The Minimalists talk about how to decide what to get rid of. Listen to all two hours of episode 363 on The Minimalists Private Podcast . Discussed in this episode: How do we determine what to let go of when we’re attached to everything we have? (01:38) What is “one-day-itis”? (07:17) How do I best manage my anxiety regarding decluttering? (11:14) Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast Join The Minimalists Private Podcast: minimalists.com/support...
The Minimalists speak with hospice physician Zach Bush, MD , about accepting death. Listen to all three hours of episode 362 on The Minimalists Private Podcast . Discussed in this episode: How does it seem that we effortlessly let go of everything when we die? (01:48) How do we detox the memory bank of the human body? (11:13) Since palliative care is generally only available to those who are terminally ill, is there another legal and ethical option for me when I’m ready to pass on? (18:54) Do pe...
The Minimalists talk about managing guilt and disappointment when saying “no.” Listen to all two hours of episode 361 on The Minimalists Private Podcast . Discussed in this episode: How do I manage the guilt I feel when I must refuse the requests of others for my assistance? (01:46) Why is it so difficult to say “no” in the moment? (05:08) Is it selfish to expect adequate compensation for my time and expertise? (11:32) How do I appropriately manage the anger I feel toward the transgressions of o...
The Minimalists speak with sleep expert Jack Dell’Accio about best practices for sleep. Listen to all two hours of episode 360 on The Minimalists Private Podcast . Discussed in this episode: How do couples tactfully address their sleep issues that affect one another? (01:43) Is it more beneficial for couples to sleep together or to sleep apart? (04:56) What approaches have you found effective as a couple in improving your sleep? (07:06) How do I effectively communicate my sleep wants and needs w...
The Minimalists talk about getting rid of excess “friends” on social media. Listen to all two hours of episode 359 on The Minimalists Private Podcast . Discussed in this episode: How do we appropriately curate our ‘friends’ lists in our social media accounts? (01:40) Why do we act on social media in ways we would never act in real life? (06:48) How do we tactfully encourage our partners to embrace minimalist practices? (14:05) Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast Join The Minimalists Pri...
The Minimalists are joined by licensed therapists Vanessa Bennett and John Kim to discuss relationship clutter. Listen to all two hours of episode 358 on The Minimalists Private Podcast . Discussed in this episode: How do I search intentionally for a life partner without becoming consumed by that pursuit? (01:45) Does a need for relationships inevitably cause relationship clutter? (03:31) What is the danger in prioritizing my partner’s needs? (5:27) What is your perspective regarding codependenc...
Ryan Nicodemus returns and the trio talks about what makes them angry. Listen to all three hours of episode 357 on The Minimalists Private Podcast . Discussed in this episode: Is anger most commonly triggered by fear and sadness? (01:30) What is your perspective regarding acceptance? (04:46) How do I tactfully address a significant difference in our decor preferences with my partner? (15:41) Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast Join The Minimalists Private Podcast: minimalists.com/suppor...
The Minimalists are joined by musician and YouTuber Ruslan to talk about judgment as emotional clutter. Watch all three hours of episode 356 on The Minimalists Private Podcast . Discussed in this episode: How do we help our children control their emotions? (01:51) How do we best manage the judgment of loved ones? (16:23) Where do Ruslan and The Minimalists disagree on judgment? (17:39) What is the difference between description and prescription? (19:01) Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podca...
The Minimalists are joined by Joshua’s wife, Becca Shern , host of How to Love , to talk about unconventional relationships and parenting. Listen to all three hours of episode 355 on The Minimalists Private Podcast . Discussed in this episode: How do I discuss creating appropriate boundaries with our children with my spouse and grandparents? (01:40) How do we incorporate specificity to better manage difficult conversations? (09:15) How do we treat children equitably within a family? (10:28) What...
The Minimalists are joined by philosopher Peter Rollins to talk about misery, trauma, and letting go of souvenirs. Listen to all three hours of episode 354 on The Minimalists Private Podcast . Discussed in this episode: What drives The Minimalists to help others? (01:41) What inspires Peter Rollins to create? (05:57) Why is work meaningful to us? (07:14) How do we let go of the guilt of a poorly chosen present? (10:33) What is your perspective regarding gifts? (13:40) What do you consider magica...
