The Slow Home Podcast With Brooke Mcalary

Today’s episode is the first to feature Ben behind the microphone, as he interviews the inspiring Dr Arne Rubinstein - a doctor, counsellor and mentor who has had a profound impact on Ben this year, as well as the lives of many young men throughout the world. Arne is an expert in adolescent development who had a life-changing experience 20 years ago while on a rite of passage camp. In this episode he and Ben talk through his personal enlightenment and what it felt like to shed his safe, well respected job for the unknown, as well as his thoughts on living intuitively and aligning our actions with our values. Realising that - for adolescent boys in Western culture, particularly - there was a distinct lack of rites of passage and strong role models, Arne sold his practice, bought a property in the rural Byron Bay hinterland and lived in a bus for three years as he built a camp to mentor young men. 20 years later he an author, facilitates mentoring programs and provides leadership coaching world-wide, but

A new month means a new Slow Home Experiment, and in August Ben and Brooke are going screen-free in the bedroom. And while this seems like something they would have already had on lockdown, they’ve seen a bit of backsliding in recent months and the mobile phones have slowly snuck back in to the bedroom. Having a screen in the bedroom has definitely impacted both Brooke’s sleep and her morning rhythm, which begs the question why she hasn’t made the shift earlier. But as her and Ben talk about in this episode, the power of habit is a mighty thing to turn around. Ben is feeling quite nervous about this one, while Brooke is feeling optimistic as the effect on her sleep and mornings is something she’s really keen to reverse. Don't forget, you can play along with Brooke and Ben by tagging your social media posts with #slowhomeexperiment and sharing your experiences. Hit us up on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and let’s get experimenting! Enjoy! ==== If you're enjoying the show and want

Sometimes, the idea of making a real change in the world can feel impossible. In today’s episode Brooke meets the human antidote to these feelings in Jono Fisher, a delightfully warm person who is - quite literally - changing the world with kindness. As founder of The Wake Up Project - a community and events hub on a mission to bring out the best in people - Jono is super passionate about spreading kindness, mindfulness and positivity far and wide. Not only do he and Brooke talk about his desire to create and grow a ‘kindness revolution’ but also about the recent arrival of his newborn son and how his arrival impacted Jono’s ability to live a mindful life. Enjoy! ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes: (https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/slow-home-podcast-brooke-mcalary/id985005895?mt=2) or head over to the Patreon page (www.patreon.com/slow) to help support the show financially. And thanks so much for listening!

After committing to cut back on all plastics as part of Plastic Free July., Ben and Brooke are back to talk about the experience. While they were looking to minimise all plastic, they were particularly focused on doing away with the Big 4 - plastic shopping bags, takeaway coffee cups, plastic drinking straws and single-use plastic water bottles. The good news is they nailed those four! The bad news is, they were mostly nailing those before July even began. In today’s episode they talk through some wonderful tips they received over the month, discuss the areas they struggled in and look at the changes they’ve made already, plus the changes they plan on making over the coming months. Don't forget, you can play along with Brooke and Ben by tagging your social media posts with #slowhomeexperiment and sharing your experiences. Hit us up on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and let’s get experimenting! Enjoy! ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or

After a mid-year break, Ben and Brooke are back in the podcasting chair, and in today’s episode they talk about their time off and a little of what they’ve been up to in July. Brooke talks a lot about a recent TV experience, taking part in an episode of Insight on SBS. The episode she was part of dealt with stuff - and more specifically, hoarding - and in this poggie she talks a lot about her misgivings of taking part in the show and also the bigger issue of presenting minimalism and hoarding as opposite sides of the same coin. Head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/87 for links to the episode of Insight - it's really worth a look!  Enjoy! ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes: (https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/slow-home-podcast-brooke-mcalary/id985005895?mt=2) or head over to the Patreon page (www.patreon.com/slow) to help support the show financially. And thanks so much for listening! ====Support the show.

Did you know that every single piece of plastic ever produced still remains somewhere on earth today?  Before Ben and Brooke decided to take some time away from their Slow Home Experiments, they had considered making July the month of living plastic free, to coincide with Plastic Free July. And while they’re not running an official experiment this month, in today’s hostful episode they decide to take the Plastic Free July challenge anyway. After all, it’s an area both of them can afford to improve on, and there’s nothing like an outside challenge to motivate. In today’s episode they talk about the challenge itself, as well as the areas they think they’ll do OK in, the areas that will challenge them (cheese!) and some of the changes they’ve already made over the past year. There's a lot of practical tips for anyone hoping to adopt a plastic-free lifestyle, as well as a whole lot of recognition that it's not an easy shift to make.  Head over to http://www.slow

It’s well documented that Ben is a Big Fan of sleep, so this past weekend when he took part in a 24-hour walking challenge for a mentoring program he’s part of, the lack of sleep had some pretty crazy side-effects. Turns out things gets a little… hallucinogenic when he goes without sleep for more than a full day, and it was the perfect opportunity for he and Brooke to wrap up this month’s Slow Home Experiment. Brooke has struggled to find the time for the full 8 hours, and while she has managed it, she talks about why it probably won’t stick long-term. They also talk about quality vs quantity, whether they think it’s possible to regain a sleep debt and what’s in store for the podcast moving forward, as they take a break from the experiments for a little while. Don't forget, you can play along with Brooke and Ben by tagging your social media posts with #slowhomeexperiment and sharing your experiences. Hit us up on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and let’s get exp

