labor

[28:00] Buying small, local, and diverse has the power to "chip away at systemic inequality". Here's how

 

Resources mentioned:

 * Your Shopping Superpower: Follow Your Values and Better Your World One Purchase At A Time [https://bookshop.org/p/books/your-shopping-superpower-improve-your-world-and-feel-better-one-purchase-at-a-time-diane-osgood/21711427?ean=9780757325267&next=t]
 * The Chocolate Scorecard [https://www.chocolatescorecard.com/]
 * Remake [https://remake.world/]
 * U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol [https://trustuscotton.org/]

 
 * This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! [https://sustainableminimalists.substack.com/]
 * Join our (free!) Facebook community here [https://www.facebook.com/groups/134165317219800/].
 * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Instagram, [https://www.instagram.com/sustainableminimalists/] Substack [https://sustainableminimalists.substack.com/] + Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmEjOfANT67KkwTTp3pgSOg] @sustainableminimalists
 * Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

Your Shopping Superpowers

Influencer marketing is a case study in how easy it is to sell things to followers who trust their favorite online personalities. But offering that elusive 'personal recommendation' for EVERYthing has normalized both inauthentic endorsing and impulse shopping. It has normalized the buying and selling of your precious attention, too.

Here's a sneak peak of today's episode for subscribers. Listen to the whole episode by becoming a paid supporter! On Apple Podcasts hit the "Try Free" button or, if you listen elsewhere, sign up via Substack. Thanks for considering!

Sneek Peak: Influencers Aren't Friends

There are few things more satisfying than completing a proper spring cleaning. Deep cleaning when the weather warms is a biological imperative that's rooted in centuries of tradition because the practice lightens moods and improves health. It also symbolizes renewal as we come out of hibernation and back into the sunshine.

You aren't alone in your seasonal desire to deep clean. On today's show: Opening the windows, deep-cleaning those closets, stripping the beds, and vacuuming those oft-ignored places just in time for the Spring Equinox.

 

Here's a preview:

[5:00] The evolutionary reasons that may explain why humans have "shaken their houses" for over 3 thousand years

[8:00] Using newspapers to clean your windows, mopping every week, and other cleaning myths

[18:00] Yes, you do need to spring clean your appliances! Here's how

[24:00] Exactly how to deep clean your bedding in 4 steps

[30:00] Love a good spring cleaning and want extra credit? Don't forget about these 5 oft-overlooked areas

 

Resources mentioned:

 * Episode #487: Big Cleaning [https://mamaminimalist.com/487/]
 * Episode #257: Spring Cleaning for Home, Head, and Heart [https://mamaminimalist.com/257/]
 * Should You Use Your Oven’s Self-Cleaning Setting? It Depends. [https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/guides/should-you-use-oven-self-cleaning-setting/] (via Wirecutter)
 * The Ultimate Guide on How to Clean Your Washing Machine [https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/institute/a23727/how-to-clean-a-washing-machine/] (via Good Housekeeping)
 * How to Wash Pillows Properly, According to a Cleaning Expert [https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/tips/a19468/clean-bed-pillows/] (via Good Housekeeping)
 * Tip jar, and thank you! [https://buymeacoffee.com/sustainableminimalists] buymeacoffee.com/sustainableminimalists

 
 * This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! [https://sustainableminimalists.substack.com/]
 * Join our (free!) Facebook community here [https://www.facebook.com/groups/134165317219800/].
 * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/SustainableMinimalists/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sustainableminimalists/] + Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmEjOfANT67KkwTTp3pgSOg] @sustainableminimalists
 * Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

The Psychology of Spring Cleaning

When we let go of what doesn't serve us, we remove weight that holds us down. On today's show we turn to Zen Buddhism for wisdom on letting go of anxiety about the future, grudges, stuff, dead relationships, and more.

Here's a preview:

[4:00] Insanely anxious about the future? (Me too!) Don't spend your energy worrying; do this instead

[12:00] Think of decluttering not as throwing stuff away; think of it instead as setting your stuff (and yourself!) free

[19:00] How to let go of lost friendships and relationships, straight from the mouths of Buddhist monks

[26:00] Holding a grudge requires vast amounts of energy so become skilled at forgetting

[34:00] You're going to get to where you're meant to go, so there's no need to second-guess your choices

 

Resources mentioned:

 * This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! [https://sustainableminimalists.substack.com/]
 * Join our (free!) Facebook community here [https://www.facebook.com/groups/134165317219800/].
 * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/SustainableMinimalists/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sustainableminimalists/] + Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmEjOfANT67KkwTTp3pgSOg] @sustainableminimalists
 * Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

How To Let Stuff Go

Women have been targeted for decades with the message that shopping is recreation. It’s a way to relax and unwind, sure, but recreational shopping also contributes to the climate crisis, supports the worst of shareholder capitalism, and creates an awful lot of unnecessary waste.