The Minimalists are joined by comedian Jamie Kilstein to talk about quitting minimalism, saying “no” to birthday gifts, and more. Listen to all three hours of episode 353 on The Minimalists Private Podcast: patreon.com/theminimalists Discussed in this episode: What is your perspective regarding people quitting minimalism? (01:50) Why do we often blame our problems on everything but ourselves? (05:53) What is “new-convert syndrome”? (10:31) How do we tactfully refuse gifts? (12:33) What are T.K.’...
The Minimalists are joined by musician Matt Nathanson to talk about the problem with expectations and assumptions. Watch all three hours of episode 352 on The Minimalists Private Podcast: patreon.com/theminimalists Discussed in this episode: How do I lower or eliminate expectations? (01:44) What is the distinction between an expectation and an assumption? (10:26) What do you consider your most meaningful accomplishment? (12:22) What can attendees of the Sunday Symposium event expect? (24:46) Det...
The Minimalists are joined by their new cohost, T.K. Coleman , to talk about dead things, dead relationships, and more. Listen to all three hours of episode 351 on The Minimalists Private Podcast: patreon.com/theminimalists Discussed in this episode: Why did T.K. Coleman join The Minimalists Podcast as the new cohost? (00:19) Are we obligated to always attend the funerals of loved ones? (03:43) How do I accept my mother dating after the death of my father? (15:46) What is “chronological snobbery...
The Minimalists discuss organizing, hoarding, and decluttering with professional organizer Dr. Julia Raz , and they answer the following questions: When should you hire a professional organizer, and what should you look for in one? (01:36) What is a professional organizer? (02:13) How do I create a new space with a minimalist aesthetic when I move? (10:27) What is the crux of most couples’ disagreements? (19:09) How do I find the system of organization that works for me? (21:47) What questions h...
The Minimalists discuss outgrowing possessions, careers, cities, routines, habits, traditions, and relationships, they release a major announcement, and they answer the following questions: How can you tell you’ve outgrown something? (01:48) What is the common denominator of outgrown things? (04:39) How do I move on from my past traumas so they have the least negative impact on my present self? (10:35) What is your perspective regarding trauma? (16:58) How do I move on from something without fee...
The Minimalists discuss emotional clutter with psychologist Dr. Susan David , and they answer the following questions: What is optimum emotional health, and how do we achieve it? (01:39) How does acceptance help us manage our emotional state? (04:31) Can anger be productive? (05:59) How are emotions actually data? (07:04) How do emotions and values work together? (07:25) What is the ideal relationship between stimulus and response? (10:29) What is “fusion”? (11:18) What is the “readiness potenti...
The Minimalists discuss ten ideal ways to simplify our lives, and they answer the following questions: Where do we best start our decluttering odyssey? (02:01) What is “setting the stage”? (13:23) What is the “true cost” of an item? (21:06) What two ways do you recommend to save money on every purchase? (24:53) What platforms have you found reliable for selling unwanted items? (33:58) How do we effect positive change in our city’s policies regarding architectural aesthetics? (42:33) What is “wab...
The Minimalists talk about earning a living from creative pursuits with writer Jeff Goins , and they answer the following questions: Why do even the most talented artists often struggle financially? (02:43) What is the premise of Jeff’s book? (03:35) How does stubbornness help artists? (04:31) How does a hyper focus on details harm artists? (07:43) What is the importance of patrons for artists? (12:55) How do artists best actualize their dreams? (24:22) What is the best use of our creations that...
The Minimalists discuss the pros and cons of owning versus renting homes from a minimalist perspective, and they answer the following questions: What are your respective opinions regarding owning versus renting homes? (01:48) Is there an age deadline for homeownership? (10:57) How do we determine which is more financially feasible for us between renting and buying? (14:44) What are “Zoomtowns”? (25:07) Do you consider tiny homes a viable homeownership option, particularly regarding resale value?...
The Minimalists speak with Vanessa Van Edwards about communication problems and the signals we send to others through our body language, facial expressions, word choices, and vocal inflections, and they answer the following questions: How do I overcome the feeling of being chronically misunderstood? (02:38) What are the four channels for cues? (03:18) What is the importance of congruence in our communication? (04:10) How are we most commonly misunderstood? (07:09) What are warm and confident wor...
