The Slow Home Podcast With Brooke Mcalary

The spotlight is on Ben in today’s episode, as Brooke interviews him all about his journey from working a stressful, corporate job to being self-employed, and how he continues to make choices to live a slower life. We’ve had a few listeners ask to hear more about Ben’s story, and we’re sure it will feel relevant to a lot of people. Ben describes himself as a couple of years behind Brooke in his slow living process, and reflects back on what life was like for him eight years ago, when Brooke was diagnosed with postnatal depression and first introduced to the idea of simplifying and slowing down. Ben was on a career trajectory that he valued, and it consumed almost all of him - time, energy and identity. Although he was happy for Brooke as she started to declutter and slow down (despite thinking she had joined some kind of cult), it wasn’t until he suffered from a panic attack on his morning commute that he realised this was what he needed too (the words of his GP telling him the s

In today’s episode, Brooke sits down for a chat with Rob Greenfield, a self-described ‘dude making a difference’. He’s an activist, environmentalist and legend - a guy who is very good at raising people’s awareness of an issue by doing big, bold things to grab your attention, like collecting the amount of rubbish the average American creates in a month, and strapping it to his body and wearing it like a trash suit. Talk about making a statement! Brooke and Rob talk about how he came to be where he is today, where he started and what’s next on his horizon. 10 years ago Rob was living what he calls a typical American life. He was driven by money and ideas of success, obsessed with his car and didn’t consider the impact of his choices on the planet or the people around him. Things started to shift as he began reading books and watching documentaries about the state of the world, and the more he learned, the more he realised he had to change his life. So he did. Slowly, o

In today’s episode, Brooke and Ben sit down to wrap up the May creativity Slow Experiment, sharing what they’ve learned, how they’ve felt, changes they’ve noticed and some eye-opening research they’ve discovered about the benefits of creativity. They go deep and ask the tough questions, and encourage you to do the same if you’re reflecting on your month of creative living. First up they reflect on the week that’s been, with Brooke continuing to lean into playfulness (and challenge) and Ben enjoying shooting and editing and feeling a bit of fear around sharing his work. They talk about something wonderful they’ve noticed in the #slowexperiment posts being shared on Instagram - the idea of creativity as a gift, with so many people getting creative in order to share the outcome with their loved ones, a purpose the guys hadn’t given much consideration before now. They then go on to reflect on the benefits they’ve felt after being creative every day this

It’s the fourth week of the creativity Slow Experiment, and Brooke and Ben are feeling good. Today’s episode is all about play and creativity - forgetting about output and audience, and doing something just for the joy of it. It’s something that Brooke finds particularly challenging, and she and Ben explore why that is, before diving into perfectionism, ideas of worth, courage and more. They also spend some time answering a listener question around kids and creativity. Stick around to the end to hear an update on the North American book release and tour (with a full update coming soon! First up the guys reflect on the week that’s been, before launching into a discussion about the childlike joy of creating playfully. Brooke talks about the idea of rules in creativity - something as simple as lines on a page can hinder her from letting go and creating. She then shares the project she’s been working on, and how she’s brought an element of spontaneity and play into her process

Brooke and Ben are knee-deep in the May Slow Experiment, and in this episode they explore what daily creativity has looked like for them so far, ideas around challenge and play, as well as looking more closely at analog and digital when it comes to the creative process. Brooke shares the unexpected impact of the experiment so far - the shift in headspace she’s experienced, which sees her coming at things from a creative problem-solving angle, focusing on the process rather than the output. Questions she’s been pondering for months suddenly have clear solutions, and she’s also found herself being more empathetic in her parenting as her brain “opens up”. Ben’s challenge this week was to do something creative for himself, without an audience, and so he shares how he’s played with skiing switch, and reflects on the joy of truly sucking at something. Ben also identifies some different ways you can categorise creativity: cognitive v emotional, and deliberate v spontaneous.

Welcome to the second episode of this month’s Slow Experiment, all about daily creativity. The last week or so has been interesting for Brooke and Ben, and this episode sees them diving into the patterns they’ve noticed emerging and changes they’ve experienced, as well as the question of who we are creating for in our daily practice, and how that impacts the process. Brooke shares that so far the experiment has had more of an impact on her headspace than expected, as it’s opened her up to seeing more creative opportunities in her days. Ben shares an excerpt from an article he read this week that highlights the relationship between creativity and time, and the value of letting problem solving and questions sit in the back of your mind for days, weeks, months or even years until the solution reveals itself to you. A nice reminder that it’s not about the output, but the process. Brooke has been writing every day, but finding the habit of writing for an audience hard to shake as she

It’s time for the new #slowexperiment, and for the month of May it’s all about daily creativity. In today’s episode Brooke and Ben spend some time chatting about what creativity means for them, before diving into some ways the experiment might look for you, what their plans are and how they think creativity relates to slow living. To kick off, the guys talk about the relationship between creativity and slow living, and how even though at first glance they might seem unrelated, they actually have so much in common: making time to think and ponder, being intentional, following a process, problem solving. They’re counter-cultural and both tap into mindfulness, paying attention and self-awareness, and work pretty well hand-in-hand. They then dive into the theme for the episode - the difference between creative input and output. If you feel like you don’t have time to be creative, Brooke recommends doing an audit of your daily inputs (e.g. social media, news websites, podcasts etc) an