Enter Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy [https://www.netflix.com/title/81554996], a hard-hitting new Netflix documentary that forces viewers to look at our waste-related woes. On today’s show producer Flora Bagenal offers a behind-the-scenes look at the documentary’s creation; she also answers your pressing, post-viewing questions.

A note from Stephanie: This episode was recorded before the Los Angeles wildfires. If you're able, please consider donating to one of these organizations [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/help-victims-california-wildfires-affecting-los-angeles-county/]. 

 

Here’s a preview:

[7:00] People find it hard to look at waste, and yet the film makes us look. A behind-the-scenes examination all those hard-hitting images

[16:30] Adidas, Amazon, Unilever, and Apple: Here's why the film featured former employees-turned-whistleblowers

[26:00] Corporate execs must show growth, and corporations are on a treadmill of extracting more and more $$ by pushing unnecessary and redundant products. Is not buying an effective act of resistance?

[30:00] Mindset shifts! Quality is a climate issue, and once you press ‘Buy Now’ you become responsible for the item’s end of life

[36:00] Exactly how to Use. Your. Rage!

 

Resources mentioned:

 * This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! [https://sustainableminimalists.substack.com/]
 * Join our (free!) Facebook community here [https://www.facebook.com/groups/134165317219800/].
 * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/SustainableMinimalists/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sustainableminimalists/] + Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmEjOfANT67KkwTTp3pgSOg] @sustainableminimalists
 * Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

The Shopping Conspiracy

Have you ever thought about what your life would be like without a trash can?

Here in the US, we don't think much about what happens to stuff once we're done with it. Indeed, American infrastructure isn't equipped to properly handle waste, and our wonton wastefulness on the cultural level exacerbates the climate crisis.

It's entirely possible to take matters into your own hands by stepping up as a change maker. On today's show activist and author Fredrika Syren [https://zerowastefamily.com/] suggests tangible ways to treat waste with the reverence it deserves by systematically creating less of it.

 

Here's a preview:

[4:00] Recycling is broken in America, and yet other countries have figured out how to do it right

[17:00] Being a change maker means asking guests to take their trash home with them

[26:30] Exactly how Fredrika saves $18,000 each year thanks to her zero-waste lifestyle

[30:00] Pick a self-sufficient skill and teach yourself! Thoughts on taking your zero-waste efforts up a notch in 2025

Resources mentioned:
 * "No Impact Man" Colin Beavan [https://colinbeavan.com/search-no-impact/]
 * Fredrika on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/zero.waste.family/]
 * A Practical Guide To Zero-Waste For Families [https://amzn.to/3DLctEk]
 * Zero Waste Family on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/zerowastefamily]
 * Zero Time To Waste documentary [https://zerowastefamily.com/film]
 * The Comfort Crisis [https://amzn.to/3PpM29W] (Book Club pick for February 12, 7pm EST)

Resources mentioned:
 * This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! [https://sustainableminimalists.substack.com/]
 * Join our (free!) Facebook community here [https://www.facebook.com/groups/134165317219800/].
 * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/SustainableMinimalists/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sustainableminimalists/] + Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmEjOfANT67KkwTTp3pgSOg] @sustainableminimalists
 * Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

Zero-Waste In The Land Of Wasteful Maximalism

Does it feel like there’s something hypocritical about New Year’s resolutions? They run counter to the idea that we should accept who we are. That we should give ourselves grace.

Resolutions shouldn’t be so grand that we set ourselves up to fail; they shouldn't attempt to "fix" what we've been told is broken, either ("I should be skinnier! I should make more $$!"). There’s a way to work towards personal development without believing you are deficient, and author Tyler Moore [https://thetidydad.com/] is here to show us how.

Here's a preview:

[10:00] Where can you edit to make the time and space to flourish?

