Courtesy of Diane Boden
Diane Boden hosts a top-ranked podcast each week while serving as a full-time mother to three young children. Yet anyone who knows her can attest that she is cool as a cucumber. What keeps her balanced amid the nonstop needs of family and professional responsibilities? Minimalism.
With just one listen to Boden’s podcast Minimalism Moms, it’s easy to understand how she gained a large following so quickly. Boden explains simplistic living in a way that is relatable and easy to grasp. Although her podcast is catered to moms, the lifestyle she promotes is something that anyone can see benefits in.
“It’s just curating an intentional lifestyle behind what we’re doing,” Boden says.
She will be the first to admit that these habits did not come naturally. In her 20s, Boden was a self-proclaimed anti-minimalist. She could never be seen wearing the same thing, and she felt consumed by the value she placed on material possessions. Slowly, Boden vowed to refocus her intentions, but it didn’t change her behavior until one fateful day in her parents’ basement.
She and her husband had spent the day sifting through boxes looking for a lost item when her husband noticed how many boxes hadn’t been touched for years. He commented on how these boxes represented the hours of labor he had worked hard for, yet they were left to collect dust.
From then on, Boden adopted principles to transform her way of living, such as the one-in-one-out rule, a principle of only buying a commodity if you can get rid of something that you already own. However, as a mother, Boden carried a unique perspective.
Boden frequently attended a club in Upper Arlington called Moms of Preschoolers, or MOP, where she and a friend discussed a shared desire to begin a podcast. While they brainstormed potential topics to center their show on, they found that they had a core commonality.
“We both wanted to pursue a life with less,” Boden says.
In 2015, Minimalist Moms was born. And though the podcast has seen success, it isn’t easy. Boden can attest to the intricacies of maintaining a successful podcast. She attributes the immediate success of her message to the fact that minimalism was a trending topic when they started recording. However, what many people were not discussing was how to live simply while raising a family.
“I think it was something that moms need,” Boden says. “They didn’t know how to put into words that that’s what they needed – a simple, intentional life.”
On Minimalist Moms, Boden shares realistic insights on how to raise a family with a quality-over-quantity mentality. Although it may seem difficult to teach children these values, she says that with proper guidance, parents don’t have to force their children to follow these guidelines. Rather, she introduces her children to the concept in a way that they value.
To do this, she implements visual boundaries. In her children’s rooms, she gives them the autonomy to fill their own spaces. However, she simply reminds them that they should not stuff it up.
Courtesy of Diane Boden
“Our kids are overwhelmed by decision fatigue when it comes to having too many things,” Boden says.
This method of allowing them to choose their toys while limiting the amount they have offers them freedom while eliminating overconsumption. The result is a weightless environment.
Bolden recognizes that this habit may not be easy to form, but she has valuable tips for getting started.
“If you’re looking at tangible things, start with the bathroom,” Boden says. “Don’t start with the baby clothes.”
She understands that sentimentality is an obstacle in the journey toward minimalism. By starting in the bathroom, you begin with removing objects with little sentimental value. Additionally, decluttering the place where most start and end their day gives a full-circle approach to simplistic living.
Eventually one will be faced with emotional choices when it comes to decluttering. During these times, Boden finds a way to put things into perspective.
“The object isn’t the memory,” Boden says. “The object is a representation of that memory.”
She emphasizes the importance of building memories daily, rather than clinging to tangible representations of the past.
Boden believes that minimalism goes much deeper than materialism. Things like meditation, scheduling and other mental strategies – all things she discusses in detail in her podcast – are also ways that people can practice a minimalist lifestyle.
“I just didn’t realize how much it came back to the brain,” Boden says.
Boden hopes to have deeper discussions about intentional living by picking the minds of successful people around the community. To do this, she is introducing a podcast titled Clear Intentions.
With this new podcast, Boden wants to learn more from people in the community by interviewing successful entrepreneurs and leaders in the Columbus area. In this way, Boden can have conversations that address a wider audience.
Boden hopes to release this concept in January, but until then, those interested in her message can listen to her podcast, Minimalist Moms, or read her book, Minimalist Moms: Living and Parenting with Simplicity.
So before you fall victim to yet another product ad on social media, consider taking a moment to assess the value of that new bag or pair of shoes. Maybe you’ll be surprised by how much you gain from living with less.
Megan Brokamp is a contributing writer at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