Happy hostful! Today Brooke and Ben sit down to answer your burning questions, as well as update you on what’s been happening in their world, and the plans for the May Slow Experiment! It’s an epic episode, and the guys were excited to have the time to dive into the insightful questions you sent in. First up they reflect on their travels so far, and what they’ve learned about themselves and each other. They also talk about the rhythms that have developed in their day-to-day lives, how they’ve been travelling and what’s up next. Then it’s into the Q&A! It’s a mix of questions around slow living with kids and slow travel. One listener asked about slow living with really young kids, another about kids who always want to be on the go. Another listener asked about slow living when you have a child with special needs, and the wonderful community on Facebook helped out with their answers based on their own experiences. Then there were also questions about slow living whe

It’s a podcast love-in today, as Brooke sits down with the awesome Jocelyn Glei, creator of the equally awesome podcast Hurry Slowly. Jocelyn’s podcast is also about slow living in a fast-paced world, but her guests tend to work in the extra-speedy realms of tech and entrepreneurialism, so their conversations often take place through the lens of work. This gives their chats a really relatable feel and begins to answer the question so many people ask themselves - “how can I work in my fast-paced industry but still live a slow life?” First up, Brooke asks Jocelyn what slow looks like for her, including her relationship with technology and the boundaries she sets. Jocelyn has actually written a book called Unsubscribe, all about how to manage email and prevent it from becoming all-consuming, so her insights into this and the references she makes are fascinating. Brooke and Jocelyn talk about the pleasure and power of introducing more analog into your life, as well as the relationship betw

Want less mindless, more mindful? Join the club. Today Brooke chats to Dr Elise Bialylew, founder of Mindful in May and author of a brand new book, The Happiness Plan, about all things mindfulness, meditation and the science behind it. Coming from a background in psychiatry, as well as being a parent of a 2 year-old, Elise offers a blend of deep understanding of the science behind why mindfulness works with a real-world approach to practicing it in your daily life. Her passion for the topic shines through this conversation and her work, which is such a delight to hear. Elise talks about how and why she started meditating, and how interaction with scientists like Richie Davidson (doing groundbreaking work on mindfulness and its impact on the brain) as well as her own personal experience at a silence meditation retreat really flicked the switch for her. As a doctor, she felt like mindfulness was the missing piece in the well-being and brain health puzzle, and it’s been her life’s work to educate peo

In the perfect follow-up to March’s Great Outdoors Slow Experiment, today Brooke chats with Florence Williams, author of The Nature Fix. Whether you’ve been reading the book or have never heard of it, you’re in for a treat. Florence is an epic researcher and communicator, and the studies and anecdotes she shares are both informative and inspiring. Kicking off, Florence shares her favourite definition of nature: Oscar Wilde’s generous statement that it is “a place where birds fly around uncooked”. She believes nature doesn’t have to be wild or pristine to have an impact, which makes it much more accessible, especially to urban dwellers. She and Brooke talk about the importance of prioritising and valuing time spent in nature, as well as sharing some concrete tips for engaging in nature once we get there. Then they dive into the benefits. Florence shares what she found while researching and writing the book, from the way spending time in nature makes us feel more connec

It’s the last episode for the Great Outdoors Slow Experiment, and this week Brooke and Ben look at the mental health benefits of spending time outside, as well as wrapping up the month and reflecting on their own experiences. Hint: Brooke’s mind has been blown, and Ben thinks he’ll stick to the habit. Given her experience with postnatal depression and anxiety in the past, Brooke feels particularly connected to the concept of nature having an positive impact on mental health. It played a major role in her healing journey, and she’s excited to see studies showing its benefits in others with mental health illness. Ben found research that highlighted that everyone’s response to time in nature is different, and that people with a predisposition to mental illness actually feel the benefits more than others. Which leads into a timely reminder to find what works best for you, try it and see and be self-aware as you experiment (and of course, always seek professional help when it’s

Let’s get physical. Yep, we’re in week three of the Great Outdoors Slow Experiment, and this week Brooke and Ben are looking at a bunch of the physical benefits of spending time outside in nature. It’s been a pretty wondrous, awe-inspiring week outside for them, with quiet moments, play, some glorious snow and then even more glorious skiing. This week Brooke has really found herself craving time outside, and Ben noticed the headspace that spending time in nature gives him, setting him straight for the rest of his day. They looked at a bunch of research, and found some really surprising studies and information. Things like how exercising outside makes you want to keep exercising. That if you live in an urban environment but have access to or prioritise time in nature, you can live a longer and more healthful life. Being outside can lower your blood pressure, and make you better at coping with stress. If you do it regularly, it can reduce your stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. It i

