Paring Down: Realistic minimalism, decluttering, & intentional living

In this Chai Chat, I answer these listener questions: • Is it okay to keep something that you rarely use but can’t easily borrow? - Sarah • How do you maintain friendship as an adult and mom? - Sarah (different Sarah!) Plus I give some final thoughts about the value of reading fiction! PARING DOWN (SHANNON LEYKO): Website: ⁠⁠www.shannonleyko.com⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shannonleyko⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠...

We often take our senses for granted, and rarely think about how to intentionally use them to create more joy in our lives! So today, we talk about: • An overview to better understand all of our senses (beyond the primary 5!) • How our senses affect our emotions (a scientific understanding) • Practical ideas for how to produce joy through each of our 5 main senses: sight, taste, touch, smell, and...

Today we welcome on Chris Lovett to talk about minimalism in the workplace, or as he calls it "corporate minimalism": • How did Chris' personal journey with decluttering lead him to corporate minimalism? • Who is responsible for eradicating pointless busy work — employees or executives? • What happens if we opt out of "mandatory" meetings? • How has Covid changed how we work? Whether you work in c...

In this Chai Chat, I answer these listener questions: • How to get through guilt of all the things I wastefully bought that I uncover when declutter? - Gwen • Tell us  more about your adoption story. - Rachel Plus I give some final thoughts about how much I love teachers! PARING DOWN (SHANNON LEYKO): Website: ⁠⁠www.shannonleyko.com⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shannonleyko⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shanno...

How lucky are we?? Katherine Center, NYT Bestselling romance author, is joining us on this Good Stuff episode to talk about the importance of joy-filled stories. We cover: • Why exposing ourselves to positive stories can actually change the way we live • The role of pain and struggle in developing joy • Why Katherine chose to keep her romance novels PG-13 • The personal struggle Katherine put into...

Decluttering clothes is a unique challenge. So today, I cover: • 7 major reasons decluttering our closet feels complicated • 3 easy-to-remember and wildly helpful mindset shifts • 3 practical steps to decluttering your clothes without the overwhelm PARING DOWN (SHANNON LEYKO): Website: ⁠⁠www.shannonleyko.com⁠⁠ Get insider emails about the new book!! Sign up HERE Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shannonleyko⁠⁠⁠...

Welcome to the very first ever Chai Chat!! A 10-15 minute mini-episode each Thursday on the Paring Down podcast. Each week follows this simple formula: 1. I answer a listener decluttering question 2. I answer a listener question about my own life 3. I share a listener decluttering win 4. I share a listener recommendation 5. I give some final thoughts This week, I answer: 1. Is it productive to dec...

Welcome to the VERY first Good Stuff episode on the Paring Down podcast!! For the next 10 weeks, we'll be exploring how to design our lives around joy. To kick things off, today I share 5 science-backed strategies for producing more joy in our lives so that we're excited to wake up each morning! Coming up in this series on joy: • New York Times best selling romance author, Katherine Center on the...

- How do you avoid getting distracted by what you find when decluttering? - How do you stop using piles as reminders? - What if you like trying new hobbies regularly? We're talking through all these questions for people with ADHD (and people without!) on today's episode with Libbi Moore of Neatly Ever After organizing service. PARING DOWN (SHANNON LEYKO): Website: ⁠www.shannonleyko.com⁠ Instagram:...

This episode was so fun to make! Not only do I get to share some fascinating tidbits about the state of Alaska and what it's like to live here, I share 7 lessons I've learned about simple living from life in such a remote area. • What's the biggest difference when it comes to living here vs. the lower 48 in terms of daily stress? • Am I scared of the giant Kodiak bears that are exclusive to the re...

Fellow podcaster and new author, Katy Joy Wells, joins Paring Down today to talk about creating a home that doesn't stress you out. We cover: • Do you need to be a homebody or full-time homemaker to care about making home your happy place? • What are our personal favorite spots in our homes? • How do relationships come into play as it relates to clutter and peace inside of our homes? ...and more!...

The most respected voice in modern minimalism, Joshua Becker, joins me today to talk about how living with less can change our entire life. We talk about: • the opportunity cost of clutter • the dangerous mindset so many people have about money • using experiments to see how much you actually need ...and more! PARING DOWN (SHANNON LEYKO): Website: ⁠⁠www.shannonleyko.com⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@shann...

