The Minimalists

The Minimalists speak with Katy Joy Wells about setting the emotional stage in your home to make it feel more peaceful, uncovering your happy place amid the chaos, finding silence in a noisy world, getting rid of clothes we're unsure about, 15 ridiculous things that society still accepts as normal, and more. Discussed in this episode: How can I intentionally create a more peaceful, happy emotional...

The Minimalists talk about the next step beyond owning less, minimizing the desire to complain, practical ways to stay motivated when you're a beginner, 50 emotions you regularly feel but haven't ever had a name for, and more. Discussed in this episode: Once I've minimized, what's the next step beyond just owning less? (7:36) Congratulations! You've finally minimized everything. Your life is now c...

The Minimalists speak with Kristen Ziegler about identifying and minimizing excess pantry items, the most absurd things we own, how to reset your algorithm, how decluttering and cleaning your home boosts your dopamine levels, and more! Discussed in this episode: How should I best organize my excess pantry items? (4:54) What's the most absurd thing in your pantry? Why is it still there? (20:24) Rig...

The Minimalists talk about whether everything is replaceable on a long-enough timeline, downsizing when you enjoy everything you have, the best time to search for a new job, our favorite organizing hacks, and more. Discussed in this episode: Is everything replaceable on a long-enough timeline? (00:47) How can I let go of my meaningful, seemingly irreplaceable belongings? (4:30) Which would you giv...

The Minimalists speak with Dr. Orion Taraban about how couples can navigate minimalism when only one partner wants to live that way, what's missing from your love life, a new idea to help kids let go, three do's and don'ts that can make or break your relationship, and much more. Discussed in this episode: How do I live a minimalist life when my spouse doesn't share those values? (5:30) What's one...

The Minimalists talk about being a minimalist in a maximalist household, butting heads with people you live with, overcoming body-image insecurities, and much more. Discussed in this episode: How do I stay sane as the only minimalist in a household of loving but devoted maximalists? (1:50) How do you butt heads with the people you live with? (21:16) Right Here, Right Now: Emotional Clutter on Kind...

The Minimalists talk about minimizing information clutter, enjoying learning without trying to optimize your entire life, letting go of the news when it feels overwhelming, why you're terrified of empty space in your home, and much more. Discussed in this episode: When did my love of learning turn into compulsively scavenging for self-improvement—and how do I let go of that need to optimize everyt...

The Minimalists talk about relapsing into consumerism, purchases that make you a bad minimalist, living small in a big world, and much more. Discussed in this episode: Do no-buy challenges create lasting change in our consumption habits—or are they just temporary detoxes before we relapse into old spending patterns? (2:06) What's the last thing you bought that made you feel like a "bad" minimalist...

The Minimalists speak with Andy Hnilo about harmful ingredients people should avoid in their skincare products, what a simple skincare routine looks like, letting go of expensive beauty products you rarely use, and much more. Discussed in this episode: What harmful ingredients should people avoid in hygiene and beauty products, and what are the few essentials most men and women actually need? (2:4...

Joshua Fields Millburn makes an apology for a recent mistake. Download our free resources and sign up for The Minimalists' newsletter at  TheMinimalists.com .

The Minimalists talk about finding work-life balance, knowing when it's time to leave a job that is emotionally exhausting, ergonomic home-office tips, why you don't want new things (and what you actually want instead), and much more! Discussed in this episode: How do I know when a job I love has become career clutter? (2:38) When does the work you love get in the way of the life you love? (20:17)...

The Minimalists talk about some difficult decluttering dilemmas, including what to do with belongings left behind by deceased loved ones, why we don't need to keep every sentimental item, how to handle the endless stream of freebies we receive, and much more. Discussed in this episode: How do I declutter my late husband's belongings while honoring what my young daughters might one day wish I had k...

The Minimalists speak with Steve Patterson about being frustrated when people don't understand us, the benefits and downsides of being abnormal, minimizing chaos at a cultural level, and more! Discussed in this episode: Why do people frustrate me when they don't understand my lifestyle? (4:03) In what ways are you abnormal? What are the benefits? What are the downsides? (19:19) Right Here, Right N...

