Stephanie Marie Seferian's Blog, page 22

Rise and Grind?

‘Rise and Grind’ reveres working for work’s sake, and it’s an immensely popular lifestyle. Psychology argues our egos have something to do with it: Perhaps non-stop hustling makes you feel important. If you have a lot on your plate, you must be in demand. Hustling enables you to stand out from the masses; after all, you can do everything that’s asked of you (and you can do it well).

But living without rest comes with a host of health concerns including slow declines in mental and physical health...

How To Protect Your Privacy Online

Your favorite smartphone apps, your preferred weather forecaster, your go-to photo sharing app, and other seemingly benign technologies likely reveal details about your life to companies looking to collect consumer data. While you want to protect your privacy online, they’re eager to gather thousands of data points on you every single day because more data means better accuracy for algorithms seeking to predict human behavior.

Data gathering can affect our lives in ways we can’t currently antici...

12 Practical Energy Saving Tips

“I just listened to your podcast about waste and was surprised to hear that our energy consumption is so high in America! The problem is, I don’t know where the energy is going, nor do I understand which things I might be doing to use so much. What are some practical energy saving tips? Why do Americans require so much more energy than other countries?”

 

Waste comes in many forms. Sadly, energy waste is all too common here in the United States.

Here are 4 ways Americans waste energy (as well as...

Fashion “Rules”

Fashion rules abound and, historically, it’s the patriarchy that has embedded them into our collective psyche. That’s right: women’s clothing is heavily influenced by the opinions of men, and just a few of the most common man-inspired fashion “rules” include:

Women would do well to wear “flattering” clothes (a.k.a. ones that bring us closer to the coveted hourglass silhouette).External appearance is paramount to comfort (Here’s looking at you SPANX, stilettos, and wired push-up bras).While st...

Rapid Fire Q&A

We’re at it again! Today I’m answering 5 listener questions in a rapid-fire format.

Here’s a preview of the questions I’m answering today:

[1:30] Are laundry detergent strips *actually* eco-friendly? What about TruEarth strips specifically?

[7:00] Is eco-friendly pet parenting possible and, if so, how?

[17:45] Is the Yuka app worth the hype?

[22:30] Tofu containers, oat milk cartons, and more: How can I reduce packaging waste from plant-based foods?

[28:00] How do minimalists gift their children...

How To Repurpose Household Items For Organization

How to repurpose household items for organization

We often think the solution to our household woes lies in better organization, but marketing pros have commercialized organization. “Getting organized” often entails purchasing plastic totes and baskets: Before we know it, we’ve spent boatloads of money to organize the stuff we’re storing.

Desk organizers, drawer dividers, specialized hangers, oh my: When we talk about living our best lives with less, we’re also talking about living with fewer co...

Prioritizing Your Priorities

“How can I make eco-minimalist choices when I truly don’t have the time? I’m divorced, have two children, and work full time. There simply aren’t enough hours in the day to care for the kids, earn an income, and run the household, let alone add in sustainable living. Help!” 

 

Together, let’s re-prioritize our priorities. On today’s show I’m answering a listener’s question about sustainability fatigue: What’s the best course of action when we’re exhausted, unmotivated, and overworked?

 

Here’s a...

Taming Your Triggers

Triggered much?

It usually goes something like this: Someone in your life does SOMEthing: Maybe your boss criticizes your work. Perhaps your partner says something that hits you the wrong way. You child stalls as you’re trying to get out the door.

There’s an antecedent, and then there’s your go-to reaction. There’s no space between the antecedent and your reaction; there’s no intention behind your reaction, either. You simply respond on autopilot.

On today’s show I’m speaking with fellow podcast...

Low-Waste Lunchboxes

“One of the hardest things we haven’t been able to tackle is our kids’ snacks: we still end up using a good amount of single use plastic wraps. Do you have any ideas?”

 

Citing convenience, ultraprocessed foods are often sold in single-serve packs. But such snack and lunch items are overpriced (you’re literally paying for that extra plastic!); they’re also often unhealthy for both people and the planet.

I get it: We’re overtired and overstressed, and packing wholesome foods can feel like yet ano...

Are Refillable Products The Future?

Is the future refillable?

When we look at the history of plastics, it’s disheartening to realize that only 9% of all plastics ever created have been recycled. Another 12% has been incinerated; a whopping  79%, then, has accumulated in landfills and nature.

That’s right: your Bonnie Bell Lip Smacker tube circa 1995 is quite likely still somewhere on this planet.

Refillable products (like ice cream in stainless steel jars and shampoo bottles refilled in-store) aren’t new. But while most people say...