Minimalism can still seem like an unconventional lifestyle, so this week we invited Joshua Becker to explain how a few simple changes can produce big benefits at home and in life. He discusses how to prevent the gradual buildup of household clutter, what minimizing can teach children, and how embracing less can help you reach major life goals that have nothing to do with organizing. We also give you a peek into a part of our house many readers haven’t seen before and share the small steps we’re each taking to improve sleep.
You can also find this episode on popular podcast platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, TuneIn Radio, Stitcher, and Spotify.
What’s new
- Below is a photo of our attic from Episode #123’s shownotes that sparked a lot of interest in this “secret” space, which also included a glimpse of Sherry’s collection of baskets in the attic.
- As promised, Sherry filmed a video tour last week so you can see how the attic looks now. If you’re reading this in a feed reader you may need to click through to view the video.
- We haven’t photographed the attic much because it’s been full of leftover decor and miscellaneous items. To show its scale, here’s a photo from when we bought the house:
- It’s not as pristine as it was then, but it’s much less chaotic after we finalized what was staying, moved some items to the duplex, and donated things we’d held onto for too long.
- The attic functions as an unfinished third story that runs beneath the entire roof, which you can see in the exterior photo below:
Joshua Becker, The Minimalist Home
- Joshua Becker writes about minimalism at Becoming Minimalist and shares practical strategies for simplifying family life.
- His new book, The Minimalist Home, offers room-by-room advice for paring down and organizing. It’s been in high demand, so check availability if you’re interested.
- Sherry also recommends his earlier book, The More of Less.
- If you want more episodes about minimizing or decluttering, here are several shows where we dig into those topics:
- Episode #30: How Minimalism Almost “Grinched” Our Christmas
- Episode #33: In Pursuit Of Buying Less & Doing More
- Episode #45: Why We Got Rid Of Half The Toys In Our House
- Episode #78: How We (Mostly) Pulled Off A Merry Yet Minimal Christmas?
- Episode #82: What’s It Really Like To Live In A Tiny House?
- Episode #87: Lessons From The Messiest Homes In America
- Episode #89: A Year Without Shopping
- Episode #96: Our Complicated Relationship With Stuff
- Episode #106: What’s It Really Like To Downsize?
- Episode #111: Can Minimalism Be Cozy?
- Episode #116: How To Get More Style With Less Stuff
We’re Digging
- Here are screenshots of the Autosleep app that I’ve been using to help stay accountable to my sleep habits. The app visually mimics the ring-style tracking from the Apple Watch Activity app, shows your sleep bank, and indicates whether you’re running a sleep surplus or deficit so you can plan catch-up or celebrate better nights.
- Sherry has been enjoying a weighted blanket, a Sleepy lotion from LUSH as part of her evening routine, and organic caffeine-free chamomile tea to wind down.
If you’re trying to find something we mentioned in a past episode but aren’t sure which show notes to check, we maintain a master list of everything we’ve featured in the “We’re Digging” segments, as well as a Book Club page listing all the books we’ve recommended.
Finally, thanks to Agility Bed for sponsoring this episode. One listener can win a free Agility mattress and a pair of Therapedic pillows by entering the giveaway at AgilityBed.com/YHL. The giveaway ends February 8th.
Thanks for listening!
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