Hey there —

You’ve probably heard the terms “carbon footprint” or “ecological footprint” used to describe the impact (positive or negative) that your consumer choices have on the environment. 🌍

But did you know that you’re also leaving a psychological footprint on the world?

Your psychological footprint is all about how you impact the people in your day to day life. 👫

As Susan Krauss Whitbourne, Professor Emerita of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, describes it:“

When you use energy, no matter in what form, you’re leaving behind a trace that contributes overall to global pollution. The life footprint, similarly, leaves behind a trace reflecting…You change the people around you by your actions, ways of relating to them, and decisions you make that affect their lives.”

This adds a whole new dimension to the discussion on living a sustainable lifestyle. ♻️

While ditching plastic straws or utilizing public transportation are great ways to be more ecologically sustainable, it’s also important to think about how we can live a life that is mentally and emotionally sustainable.

Because when the standards we set and the pace at which we attempt to live are unsustainable, it leaves us exhausted, stressed, and stretched thin. Making it much more likely that we’ll leave a negative trace on the people we interact with.

🏫 We snap at our kids on the drive to school because we’re (barely) functioning on 6 hours of sleep.

🔬 Micromanage our classmates because we’re afraid of getting anything less than a perfect grade on that joint project.

🚗 Cut off other drivers in traffic (or fail to stop for pedestrians trying to cross the street) because we’re running late to an appointment.

Thankfully, the same slow growth mentality that can help us reach our professional, creative, and habit goals can also help us become more considerate people — keeping our psychological footprint positive.

That’s because slow growth…

…prioritizes physical and mental health. Getting enough sleep, eating before you get hangry, staying hydrated, and practicing self-care goes a long way towards helping you be a kinder, wiser, and more patient human.

…maintains healthy margins. And it’s not just about building travel time into your calendar. Slow growth encourages you to acknowledge your limitations and create boundaries so you’re not running on fumes (and a short fuse).

…embraces the process instead of looking for quick fixes. Where the hustle and grind mentality says you must work harder and faster (or be left behind), slow growth allows you to go at your own pace — and let others do the same.

…celebrates progress, not perfection. Which means you don’t have to hold yourself — or others — to unrealistic and exhausting standards in the pursuit of success.

…values people over productivity.We still want to make the most of our time, but a slow growth mindset never sacrifices anyone’s mental, physical, or emotional health to get ahead. (Helping us better value the humanity of everyone who makes our coffee, serves our meals, or answers our customer support calls!)

The ripple effects of a slower, more intentional, more sustainable lifestyle will positively impact not just your own life, but the lives of everyone around you — whether that’s friends and family or the random strangers who cross your path.

When it comes to making our mark on the world, let’s not only endeavor to leave behind something of value (and a healthier planet!), but to make sure the people around us feel like they are of value. 🥰

Brought to you by Slow Growth

Make meaningful content with Master YouTube.

Hey, there! Matt here. If you’ve started a YouTube channel (or thought about starting one), I’m betting it’s because you want to make meaningful content.

But no matter how much you want to start (or grow) your channel, overwhelm, fear, and imposter syndrome can easily get in the way.

These obstacles are totally normal (in fact, I’ve faced them all myself). But they don’t have to prevent you from getting started.

With Master YouTube, you’ll find all the steps and tools you need to push past those obstacles and wave goodbye 👋 to them as you press forward on your journey.

You’ll learn how to…

🔭 Focus on the long-term. By measuring your success over the long-term, you can combat the fear of short-term failures. Instead, you’ll be free to experiment, upload crappy videos, and let yourself make mistakes. (And you’ll be less likely to get frustrated and give up.)

🗒️ Implement processes to reduce overwhelm. Setting up your channel, building a content strategy, creating your videos from idea to upload…you’ll find simple, step-by-step workflows for all this and more.

😄 Create content you’re proud of. Learn how to brainstorm original ideas and use strong storytelling techniques to cut through the noise, leave a memorable impression on your audience, and increase your watch time.

If you’re ready to build a successful channel that makes a meaningful impact, Master YouTube can provide you with the roadmap — and confidence — to get there.

Click here to learn more or sign up. Enrollment closes April 7th at 11 p.m. ET!

4 simple habits of emotionally intelligent people

by Nick Wignall

Looking for more practices that won’t just improve your life, but have a positive effect on those around you? Here’s a big one: learning to handle your emotions in a healthy way.

In this article, clinical psychologist Nick Wignall explains the importance of understanding how your feelings actually work, and suggests building these 4 habits to boost your emotional intelligence:

💬 Talk about your emotions plainly
🧘 Schedule alone time with your mind
🕵️ Be curious (not judgemental) about your moods
🙅 Spend less time around emotionally immature people

Read more →

The Publish Press

by Colin and Samir

The Publish Press delivers the latest creator news — plus why it matters — straight to your inbox, 3x/week. 🗞️

From updates and analysis on the proposed U.S. TikTok ban, to creator-brand relationship etiquette, and the keys to Rhett and Link’s latest food-related Mythical success, sign up and join over 60,000 readers to stay in the creative know.

Sign up for the newsletter →

The decluttering philosophy that can help you keep your home organized

by Andee Tagle

In the northern hemisphere, spring has officially sprung, and that’s got us ready to fling open some windows and clear the winter clutter. 🧹

No matter the season, if you’re ready to do some tidying, professional organizer Star Hansen has some advice to get you started.

From practical strategies to mindsets that will help you finally let go of that frying pan you’ve owned since college, these tips will have you on your way to a clutter-free space in no time (no fancy storage boxes required).

Check it out →

I’ve been listening to the audiobook Billy Summers by Stephen King. It’s something I listen to (with headphones on) while I rock my daughter to sleep each night. I’ve always been a fan of King’s character development and storytelling but I stopped reading as life got busier and busier. I was getting into the bad habit of doom scrolling in a dark room so I grabbed the audiobook through my local library (via the Libby app) and haven’t looked back. Absolutely look forward to every night of listening and rocking now.
— Mark, Product Development

I've been watching Kaleidoscope on Netflix. It's a heist series with a twist and it's so good! Every viewer gets the episodes in a different order and each one narrows in on a time period surrounding the heist (5 weeks before, 1 day after). It's a really creative way to put together the pieces of a heist and to understand what happened…and what went wrong...dun dun dun.
— Matt, Slow Growth Founder

This week I watched a movie called Tag. It's based on a true story about a group of buddies who played a game of tag for years and years to keep their friendship going. It was a great reminder for me to focus on the fun in life and the importance of friendships.
— Zach, Video Editor

I went to see The Whale and I was blown away. Although I was not emotionally prepared for the rollercoaster of feelings I felt. The whole movie is basically one location, but there was never a dull moment. Highly recommend if you want to confirm you can still cry!
— Spencer, Video Editor

I’ve been loving SHRiNKING on Apple TV+. It’s both heartwarming and hilarious — everything you’d expect from the same team that brought us the joy of Ted Lasso. What I didn’t expect: just how brilliant Harrison Ford would be in his role as a quick-witted, curmudgeonly therapist with a heart of gold.
—Ashley, Content Writer

Written by Ashley Martin

Edited by Matt D'Avella