The Minimalists talk about practical, reliable, and durable goods and the social, moral, and environmental responsibilities of the companies that produce them, and they answer the following questions: Where did you get the idea for the title, “The Good Goods”? (01:50) Is there a curated list somewhere on the Internet of companies that sell high-quality, durable goods that also take responsibility for their social and environmental impact? (05:23) What is “impact anxiety”? (16:45) What is “corpor...
The Minimalists discuss the benefits of near-death experiences with their friend T.K. Coleman a month after his brush with death, and they answer the following questions: How has having your film nominated for an Emmy affected you? (02:06) How many times has T.K. appeared on the podcast? (03:39) What near-death experience did T.K. experience recently, and what lessons did he take from it? (05:52) What mattered the most to you in your moment of crisis? (11:43) What effect did T.K.’s near-death ex...
The Minimalists discuss our shared clean-slate fantasy of renting a giant dumpster and tossing everything in it, as well as more prudent and responsible decluttering methods, including selling, donating, and recycling, and they answer the following questions: Why did you renovate The Minimalists podcast studio after its first year? (03:51) How do we tactfully approach a loved one regarding their maximalist lifestyle encroaching on our shared minimalist space? (07:05) What are the three reasons t...
Learn more about Earthing products: earthing.com/simple In this episode, The Minimalists are joined by earthing expert Clint Ober to discuss pain reduction, the science behind grounding, and “the most important health discovery ever,” and they answer the following questions: What is the science behind grounding, and how do I explain it to loved ones who perceive it as metaphysical woo-woo? (03:19) How can grounding relieve much of our discomfort? (09:16) What are the most significant benefits of...
The Minimalists talk about the many shapes and sizes of excess, including stuff, debt, screen time, commitments, and emotional clutter, and they answer the following questions: When is something considered excessive? (03:32) What are the three ways to gain acceptance? (11:52) How do we encourage others to break away from the excessive pursuits that are causing them to feel perpetually overwhelmed? (14:40) What is “POMO”? (15:07) How do I ensure my daily schedule doesn’t become excessive, and how...
The Minimalists speak with Dr. John Delony , author of Own Your Past, Change Your Future , about loneliness, friendship, love, lust, and jobs that make people miserable, and they answer the following questions: How do I ensure I don’t fall back into crippling codependency as I explore building relationships again? (01:42) How do we intentionally practice solitude? (05:33) What is the difference between solitude and hiding? (06:43) How do we make friends as adults? (06:51) Is there any issue in s...
The Minimalists discuss what to do with family heirlooms and “generational junk,” and they answer the following questions: How do we tactfully tell our relatives we don’t want their “generational junk”? (09:17) How do I help my parents minimize their hoard to live more simply when they’re resistant to do so? (14:10) How do we support our family members without accepting their donations of their possessions? (26:35) How do I appropriately rehome a family heirloom that is a historical artifact? (3...
The Minimalists speak with Joshua Becker about Things That Matter , becoming minimalist, and finding purpose, and they answer the following questions: How do I discover what truly matters when I’m already struggling to find meaning in my daily life? (02:11) How do we discover our purposes? (02:34) Would you change your minimalist journeys based on what you know now? (08:07) How do we recoup and regroup from the past purchase of a luxury item, especially when we’re trying to recover from the fina...
The Minimalists talk about purchases that lead to buyer’s remorse, and they answer the following questions: Does regret serve us in any way? (01:57) How do we overcome the loss and regret we feel after donating items so we don’t end up simply replacing them and repeating the cycle? (06:03) How do we recognize when we’re senselessly justifying a purchase that holds little to no actual benefit for us? (16:08) Do your children have any regrets? (23:45) What do we do when we experience buyer’s remor...
The Minimalists talk about the clutter that invades our counters, cabinets, and refrigerators with Max Lugavere , author of Genius Kitchen , and they answer the following questions: What is essential to prepare healthy meals? (02:39) What is a Thermapen? (04:31) Why are glass containers better for storage than plastic containers? (04:56) What is the value of the cast-iron skillet in the kitchen? (06:17) What are the pros and cons of the microwave? (11:08) What are the benefits of sous vide? (13:...