[15:00] Differentiating between becoming the best you can be versus "fixing" what you've been told is broken

[22:00] Clearing mental clutter is an awful lot like decluttering your closet

[27:00] Instead of a New Year's resolution, try 12 monthly 'experiments', instead

[32:00] Why hitching your star to external markers of success rarely works, plus: Don't move the goalpost!

 

Resources mentioned:

 * Tidy Up Your Life: Rethinking How to Organize, Declutter, and Make Space for What Matters Most [https://amzn.to/4gB9Svb]
 * Episode #443 (with Tyler!) [https://mamaminimalist.com/443/]
 * Tyler on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/tidydad/]

 
 * This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! [https://sustainableminimalists.substack.com/]
 * Join our (free!) Facebook community here [https://www.facebook.com/groups/134165317219800/].
 * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/SustainableMinimalists/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sustainableminimalists/] + Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmEjOfANT67KkwTTp3pgSOg] @sustainableminimalists
 * Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

New Year, Same Ol' Wonderful You

Have a closet full of clothes but nothing to wear? While capsule wardrobes are often touted as the singular solution to closet overwhelm, many report that they can be restrictive, boring and, frankly, unrealistic in practice.

A minimalist closet is best served by first identifying the outfits needed to live YOUR unique life. On today's show podcaster Lauren Morley [https://www.theclosetcourse.com/thecourse] shows us how to streamline our wardrobes, say goodbye to clutter, and feel effortlessly put together every day by focusing less on capsules and more on a 20 outfit wardrobe, instead.

 

Here's a preview:

[5:30] Identifying exactly where and why capsule wardrobes fall short

[11:00] Why doesn't buying more clothes solve the problems associated with getting dressed? Conversely, why isn't decluttering the singular solution?

[16:00] Say goodbye to capsule wardrobes and hello to your 20 outfit wardrobe

[20:00] Getting to the root of our cultural reverence for bottomless closets

[28:00] The trend cycle is not your friend, so hop off that bandwagon!

 

Resources mentioned:

 * The Closet Course [https://www.theclosetcourse.com/]
 * Millennial Minimalists podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/millennial-minimalists/id1432155616]
 * This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! [https://sustainableminimalists.substack.com/]
 * Join our (free!) Facebook community here [https://www.facebook.com/groups/134165317219800/].
 * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/SustainableMinimalists/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sustainableminimalists/] + Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmEjOfANT67KkwTTp3pgSOg] @sustainableminimalists
 * Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

Revisiting The Capsule Wardrobe Conversation

In Scandinavia, daily interaction with nature has helped turn many people into passionate advocates for the environment. But there are forces at play in American society that divide humans from nature. To name just a few? Schools cut recess to make more time for academic instruction, cities boast sprawl over walkability, and our societal reverence for cleanliness prevents many Americans from getting outside and getting a little dirty.

Best-selling author Linda McGurk  [https://rainorshinemamma.com/]was born in Sweden and, later, raised her own children in the US. Linda is on the show to highlight the ways in which the two cultures diverge with regard to interacting with and respecting the natural world; she also offers both the encouragement and the how-to to get outside in all weather.

Here's a preview:

[5:00] Nature isn't an essential part of childhood here in America. Why not?

[18:00] Not competitive, not motorized, and 3 other ways adults prioritize the open-air life in Scandinavia

[23:00] No such thing as bad weather? What about extreme, climate change-induced weather events?

[28:00] Revisiting our very-American need to be comfortable at all times

[32:00] American schools are slowly eliminating outdoor recess. Here's how to advocate for more outdoor time at your child's school

Resources mentioned:
 * There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather: A Scandinavian Mom's Secrets for Raising Healthy, Resilient, and Confident Kids [https://amzn.to/3OR1pI9]
 * The Open-Air Life: Discover the Nordic Art of Friluftsliv and Embrace Nature Every Day [https://amzn.to/3BcIjsS]
 * Linda on Substack [https://lindamcgurk.substack.com/]
 * Children And Nature Network [https://www.childrenandnature.org/]
 * Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy [https://www.netflix.com/title/81554996] (via Netflix)

 
 * This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting! [https://sustainableminimalists.substack.com/]
 * Join our (free!) Facebook community here [https://www.facebook.com/groups/134165317219800/].
 * Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/SustainableMinimalists/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sustainableminimalists/] + Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmEjOfANT67KkwTTp3pgSOg] @sustainableminimalists
 * Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

No Such Thing As Bad Weather

Creating eco-friendly, minimalist homes (without the extra work).