Welcome to episode 229, and to the end of the second week of the Great Outdoors Slow Experiment! In today’s episode Brooke and Ben turn their attention to attention - the benefits of outside time for mental performance. There’s loads of research that shows how time spent in nature helps us concentrate more, be more creative, improve our memory and do better in work and study. Brooke highlights that while for her, she doesn’t need any more convincing to spend time outside, this research is pretty powerful when it comes to showing decision and policy makers of the importance of integrating nature into urban, work and educational environments. Creativity is a theme that comes up, and Brooke says she feels the benefits more in this and problem-solving rather than a more immediate impact on productivity. Ben realises that while he once thought time in nature gave him clarity, he now sees it more as a reset, a time for his brain to rest and heal so he can come back to the clarity that’s alre

We’re one week into the Great Outdoors experiment, and it’s off to an enjoyable start. In today’s episode, Brooke and Ben talk about how they’ve spent the last week getting out in nature, what they’ve noticed, as well as diving into some research around the emotional benefits of spending time outside. This week the guys have spent time outdoors both as a family and solo. It’s been active, but also contemplative, as Brooke shares how she spent one session just sitting by the river watching the water flow - a perfect reminder that sometimes being in nature can just be about being rather than doing. Ben noticed a marked difference in himself between the time spent outside in nature versus the the time spent outside in an urban environment. He shared some research he found that looked at a range of studies where this distinction was made between urban and natural outdoor environments, and the different impacts they had on stress, happiness, creativity, generosity, kindness, att

Let the experimenting begin! Yep, the #slowhomeexperiment is back for 2018, kicking off this month and happening every second month hereafter. March is all about the great outdoors, and the experiment is to prioritise spending time outside every single day. Brooke and Ben are aiming for 60 minutes a day, but if you’d like to play along, find an amount of time that works for you and try sticking to it. The aim is to keep it simple but consistent, and to pop outside time a little higher up your to-do list than normal, even on the days when it seems too hard. We all know at a deep level that spending time in nature is good for us, and Brooke talks about some of the symptoms of “too much inside time” that she notices in her family: irritability, excess energy, feeling cabin fever-y and craving that delicious buzz of tiredness that can only come from spending a day outdoors. Sound familiar? The guys are going in with an open mind as to what they’ll get out of the experiment, but also resear

In today’s episode Brooke chats to the delightful Kirsty Farrugia, founder of Feels Like Home professional organising, and co-host of the podcast The Art of Decluttering. This conversation put to bed a few misconceptions Brooke had about professional organisers, as Kirsty really brings warmth and vulnerability when talking about her job, and the full spectrum of relationships between stuff and people that she deals with in her daily life. They talk about the misconception of decluttering as the solution to every problem, when really it’s often just the first step in a long process of creating change in your life. Kirsty also talks about how she gets started with her clients, and the questions she invites them to ask as they sit in the mess and start to deal with it. Just like Brooke talks about the importance of knowing your ‘why’, when it comes to decluttering, having a vision for your home and your life in it makes the process much easier. Wonderfully, Kirsty reveals that she is in f

Three-time guest Rachel Jonat of The Minimalist Mom is back! This week brings some real-talk to the topics of slow living as a family, as we catch up on the changes in Rachel and her family’s life since she was last on the show, as well as talk about her new book, The Joy of Doing Nothing. In episode 30, Rachel and her family had just moved to Vancouver from the Isle of Man, and she and Brooke talked about the ways city living and slow living tied in together. In episode 93, the talk turned more specifically to kids and slow living. In today's episode they flip the script entirely, as Rachel and her family have moved away from the city to a small town to live a life with their priorities at the centre. The decision to sell their condo in Vancouver and buy a house in a small town in the mountains of BC was a well-thought-out one that aligned with the needs of Rachel’s family (and especially her eldest son, who has additional needs), and also her and her husband’s values. She and Brooke talk a

It’s good to be back! Welcome to the first new show of 2018, a week late and all the better for it (thanks for your patience with and understanding of the delay!). Today’s episode is a hostful, recorded all the way from the Canadian Rocky Mountains, and it sees Brooke and Ben catch up on everything that’s happened since they last recorded a podcast almost 2 months ago. First up they talk about the head, heart and hard work that went into selling their house, moving out, saying goodbye and getting on that plane. The amount of energy and emotion involved caught them by surprise, and at times Ben found himself in a really stressful place, potentially taking tilting a little too far. Luckily, Brooke’s planning and organisation gave this busy time intention and focus, and they got through to the other side.  They then dive in to talk about the specifics of what went down, including the garage giveaway, having a super slow New Year’s Eve, the emotions involved with leaving their h

Hello, and welcome to the Slow Home Summer series! For 5 weeks over December and January we’ll be revisiting some of our favourite episodes from 2017, so we can walk the walk and slow down during the Christmas break. Also it turns out podcasts, just like fine wine, really do get better with age. Whether you missed them the first time around, or are having another listen, we hope you enjoy these poggies as much as we did! ==== Today Brooke chats with the wonderful, challenging, inspiring author Sarah Wilson. Sarah is someone Brooke has admired for years - not only for the work she’s done to promote the notion of drastically cutting sugar in our diets, preventing food waste, and her more recent work in mental health awareness - but also the way she goes about that work. She is honest and open, prepared to stand for something regardless of whether people agree with her, and she’s also funny and smart and good at not taking herself too seriously. In this conversation Brooke and Sarah talk about