The Slow Home Podcast With Brooke Mcalary

Welcome to the second episode of the Summer Series (/Winter Warmies!) For all of January, we’ll be bringing back the best of 2018, re-sharing some of our favourite episodes to keep you company on the beach (or the slopes!) Today we’re highlighting one of Brooke’s most inspiring picks of the year - her interview with Rob Greenfield. Rob is a self-described ‘dude making a difference’: an activist, environmentalist and all-around legend. We love that Rob shares his story so honestly and in a very relatable way - he was just an average guy who had a wake up call, and he talks about what his catalyst for change was, how he started to make changes, having the realisation that you can’t make enormous changes overnight and more.  We can’t wait to see how Rob goes with his current project - growing or foraging 100% of his food for a whole year. To read more about the episode and Rob, head over to http://slowyourhome.com/241/ for all the links and resources mentioned, as w

Happy New Year, and welcome to the first episode of the Summer Series (Winter Warmies!) For all of January, we’ll be bringing back the best of 2018, re-sharing some of our favourite episodes to keep you company on the beach (or the slopes!) We’re kicking off by harking back to Brooke and Ben’s favourite experiment of 2018, and an episode that came just after it: Brooke’s chat with Florence Williams, author of The Nature Fix. In this episode Florence shares why time in nature is so important, tips for how to make it happen and some of the benefits she’s found in her research. This conversation only further convinced Brooke of the importance of spending time in nature - let us know if it made you feel the same way! Head over to Instagram and share your thoughts. To read more, head over to http://slowyourhome.com/232/ for all the links and resources mentioned, as well as the full blog post.  ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a ratin

Cue the jazzy Christmas tunes - it’s our final episode of the year! Welcome to the crowd-sourced holiday special, where we share your tips for staying slow in the silly season (and throw in some of our own). Thank you so much to everyone who got in touch - we loved reading through your responses, and hearing all the different ways you not only cope with, but enjoy what can be a stressful time of year. Brooke and Ben share more than 40 tips from listeners, all about how to bring a little more slow to your holiday traditions, gifts, finances, food, time with family and friends, decorations and environmental impact. There’s so much goodness in here, and definitely something for everyone to consider for either this year or next. Whether it’s sipping a candy cane martini every Friday night like Steve or getting organised with gifts, we hope you’ll find a nugget that resonates with you! When in doubt, if you come back to ask what your priorities for the season are, how you want it to feel an

We’re back! Thanks for hanging tight with us over the final few weeks of the book tour. In today’s episode, Brooke and Ben check in and catch us up on how they’re feeling and what’s happening next, as well as sharing a reminder about A Simple Year and the special offer available until 14 Nov (more info at slowyourhome.com/simpleyear). The guys kick off by looking back at the tour (briefly - more on the tour in ep 260 if you missed it), and then sharing how they’re feeling now that it’s all over. It’s a mix of exhaustion and creative energy at Brooke’s end (an interesting combination!) and the joy of being able to finally relax for Ben. Which means a lot less doing for the whole family, and a lot more being and tilting into filling up their cups, including some dedicated creative time - both Brooke and Ben are doing NaNoWriMo! They’ve also had time to think about what’s next.  Wary of her tendency to announce things too soon, Brooke is shy on the

Welcome to this week’s episode - a catch up on all things travel with Brooke and Ben after their US Slow book tour. They received so many questions about the logistics of their trip, so today they dive into them all, talking the how, where and why of their time away so far. First up they talk about how they managed to do the tour - the decisions they made and steps they took in order to pack up their lives in Australia and hit the road. Then they go into the nitty gritty of accommodation and planning, including a sweet hack for longer stays in Airbnbs or VRBOs and the benefits of spending more time in a home-like environment when travelling with kids. They talk about the difference between the first half of their trip and the book tour, and also why they decided (after a test run of the #vanlife in the Yukon) not to go down the campervan/caravan route. Then it’s onto how they came up with their itinerary, the decisions they made around food (i.e. not to stress about it) to make their lives easier

We're not gonna lie, after some 17,000 miles, 29 US states and more than 35 incredible, heart-warming events, the Slow book tour is all wrapped up, and we're a little tired. But before we put a bow on what's been an incredible experience we want to share one final live recording with you, because it's a special one. The tour finished up in Minneapolis, where Brooke sat down for a conversation with her friend Joel Zaslofsky at ModernWell. Joel asks Brooke the big questions (he always has, it's one of his superpowers) and they dive deep in to topics we haven't covered before.  Enjoy! And another heartfelt thanks to everyone who came out to the book tour events over the past few months - words can't describe how grateful we are.  ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon page to help support the show financially and join in on our live monthly video calls. And thanks so much for listening! ===Support the sh

After a few technical hiccups Brooke and Ben were finally able to record one of their live podcast recordings while on the Slow book tour, and today's episode was recorded live at Anderson's Bookshop near Chicago.  The crowd was really engaged and Ben and Brooke had such a wonderful time talking about Slow, the practical realities of slow living and family life, their experience while travelling through the US and Canada for 8 months, and their plans for the future.  They also talk about privilege and slow living, and why Brooke firmly believes that slow living will change the world - by helping people create space and time to care more.  The live events have been such a highlight this year, and here's hoping 2019 brings more opportunity to get together with like-minded people!  Enjoy! Support the show.

