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3 Steps to Becoming an Anti-Consumer

3 Steps to Becoming an Anti-Consumer

Have you found yourself looking critically at consumerist culture for the first time? Although anti-consumerism is countercultural, it isn’t uncommon. Proponents argue that breaking free from the purchasing hamster wheel ushers in financial freedom; it provides clarity around what’s *actually* important, too. On this episode of The Sustainable Minimalists podcast, tangible ways to navigate holidays and birthdays without gifts, what to say to less-than-supportive friends and family, and why it's important to be loud and proud when advocating for your life choices. 


COVID-19 has forced many of us to look critically at consumerist culture for perhaps the first time. If you don’t like what you see, you aren’t alone.

Although anti-consumerism is countercultural, it isn’t uncommon. Proponents argue that breaking free from the purchasing hamster wheel ushers in financial freedom; it provides clarity around what’s *actually* important, too.

My guest this week is Aleah Mohammed. Aleah had an ‘a-ha’ moment as she took out the trash; she committed herself to a no-new-purchases year shortly after.

Aleah has been documenting her successes and struggles and is on the show to divulge what it’s really like to be an anti-consumer.

 

Here’s a preview of today’s episode:

[16:30] How to navigate holidays and birthdays without gifts

[19:45] What to say to less-than-supportive friends and family (and how to say it)

[23:30] Why it’s important to be loud and proud when advocating for your life choices

 

Happy listening!

 

* Want more episodes like this one? Check out #049: The Why and How of a No-Spend Challenge.

* This week’s eco-tip: Tinted mineral sunscreen brands include Elta MD, Coola, and Juice Beauty.

* Join our (free!) community here.

* Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Pinterest.

 

Have you found yourself looking critically at consumerist culture for the first time? Although anti-consumerism is countercultural, it isn’t uncommon. Proponents argue that breaking free from the purchasing hamster wheel ushers in financial freedom; it provides clarity around what’s *actually* important, too. On this episode of The Sustainable Minimalists podcast, tangible ways to navigate holidays and birthdays without gifts, what to say to less-than-supportive friends and family, and why it's important to be loud and proud when advocating for your life choices. 

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Unhappy? You're Normal

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 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?

 

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Hello there, I’m Stephanie. I live a crazy, beautiful life as a full-time wife, blogger + mother to two spirited daughters. I’m on a mission to simplify eco-friendly living so as to greater enjoy life’s sweeter moments.

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