Fearing it would be too boring for most people, Brooke has been putting this episode off for months. But after being asked countless times for more detail into how she and Ben structure their days, she decided to talk about how a typical day unfolds at their house.  Well, that was the plan When they sat down to talk about what a typical day actually looks like, it took no time to realise there is no such thing anymore. So instead what you have is a wide-ranging look at how they manage their time on a day-to-day basis (they’re unsurprisingly quite different), and how the change in their work situations has impacted the rhythm of their home. Head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/84 for a detailed run down of how Brooke likes to think her days are structured, as well as links to previous posts about tilting, work-life balance and finding a rhythm. Enjoy! ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes: (https://itunes.apple.com/au/podca

After a very chilly camping trip Ben and Brooke are back to regular sleep patterns, and in today’s episode they talk about pre-sleep rituals, whether it’s possible to gain back sleep debt and how their camping experience impacted on their rest. Ben’s noticed that he and Brooke have very different needs when it comes to pre-sleep rituals so today they talk a little about what Brooke does before bed, as opposed to what Ben does. HINT: Ben’s process is much simpler and shorter! Don't forget, you can play along with Brooke and Ben by tagging your social media posts with #slowhomeexperiment and sharing your experiences. Hit us up on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and let’s get experimenting! Enjoy! ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes: (https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/slow-home-podcast-brooke-mcalary/id985005895?mt=2) or head over to the Patreon page (www.patreon.com/slow) to help support the show financially. And thanks so much f

A lot of Brooke’s guests over the past couple of months have spoken about making big life changes - travel, a shift in career or moving to a different place - but in every single instance these changes have been moving them closer to their Why. This is something Brooke finds constantly inspiring as she and Ben continue to make changes in their own lives, and she enjoys going deep into the reasons and the practicalities of these transformations. Today she chats with Mike Campbell, a fellow Australian currently house-sitting his way across the United States with his wife and daughter after donating or selling virtually everything they owned. Brooke and Mike talk about what his life was like only 18 months ago, when he was struggling in a job he was deeply unsatisfied with, his wife Inga was battling overwhelm and burnout and they found themselves wondering if this was really ‘it’. Unbeknownst to him, it would be a simple game that would shift his perspective to one of possibility and adventure

This month’s Slow Home Experiment sees Ben and Brooke trying to get 8 hours sleep every night, and, well, it’s been pretty straightforward so far. Ben is coasting along with his regular 8+ hours most nights, while Brooke finds herself gaining the extra sleep in the morning rather than the evening, which is having a less than ideal impact on her days. She is, however, enjoying the days where she doesn’t wake to an alarm clock, so might need to rethink her sleep patterns! Don't forget, you can play along with Brooke and Ben by tagging your social media posts with #slowhomeexperiment and sharing your experiences. Hit us up on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and let’s get experimenting! Enjoy! ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes: (https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/slow-home-podcast-brooke-mcalary/id985005895?mt=2) or head over to the Patreon page (www.patreon.com/slow) to help support the show financially. And than

Joel Zaslofsky is one of the kindest, most encouraging people Brooke’s had the fortune of meeting, and today he’s back for his second visit to the pogpast. He and Brooke talk about his current efforts in optimising sleep, collecting natural spring water with his son and his fascination with the idea of rewilding. They also talk about raising kids who are advocates for nature, gratitude meditations and Joel’s passion for community. As always with Joel, this is a positive, passionate conversation that’s sure to leave you feeling invigorated! Head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/80 to find links to Joel’s website, podcast and SimpleREV details, as well as a list of resources mentioned in today’s episode. Enjoy! ====   If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes: (https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/slow-home-podcast-brooke-mcalary/id985005895?mt=2) or head over to the Patreon page (www.patreon.com/slow) to

Brooke and Ben have started a new Slow Home Experiment this week, and it's one that plays directly into Ben's strengths - sleep. Specifically, they're looking to get 8 hours of sleep every night throughout June, and are curious to see how that will impact their health, well-being and energy levels.  Ben's always been a big fan of sleep, but Brooke has been getting by on 6-7 hours a night for years, thinking that's been enough.  The first week was pretty straightforward, with both Brooke and Ben getting at least 8 hours sleep a night. Brooke really enjoys waking early though and has found her early morning alone time the thing that's bearing the brunt of the experiment so far.  So the problem might be in the getting to sleep earlier, rather than the finding time for 8 hours a night.  Brooke also talks about not actually feeling tired by 8:30pm (the time she needs to go to bed in order to wake at 5am) and the idea that she needs to do more exercise in order to actual

In today’s episode Brooke chats with Erin Loechner - author, design-y creative, mum and slow living advocate. They talk minimalist wardrobes, slow renovations and the delicate art of sucking at meditation. Also Erin's move from fast-paced LA to a much slower, roomier lifestyle in the Mid-West, what that actually looks like in the day-to-day, and her advice for those whose partners have a very different approach to stuff. Erin also goes deep into what’s important to her, and how she now cares less about a lot of things - in order to care more about those that truly matter. Enjoy! ====   If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes: (https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/slow-home-podcast-brooke-mcalary/id985005895?mt=2) or head over to the Patreon page (www.patreon.com/slow) to help support the show financially. And thanks so much for listening! ====Support the show.

