Brooke and Ben talk curveballs, what happens when our foundations get shaken and how to harness some of slow living's key ideas to navigate new life circumstances.

What is joy? And how does it differ from happiness? Can we learn to be more joyful? And what does that look like? Brooke and Ben dig into joy in Episode 11 of The Tortoise podcast.

Brooke and Ben talk through their Top Ten of 2023 list - including favourite meals, books, albums, films and experiences.

This month's episode digs into the topic of addiction (and more broadly, obsessive behaviour) for things like tech-use, busyness, food and consumption. If you need help with addiction or mental health, there's a list of resources over at The Tortoise.  In today's show, Ben shares his experience with tech over-use and the links he sees between it and the hustle-grind-capitalism-productivity culture, and he and Brooke look at how the proliferation of tech (especially smart phones and social media) have increased our desire for instant gratification.  Brooke talks through her compulsion to consume bad news, and shares a few ways she's trying to break those patterns of behaviour. She also talks about the role that tech and consumerism intertwine to create a world that feels simultaneously too much and not enough, and how that has her and many other women she knows feeling angry.  It's an interesting and meandering conversation that will hopefully leave you with lots to think about. Head over to The Tortoise for the full show notes, and if you haven't already, make sure to subscribe to the free weekly newsletter while you're there.  Thanks for listening! Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today Brooke and Ben are talking about hard times. Or more specifically, how to deal with the emotional heaviness that comes from living through really difficult things. Digging into this feeling of heaviness, they discuss how they're trying to acknowledge and accept the challenges, as well as the tools they use to help them move forward. They also talk about practical ways to protect ourselves when things feel hard, why limiting social media is a powerful way of drawing boundaries, the impact of gentle activism, why rage-cleaning can help process anger, the rebelliousness of finding joy and why pairing all of these things with action is so important.  Hopefully this conversation shows that it’s okay to look for and hold onto joy in amongst the difficult times.  Head over to The Tortoise for the full show notes, and if you haven't already, make sure to subscribe to the free weekly newsletter while you're there.  Thanks for listening! Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brooke and Ben look at seasonal living - what it is, why it matters, and how it has very little to do with the weather.

Brooke and Ben talk self-care and how we can redefine it in our own lives, as well as look at the difference between toxic positivity and resilience.

For our kids (and adults as well), there is barely a part of life that isn't somehow connected to smartphones, social media or screens, and they're starting to feel the effects of being constantly connected.  In today's episode, Ben and Brooke talk about their experience raising two high school-ages kids (12 and 14) and the constant negotiations around tech boundaries. They also talk about the broader impact that high levels of screen time are having on kids in general, the challenges that are beginning to emerge in regards to relationships, well-being and self-esteem, and what we as adults can do to help support them.  Brooke also reflects on a hugely impactful documentary she saw recently, that has given her something that's been in short supply lately: hope.   Head over to The Tortoise for the full show notes, and if you haven't already, make sure to subscribe to the free weekly newsletter while you're there. Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brooke and Ben discuss mental load - what it is, how to manage it, and why some people end up carrying more than their fair share.

Feeling squashed between competing life pressures? This episode is for you. Brooke and Ben talk about being part of the 'sandwich generation'.