Cultural messaging and suggests you should be happy all the time. But your "happy chemicals"—dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphin—evolved to motivate survival behavior, not make you happy.

In fact, unhappiness is your brain's default state.

On today's show Dr. Loretta Breuning argues that you can manage your happy chemicals when you know how they work in the state of nature, and she's here to show us how.

Here's a preview:

[9:00] Serotonin is about social dominance. Enter comparison and competition

[13:00] Want a dose of oxytocin? Be part of a herd

[15:30] Endorphin is the brain's natural opioid. But you can habituate to it!

[18:00] Just got something you want? That flood of happiness is dopamine's doing, but dopamine runs out

[25:00] We are living in an era of immense abundance. So why aren't we happy?

Resources mentioned:

• Why You're Unhappy: Biology Versus Politics
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• This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!
• Join our (free!) Facebook community here.
• Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists
• Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

Every purchase you make has an impact on the world. If you aren't careful, your shopping choices contribute to climate change and social injustice. But when you align the contents of your shopping cart with your personal values you slowly but surely shape the market.

Here's a preview:

[4:00] 70% of the U.S. economy is driven by consumer spending. We citizens control the market!

[13:00] 3 easy-peasy shopping principles to guide you when you're feeling overwhelmed

[17:00] Should you listen to the angel on your shoulder, or the devil? Here's what to remember in those moments you want to backtrack

[21:00] *Exactly how* to avoid products made with forced labor or child labor

[28:00] Buying small, local, and diverse has the power to "chip away at systemic inequality". Here's how

Resources mentioned:

• Your Shopping Superpower: Follow Your Values and Better Your World One Purchase At A Time
• The Chocolate Scorecard
• Remake
• U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol

• This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!
• Join our (free!) Facebook community here.
• Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Instagram, Substack + Youtube @sustainableminimalists
• Say hello! MamaMinimalistBoston@gmail.com.

Influencer marketing is a case study in how easy it is to sell things to followers who trust their favorite online personalities. But offering that elusive 'personal recommendation' for EVERYthing has normalized both inauthentic endorsing and impulse shopping. It has normalized the buying and selling of your precious attention, too.

Here's a sneak peak of today's episode for subscribers. Listen to the whole episode by becoming a paid supporter! On Apple Podcasts hit the "Try Free" button or, if you listen elsewhere, sign up via Substack. Thanks for considering!