The Minimalists speak with divorce lawyer James J. Sexton about all the nuances of divorce, including the courage it takes to walk away from a marriage, housing and financial advice for recently single mothers, lessons from spousal cheating, how to know when a relationship is over, and much more! Discussed in this episode: What does it take for someone to find the courage to file for divorce? (10:...

The Minimalists talk about why you have trouble getting the clutter out of the house after you've organized, how to know when it's time to let go, the Wouldn't Replace It Rule, how to deal with all that boomer junk you've inherited, and more. Discussed in this episode: Why do I have trouble letting go of the things I've already decluttered? (3:08) How do you know when it's time to let go of a thin...

The Minimalists speak with Dr. Maya Shankar about letting go of insecurities, the consequences of jealousy, why you've wasted so much money on things you don't need (and what to do about it going forward), how clinging to just-in-case items negatively affects well-being, and more. Discussed in this episode: How do you let go of insecurities that create mental clutter? (2:42) When's the last time y...

The Minimalists talk about consumerism's role in workplace overload, what it takes to work fewer hours, the hidden reason grocery prices have increased, why certain 'Buy One, Get One Free' deals have been outlawed, and much more. Discussed in this episode: How does consumerism force us to work more hours each week, and what can we do about it? (6:43) What would it take for you to work one less day...

The Minimalists speak with Professor Thomas Seager about using ice baths to help minimize pain and chronic illness, uncomfortable activities that get easier over time, a slew of questions JFM has about cold plunge therapy, and much more. Discussed in this episode: How does a struggling person live a relatively productive life with chronic illness? (3:34) What's a previously uncomfortable activity...

In this bonus episode, The Minimalists host Sunday Symposium in Orange County. Discussed in this episode: Overplanning produces chaos. (08:00) No one on their deathbed says they regret not accumulating more stuff. (17:57) Hold on if it confers more benefits than letting go. (26:18) Anything can be clutter if it gets in the way. (29:54) Acceptance is nice, but needing acceptance is a prison. (32:39...

The Minimalists speak with philosopher Peter Rollins about why minimalists often wear black clothes, a few examples of emotional decluttering, the concept of "dopamine dressing," some tips for reducing social media scrolling, eight things Joshua's favorite writer tried to warn us about, and more. Discussed in this episode: What is an example of emotional decluttering? (5:28) What's wrong with wear...

The Minimalists speak with Judah Smith about how other people's perception of us can be upsetting, the biggest things that send people into a mental spiral, advice for minimizing when you're stressed out, and much more. Discussed in this episode: Should I read my mother's diary after she dies? (2:25) What sends you into a mental spiral? (20:17) Right Here, Right Now: The Minimalist's new TEDx Talk...

The Minimalists talk about celebrating the holidays without consumerism, our craziest Black Friday stories, the willingness to walk away from anything, six often-overlooked spaces in your home to declutter right now, and much more. Discussed in this episode: Why are T.K. and Joshua opening fortune cookies on the podcast? (0:30) How can I deal with my hoarder mom's cluttered house? (10:18) Who's th...

The Minimalists talk about celebrating the holidays without consumerism, our craziest Black Friday stories, the willingness to walk away from anything, six often-overlooked spaces in your home to declutter right now, and much more. Discussed in this episode: How does a minimalist enjoy the holidays without falling into the trap of consumerism? (3:41) What's your craziest Black Friday story? (14:51...

The Minimalists are reassessing guilty pleasures, reducing triggers that cause unnecessary pain, exploring annoying gifts, and much more. Discussed in this episode: How do I let go of guilt after I buy something that doesn't align with my values? (2:08) What's one thing you feel guilty about having purchased? (19:12) Right Here, Right Now: Tour updates and T.K.'s birthday. (40:23) Listener Tip: A...

The Minimalists talk about making time for frivolous pursuits, what we're willing to sacrifice for the important things, clutter that shows up unexpectedly, five easy decluttering tips you can apply to every space this winter, and more! Discussed in this episode: How can we justify making time for seemingly frivolous pursuits? (2:33) Solve this equation: X is so important to me that I'm willing to...