Season 2 Episode 5 Show Notes: 15 Ways to Live More Sustainably

Did you know if the global population reaches 9.6 billion by 2050, the equivalent of almost THREE planets will be required to sustain current lifestyles? Wow! But there ARE small things we can do as consumers to help, including reducing our waste, being thoughtful about what we buy, and choosing a sustainable option whenever possible. Listen to the full episode for specific ideas that are easy and cost-effective to implement!

A Few Facts & Figures

The UN has outlined statistics, some of which are listed below, that help us understand why living more sustainably is so important. And living more sustainably is not only good for the environment, but also for our wallets! Oftentimes, making sustainable choices saves us money in the long-run.

• Less than 3% of the world’s water is drinkable, of which 2.5% is frozen in Antarctica, Arctic and glaciers. So humanity must rely on 0.5% for all of man’s ecosystems and fresh water needs.

  • Unfortunately, humankind is polluting water in rivers and lakes faster than nature can recycle and purify.

  • Additionally, more than 1 billion people still do not have access to fresh water, and excessive use of water contributes to the global water stress.

• Households consume 29% of global energy and consequently contribute to 21% of resultant carbon dioxide emissions.

• Global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) have increased by almost 50% since 1990

• Each year, an estimated 1/3 of all food produced – equivalent to 1.3 billion tons, worth around $1 trillion – ends up rotting in the trash cans of consumers and retailers, or spoiling due to poor transportation and harvesting practices.

• 9 out of 10 urban residents breathe polluted air

• Climate-related and geophysical disasters claimed an estimated 1.3 million lives between 1998 and 2017

• To limit global warming to 1.5 degrees celsius, global carbon emissions need to fall to 55% of 2010 levels by 2030, and continue a steep decline to zero net emissions by 2050

How to Get Started Living More Sustainably Now

From nixing one-use plates and paper towels to joining your local food co-op to composting, listen to the full episode for 15 ways you can start living more sustainably NOW. And check out the below list of products and resources that can help you get started on this journey.

1. Marley’s Monsters: UNpaper Towels

2. How to Make Your Own Compost

3. Instant Pot

4. 240 Instant Pot Recipes

5. Reusable Water Bottle — I got this one for Christmas and I LOVE it!

6. Garment rack for line-drying clothes

7. Kindle e-reader

Have any other ideas or thoughts to add? I would love to hear them! Drop ‘em in the comments below.

Join me on this Capsule Life journey!

• Subscribe to the Capsule Life podcast on iTunes

  • Like what you hear? I’d love it if you left a review! It helps me out more than you know!

• This Capsule Life Community

• This Capsule Life on Instagram

• This Capsule Life on Pinterest

Until next time Capsule Lifers — keep finding joy through intentional living.

Season 2 Episode 4 Show Notes: The Danish Guide to Life

Did you know Denmark is ranked as the second happiest country in the world? I know I —and certainly my fellow Americans — can learn a lot from the Danes in this regard. So, in the newest episode on the Capsule Life podcast, we chat everything from lykke to hygge — the coolest things I’ve learned about the Danish culture.

But First, Who is Meik Wiking?

Meik Wiking is the guy who brought us The Little Book of Hygge and The Little Book of Lykke. He is the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen and is widely considered one of the leading experts in global happiness. Meik took the leap to establish the institute when his close friend and mentor died from cancer at the age of 49. He thought to himself, ‘what if I only have 15 years left to live?’ So he quit his job and started studying happiness. He now rates his happiness at a 9 out of 10. Pretty amazing. 

Defining Lykke & Hygge

Lykke: loo-ka.
The Danish word for happiness.

Lykke is made up of six essential factors: togetherness, money, health, freedom, trust, and kindness. In the podcast, we dive into each of these six essential factors, and explore inspiring examples of lykke from across the globe.

Hygge: hoo-ga.
Well this one is a bit more complicated.
Hygge is about an atmosphere and an experience, rather than about things. It is about being with the people we love. A feeling of home. A feeling that we are safe, that we are shielded from the world. One that allows us to let our guards down.

We’re Already Hygge-ing, We Just Don’t Know It

You guys, hygge IS ME! I am hygge. And that’s one point Wiking made in an interview with the Telegraph — he said: “Hygge is just the way we live. Danes see Hygge the way Americans see freedom. It’s something inherently Danish, but Hygge happens everywhere.” He goes on to say that Danes have simply given the rest of the world a word to appreciate what they were already doing. 

While hygge first appeared in Danish writing in the early 1800s, its surge in popularity over the last several years is - in my experience at least - very coincidental to the surge in everyday pressures of modern life, modern technology, and the trend of always doing more (though, not ever feeling like we’re doing enough), and de-prioritizing self-care.

In his book, Wiking describes hygge as humble and slow — he says “it is choosing rustic over new, simple over posh, and ambience over excitement. In many ways, hygge might be the Danish cousin to slow and simple living.” Wiking also says “hygge is about giving your responsible, stressed-out achiever adult a break. Relax. Just for a little while. It is about experiencing happiness in simple pleasures and knowing that everything is going to be okay.”

Tune in to the episode to find out what’s in the Hygge Manifesto, how to make your own home more hygge, and how to build a hygge emergency kit among other tips!

Join me on this Capsule Life journey!

• Subscribe to the Capsule Life podcast on iTunes

  • Like what you hear? I’d love it if you left a review! It helps me out more than you know!

• This Capsule Life Community

• This Capsule Life on Instagram

• This Capsule Life on Pinterest

Until next time Capsule Lifers — keep finding joy through intentional living.

Why Didn't We Do This Before?

If there’s one thing we all have more of right now, it’s time. Whether you actually have more time or just more time to use in different ways, there’s more time to think, time to be, time to connect. And I can’t help but think — why didn’t we do this before?

Why didn’t we prioritize slowing down?

Why didn’t we have proper meals and spend time making good, wholesome food from scratch?

Why didn’t we sit down, kick up our feet, pull from our bookshelf that’s collecting dust, and read more?

Why didn’t we bake loaves of bread and share with our neighbors?

Why didn’t we proactively watch out for each other?

Why didn’t we prioritize our health, regularly getting outside (while practicing social distancing, of course) for some vitamin D, fresh air, and exercise?

Why didn’t we prioritize mindfulness and build a home yoga practice?

Why didn’t we facetime with our out-of-state family and friends on a regular basis?

Why didn’t we prioritize what we love to do, building and crafting with our hands?

Why didn’t we prioritize sustainable, minimal living?

I think we’re now realizing more than ever the importance of connection. Connection to ourselves, our families and loved ones, our communities, our world, and our universe.

If there’s one thing I’d love to see happen as we come out of this global pandemic, it’s that we don’t lose these new habits we’re forming. These habits of meaningful connection and intentional living.

What are the new habits you’re forming that you hope to carry on when life goes back to “normal”? I’ll leave you with this quote from Dave Hollis:

“In the rush to return to normal, consider which parts of ‘normal’ are worth rushing back to.”