It’s the last Slow Experiment episode for September! For the final week of Mindful Moments, Brooke and Ben look at journaling as way to bring a pocket of slow and mindfulness to a busy day. It’s no secret that Ben is not the biggest journaler alive (see: the great journaling experiment of 2016), but by the end of the episode even he is convinced to give it another crack. Maybe. Brooke is a big journaler, and has used it as a tool to manage anxiety, give shape to her mornings and help her find slow moments in everyday life for many years. She found during the book tour that the busier life got, and the more she had to strip back her morning rhythm and self-care, journaling was a thing that stuck, and kept helping. It gave her immediate relief on anxious days, was portable and easy, could be as big or small a task as she needed and she felt the effects throughout the day. If that’s not a testimonial, we don’t know what is. The guys then share a few ideas for ways to bring journaling into

It’s week three of the Mindful Moments Slow Experiment, and today’s episode is all about gratitude as a tool for mindfulness. For Ben, the importance of cultivating gratitude has been one of the biggest lessons he’s learned from slow living. For Brooke, gratitude is an invaluable way to prevent that shift into negative thinking that can happen when life is busy or stressful. It’s a practice that can take just a minute or two in your day, but have incredible benefits for your life. So let’s dive in! First up, the guys break down exactly what gratitude is, and identify that it’s the specific kind of thankfulness that they’re focusing on, not the rose-coloured glasses approach to life. They then share some different examples of gratitude practices: a gratitude journal, having a chalkboard in the kitchen where everyone in the house writes one thing they’re grateful for everyday, writing a thank you note, using technology, loving-kindness meditation, sharing at the d

In this week’s episode Brooke and Ben continue their month of Mindful Moments for the Slow Experiment, looking at the technique of mindful attention or observation. This is something that Brooke has been practicing for a few years now, and is an excellent example of just how simple mindfulness can be. At its core, mindfulness is paying attention, and this technique takes that to a granular level. Try sitting in study of a tiny detail for a couple of minutes, noticing something you wouldn’t have otherwise, and then see how you feel afterwards. Another way to do this is a body scan, where you sit and rotate your awareness through each of your five senses for a couple of minutes in total - getting very specific about what you can see, hear, smell, touch and taste. Brooke still remembers the impact this had on her at the height of her overwhelm and depression years ago, and the way it would pull her into the present moment and out of resentment and anxiety. For Ben, this mindful attention technique tr

It’s a new month, and a new Slow Experiment. Hooray! For September, Brooke and Ben are playing with Mindful Moments, and invite you to do the same. This is probably the most accessible experiment of all time, and in this episode they share their intentions for the month and explain how you can start to bring more mindfulness into your daily life. For Brooke and Ben, mindfulness is all about paying attention without expectation or judgment. They’re stripping mindfulness back to its essence - it’s not a meditation experiment (although you can meditate if you like!) and doesn’t require any apps or colouring books, but is an exploration of four different mindfulness practices. They’re committing to 5 minutes of mindfulness a day, but you can choose your own adventure. 2 minutes is better than nothing at all - and the busier you are, the more likely you are to benefit from a mindful moment. In this episode they kick off by looking at breathing as a mindfulness practice, specifically d

The Slow book tour rolls on this week, and in this poggie Brooke sits down to chat with her irrerepressible and inspiring mate Jess Davis - a Brooklyn-dwelling tech ethicist, slow living advocate and founder of Folk Rebellion.  This episode was recorded at Greenlight Bookstore in Brooklyn in August, and during the conversation and Q&A session Brooke and Jess talk through the meaning of slow in a fast-paced city like Brooklyn.  Jess shares some of what inspired her to change from living a constantly connected, burnt out, stress-filled life to now helming an organisation who's main goal is to get people off their screens and out in to life, as well as how she manages her life in both a real and practical sense.  She and Brooke also answer a whole heap of audience questions and generally just have a hell of a time hanging out.   Support the show.

This week we’re coming to you live from Austin, where Brooke sat down with longtime friend of the show Tsh Oxenreider as part of the Slow Book Tour. It was their second ever IRL meeting, and they dive into all things slow, values, balance and more, as well as answering some thoughtful questions from the readers and listeners at BookPeople. Brooke and Tsh share similar views on how it’s the feeling that matters when it comes to living slowly, not the way it looks, as well as a real wanderlust and curiosity about the world, which made for a really special conversation. Brooke kicks off by asking Tsh to describe what slow or simple living means to her. They talk about the idea of reverse-engineering your life based on your values (or your eulogy, like Brooke did) and how living intentionally is so much more than a checklist of items in your wardrobe. Tsh highlights her family’s mantra of ‘people and experiences over things’, and the way she can apply it to her life almost like a fil