Welcoming back author Hanna Seymour for the second time on Paring Down, and today we're talking all things habit formation. • What can we do today to start a new habit? • How can we avoid giving up? • What different areas of life can habits be applied to? I know you'll love this conversation and feel motivated to make the things that are important to you automatic. PARING DOWN (SHANNON LEYKO): Sig...

Figuring out what to do with all our stuff AND finding the time & energy to do it is one of the biggest hurdles to decluttering. Here are some things I cover in this episode: • The Goodwill controversy • How to break free from perfectionism that paralyzes us • 4 questions to help you determine which donation centers to pick • The best principle I've ever heard for how to handle overwhelming decisi...

If you've ever struggled with letting go of sentimental items after loss, I hope today's episode gives you both validation and encouragement. I talk with Krista St. Germain of the Widowed Moms Podcast, who lost her husband to a drunk driver, and we explore the emotional weight of decluttering a loved one’s belongings. You'll hear: • mindset shifts around grief • what it means to let go in a way th...

Self-discipline doesn't have to feel exhausting! In today's episode, I... • Debunk 7 myths about self-discipline • Share 5 core principles for developing self-discipline • Suggest 5 specific areas to be self-disciplined about to keep a clutter-free home. If decluttering feels like a cycle you keep repeating, this episode explains why discipline isn’t the enemy of an easy, enjoyable life—it's the k...

The problem with our determination to declutter in the new year is that we often go hard at the beginning and then burn out fast. Then what? So today I brought on certified life coach and professional organizer, Tracy Hoth, to to discuss practical strategies for overcoming overwhelm, setting realistic expectations, and making real progress in just 15 minute decluttering spurts. Tracy introduces he...

This past year brought more change than I expected—personally, spiritually, and professionally. As you'll hear in this episode, some of the change distracted me from pursuing a life free from clutter. So I wanted to share: A) A little recap of my year (some analytic numbers, some personal struggles, etc.) and B) What has helped me recalibrate and reconnect with why decluttering matters in the firs...

When her husband was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor while she was pregnant with their first child, Andrea Nakayama's career took a hard left turn. Since then, she founded the Functional Nutrition Alliance and has spent the last 20 years helping practitioners and patients learn about a holistic approach to health. In this episode, you'll hear about the importance of both traditional medicine...

Are you actually prepared for an emergency—or just surrounded by emergency clutter? In this episode, I take a clear-eyed look at emergency supplies and why so many of us over-prepare for rare, dramatic scenarios while under-preparing for the things most likely to happen. We unpack how common cognitive biases—like the availability heuristic, denominator neglect, and “dread risk”—shape our fear-base...

In this episode, I sit down with Deedee Moore of More Than Grand to talk about something so many families quietly wrestle with: over-gifting from grandparents. Together, we dig into why it happens, how it feels, and what we can do to bridge the gap with more empathy and clearer communication. Both perspectives matter: The parent perspective (how too many gifts can create stress, clutter, or guilt)...

This week, we’re exploring what it actually looks like to simplify your holidays—not just by cutting back on decor or gift clutter, but by setting personal boundaries that make the season joyful instead of stressful. If you’re navigating complicated expectations, travel pressure, or family disappointment, this episode offers a compassionate and research-backed look at why setting boundaries is hea...

Happy Thanksgiving week to those of you in the U.S.! In this thought-provoking conversation with Laura Fenton—writer and creator of the beloved Substack Living Small—we talk about what it really means to opt out of upgrade culture. At a time of year when we’re surrounded by sales, pressure to buy more, and ideas for trendy gifts, this episode is a breath of calm. Laura offers a grounded, compassio...

If you love your belongings but feel overwhelmed by the piles, the mess, or the jam-packed closets, this episode is for you. Today, we’re breaking down 6 compassionate, practical strategies to help you simplify — without forcing yourself to stop loving your things. This isn’t about minimalism for minimalism’s sake. It’s about creating breathing room in your home so you can actually enjoy the thing...

This week's "guest" episode is slightly different...because I'm the guest! My good friends at the Pretty Furious podcast are graciously letting me air an episode when I was a guest on their podcast, because I just loved the questions they asked and don't think I've covered the consequences of overconsumption to this extent on Paring Down. What, exactly, happens to non-biodegradable materials in la...