Stephanie Marie Seferian's Blog, page 16

To Replace Or Not To Replace

Countless online articles jammed with affiliate links entice readers to modernize. To swap what’s working with something better. To stay relevant with the sleekest and newest. Some such guides even amplify the health and safety benefits associated with upgrading certain home items. But is replacement our only option? How can consumers truly know?

On today’s show we take 8 common household items and ask the singular question: Do we *really* need to swap out these items with newer models?

Here’s a...

Me, Myself, And I

Sustainability chatter often centers around the importance of being selfless: Do better for waterways and ecosystems. Do better for endangered animals and, of course, do better for future generations, won’t you?

But humans tend to be self-centered as a species, and expert marketing has trained us to prioritize our personal whims over the collective. The result? Many tend to help others only if their needs and wants first feel fully fulfilled.

My guest today argues that self-centeredness has a un...

Why Rage Decluttering Doesn’t Work

It’s almost always advisable to refrain from rash actions when emotionally charged, and rage decluttering is no exception. While filling that trash bag may feel great in the moment, enter guilt and shame shortly after.

Often feel the impulse to rage clean and declutter? Today I speak with coach Leslie Alder about what to do instead.

 

Here’s a preview:

[3:00] Rage decluttering isn’t about stuff; it’s about control

[9:00] Getting to the root of the trigger, plus: shame and guilt’s consequences

[2...

Back To Basics

Maintaining a balanced life isn’t effortless. It takes constant adjustment and re-adjustment to remain steady.

The good news? When our health, wellness, or happiness feels a little off, the solution is often as simple as a few tweaks to our mostly-working routines.

It pays to take time to re-focus on the basics, and that’s what we’re doing today.

Here’s a preview:

[6:30] Are you a Toyota, or are you a Lamborghini? (hint: you’re a Lamborghini.)

[10:30] The 30-second daily practice that promises t...

The Commercialization Of Kids

Big tech trains kids to become consumers from … well, birth.Child-targeted marketing is cringe-worthy at best and unethical at worst. It also undermines our children’s healthy development because it robs them of opportunities to play, imagine, and learn freely without manipulation.Today I speak with Dr. Susan Linn about the ways in which technology exploits children (and what we can do about it at home).Here’s a preview:[3:30] Brand loyalty? How media corporations exploit our children fo...

Opting Out

Are you consuming the news, or is the news consuming you?

While it’s certainly important to be informed, there’s a line in the sand between being adequately informed and over-informed. For many of us, regularly crossing that line leads to negative health and wellness effects.

On today’s show: how to protect your headspace while also staying informed.

Here’s a preview:

[3:00] 5 reasons why it’s so darn easy to get caught up in the news cycle

[15:00] Headline stress disorder’s effect of excessive ...

Soul Work

From an early age we’re taught that personal fulfillment is dependent on both our accomplishments and our possessions. Yet despite advancing in our careers and overflowing our homes, many of us remain unsatisfied.

What’s missing? According to today’s guest, we are far too concerned with living from the outside-in when we should be doing the opposite.

There is indeed a reality in which yearning for the bigger house and the better job takes a backseat to the whispers of our inner selves. On today’...

Conscious Eco-Giving

Nonprofit organizations work tirelessly for the better good and they depend on donations from you and me to fund their programs. But giving is not equally distributed: in 2021, just 3% of all donation dollars went to environmental and animal welfare organizations (source).

While we do indeed have the power to use every dollar we earn for change, giving can be confusing. There’s a massive difference between a worthy cause and a solid nonprofit and so on today’s show I’m giving you the tools you n...

Old Fashioned On Purpose

In the name of convenience, manufacturers sold us the promise that their products make life easier. And while such gadgets, appliances, and electronics have indeed taken over much of the physical labor associated with living, they have also eliminated many of the core competencies that once grounded us, connected us, and made us whole.

It’s no surprise that many of us feel like something’s missing.

It’s time of unprecedented technology and ease, sure, but still: many of us are craving a simpler ...

Breaking Bad Habits

We all have habits we’d like to banish, and often we believe our success or failure comes down to discipline and willpower. But discipline and willpower don’t tell the whole story, and that’s because the brain doesn’t make changes easily.

Breaking a bad habit CAN be done, and today’s show is here to help.

Today’s content is specifically framed around a listener’s question re: buying on impulse, but please know the suggestions offered are rooted in neuroscience and can be applied to any (and ever...