It’s almost time to wrap up this month’s Slow Home Experiment, with only a couple of days of meditation left, so Ben and Brooke talk about the experience and whether they’re going to create a routine out of this particular habit. Brooke also talk about some of the excellent advice and encouragement they’ve both received over the past few weeks, and to see a list of resources submitted by listeners, head over to http://www.slowyourhome.com/77 Ben and Brooke also discus the upcoming June experiment of getting 8 hours of sleep every night, which is a simple (yet probably quite difficult) experiment. Of course there will be nights that sleep won’t want to play along, but they discuss how they plan to set up routines and make changes to their rhythms to give them the best possible chance to get a full eight hours. Don't forget, you can play along with Brooke and Ben by tagging your social media posts with #slowhomeexperiment and sharing your experiences. Hit us up on Facebook, Twitter

In this month’s Q&A hostful episode, Brooke and Ben curse slow Australian internet, lament their inability to do a Facebook live video chat this month, and answer some excellent listener questions, including: - thoughts on homework and after school activities - how they manage to find time for the experiments while also living a slower life - how they cope on those days that are just tough and nothing is going well at all - an insight into their daily rituals and routines - how to merge two households into one when there are vastly different approaches to “stuff” - why Brooke stopped writing on the blog Recording at 5:30PM on a Wednesday obviously isn’t ideal, but in this largely unedited podcast Brooke and Ben do give a pretty authentic view of what it looks like to balance work, family, self-employment, passion projects and slow living, and sometimes, it ain’t pretty! 
Enjoy! ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes: (https://i

In last week’s episode Brooke said that this meditation challenge has already been a life-changer for her, so there’s actually a limit to where they can go in this episode! Ben’s experience, on the other hand, hasn’t been as clear cut. He’s battling time constraints and motivation, so in today’s episode he and Brooke talk about the obstacles he’s been facing in daily meditation, as well as what they see and how they visualise the letting go of thoughts while meditating. Don't forget, you can play along with Brooke and Ben by tagging your social media posts with #slowhomeexperiment and sharing your experiences. Hit us up on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and let’s get experimenting! Enjoy! ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes: (https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/slow-home-podcast-brooke-mcalary/id985005895?mt=2) or head over to the Patreon page (www.patreon.com/slow) to help support the sh

Learning to live mindfully alongside modern technology can be one of the biggest tensions in slowing down. For better or worse, technology keeps us connected, employed and inspired, improves life expectancies and allows us to travel the globe. Modern tech has its issues, no doubt, but giving it up seems… extreme. And not fun. In today’s episode Brooke talks with Janell Burley Hoffman, an author, technology coach and creator of the Slow Tech Movement, and she drops some wisdom in regards to living mindfully alongside technology - as opposed to living mindlessly and in constant contact with technology. Brooke and Janell talk about establishing tech boundaries, as well as creating time and space for play, nature, real-world connections and conversations and the mundaneness of life. Janell also has really practical insights into how to establish your family’s iRules and why these are just as (if not more) important for the adults in your home. This episode is packed with practical advice, inspi

We’re only halfway through the daily meditation Slow Home Experiment and Brooke’s already calling it: this one is a life-changer. She’s always understood meditation -  taking time to just be, focusing on the breath, finding pockets of stillness - is good for us, but practically never really explored it at all. This experiment has given her a reason to sit and meditate for a short time every day though and the benefits are proving massive (and people are already noticing a difference). In this episode, Ben and Brooke talk about the past week - what they did and didn’t like, what they’ve discovered and some of the wonderful tips they’ve received from listeners over the past few weeks. Don’t forget, you can play along with Brooke and Ben by tagging your social media posts with #slowhomeexperiment and sharing your experiences. Hit us up on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and let’s get experimenting! Enjoy! ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to

One of the best parts of the Listener Chat episodes are the insights into how people apply slow living to their everyday - without a blog or a book or a podcast to share it with. It’s these insights - these hard-fought, battle-tested, real-world strategies that Brooke loves uncovering in the semi-regular Listener Chats, and this episode is no exception. Today Brooke chats with Juanita, a mother of two from Sydney whose story is one that is sure to resonate with a lot of people. Juanita and Brooke talk about the illness that laid her out for months last year, and her somewhat begrudging entry into slow living as a result. They also discuss the decision to skip out on the busy Christmas season last year and the restorative road trip Juanita and her family took. As an environmentalist, Juanita was further down the conscious consumption path than others may find themselves in the beginning, but it was the work she had to do to lower her standards and personal expectations that was the most challenging. Enjo