It’s the first live episode from the Slow Book Tour! This week we’re listening to Brooke’s chat with the one and only Courtney Carver, from the King's English bookstore in Salt Lake City. Brooke and Courtney have been working together for many years, and while they’ve exchanged countless emails and Skype chats, this was their first meeting IRL. Their conversation covers what motivated them to start to slow down, what slow looks like now and ideas for how to bring more intention into your life, no matter how fast your days might feel. Courtney shares that her journey to simple began with a wake up call: her diagnosis of MS a few years ago. She decided to eliminate as much stress from her life as possible, and began making changes to her diet and then addressing her debt. It looked like minimalism to begin with, but it wasn’t long before it led to living a life of intention. She tells Brooke how exciting it felt to make these changes, but also how the step-by-step approach was so i

Welcome to this week’s fast’n’loose hostful episode. Brooke and Ben get through what must be a record number of your questions, on everything from slow living in fast cities to travelling on a budget. A big thank you to everyone who submitted their thoughtful questions - we’re looking forward to continuing the conversations with you all on social media after listening! Ben kicks off with a question from a listener who lives in Mumbai, asking how they can preserve their energy while living in such a fast-paced place. Brooke talks about the power of mindful micro-moments throughout the day to help you step out of the chaos and into the tiny details, while Ben talks about the replenishing effects of spending time in green spaces in cities, harking back to the nature Slow Experiment of the year. In a similar vein, the next question is about ways to get out of your head (especially when you’re an analytical person *cough Brooke cough*) other than meditation. Brooke shares two of her f

We’re onto the last of our slow relationships episodes, and this week is all about new friends: where to find them and how to get from barely know each other to BFF, slowly. It’s all about taking the time, being intentional and paying attention, as well as discovering the joy of spending time with people based on what’s important to you rather than the situation you find yourself in (bye awkward office/school drop off chats, hi fellow slow living friends). First up, Ben asks Brooke if, given last week’s episode all about maintaining existing friendships and the time it takes, as well as the effort involved in meeting new people, do we even need any more friends? Brooke says yes, and shares some of her own story and the challenges she has faced around friendships. In case you need convincing, she also highlights some of the benefits of friendships according to science. Including everything from improved self-esteem to reduction in stress and depression, it seems that finding like minded

This week we’re continuing the relationships theme, looking at existing friendships: not only how to maintain them, but how to deepen them. There’s no question that as time goes on and big life milestones pass, friendships change and some fade. But one of the biggest things we stand to lose by living a busy, un-intentional life is the relationships that have the potential to be deep and life-long. How do we make sure we give these friendships our time and attention? And how do we talk about slow living with our pals? Let’s dive in. Brooke and Ben kick off by sharing that, like any relationship, friendships are built on trust and time. So how can we ensure we commit to our people, even if we’re operating in different spheres, or don’t necessarily share the same values? They talk about some different ways you can talk to friends about slow living, including how to explain any impacts that the changes you’re making might have on them, and the importance of showing that you&rsq

It’s week two of our month of slow and relationships, and this episode we’re looking at family: kids, parents, siblings, and all those broader relationships (including those friends that feel more like favourite cousins) that make up the family tree. They’re not always neat and tidy, but hopefully there will be something in this episode that resonates with you, whatever your family situation. Brooke and Ben begin by talking kids. We’ve covered slow parenting in many an episode before (links in the show notes), but they share a few important reminders and tools here as well. Kids are not slow, and so living slowly with kids can be difficult to near-impossible. There are tools you can use and boundaries you can set in place (especially around time, technology and presence) to establish some great foundations, but the best advice is to drop the expectations, don’t be afraid to say no and let boredom happen. When it comes to parents and siblings, Brooke highlights that we all crave c

Annnnd we’re back. It’s the first week of July, and while we’re due for a Slow Experiment, thanks to book tour commitments and a tight travel schedule, Brooke and Ben are taking the pressure off. Instead, July will be a deep dive into bringing slow to relationships. Romantic, family and friendships old and new, each week the guys will be exploring ways you can create deeper connections with the people around you. We received so much feedback after Ben shared his story in episode 242, as well as a bunch of questions, emails and feedback on the topic, so let’s get to it! This week kicks off looking at bringing more slow to romantic relationships. Brooke and Ben look at their own relationship, and acknowledge up front that their experience of the dating scene goes back a while now (Brooke has never swiped right). However, they talk about the fact that a lot of the technology around dating these days doesn’t necessarily support people looking for a deeper, more meaningful connection.

Our guest on the podcast this week is Anita Van Dyke: zero waste activist, literal rocket scientist, medical student, author and all-round breath of fresh air. Anita brings a new, more practical perspective to the zero waste lifestyle, and in this episode she and Brooke talk about her journey to living a zero waste life, the impact of her cultural and familial upbringing, tips for helping people get started and so much more. Anita talks about her life a few years ago, as a self-described ‘maximalist’, and how she went from working in corporate engineering at the height of her career to being burnt out, and having to quit her job and step back for six months to think about what she wanted in life. She talks about her cultural background, as her parents immigrated to Australia from China during the communist regime, and how this informed both her value of money, power and status in her early 20s and her work ethic, but also how her upbringing cemented her understanding of living minimally. She talks