Fewer Things Better
Life is noisy, but your brain doesn't have to be. This quick weekly conversation offers smart, simple ways to retrain your brain to hack your productivity and communicate better. Brain-science-meets-word-nerd host Kristin Graham offers shortcuts on how to navigate our cluttered digital world so you can spend more time enjoying life offline. She's done the research and tried-the-things, so you get the headlines and hacks without all the homework.
Episodes
204 episodes
Ep. 204 - Good Company: Why It Boosts Your Brain
Your brain knows the difference between connection and consumption. This episode breaks down the science behind why time with people can feel both draining and energizing...and why we often get it wrong. Learn how small, meaningful interactions...
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Season 1
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Episode 204
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6:47
Ep. 203 - It Might Be Time to Graduate: Marking Milestones & Moving On
There are moments in life when something quietly comes to a close and we’re left deciding what to do with that space. In this episode, we explore the idea of “graduation” as more than a milestone, but as a mindset shift that helps us recognize ...
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Season 1
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Episode 203
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7:00
Ep. 202 - Your Energy Ecosystem: A Quick Check for a Realistic Boost
Fatigue is a common conversation these days, and most of the advice focuses on pushing harder or fixing it with something new. But what if your energy isn’t a discipline problem at all? In this episode, we explore the idea that energy beh...
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Season 1
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Episode 202
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8:59
Ep. 201 - How Words Shape Your Identity & How to Update the Story You Were Given
This episode explores how the words we hear about ourselves early in life can quietly shape the stories we carry for years. We will look at why repeated labels can turn into mental shortcuts that guide our behavior without us realizing it. But ...
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Season 1
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Episode 201
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8:14
Ep. 200 - The Science of Showing Up: How Small Steps Create Real Progress
In this 200th milestone episode of Fewer Things Better, we explore how real progress is built through small, steady actions rather than bursts of motivation or hustle. Drawing from brain science and behavior, this conversation lo...
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Season 1
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Episode 200
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10:17
Ep. 199 - Borrowing Brains: Real-Life Productivity That Actually Works
Productivity doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective. In this episode, we break down real-world productivity strategies gathered from everyday people who’ve found simple ways to manage their time and energy more intentionally. You’ll hea...
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Season 1
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Episode 199
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10:10
Ep. 198 - The Science of Slow Progress: How Simple Math Helps with Focus
In this brief episode, we explore how reclaiming a small slice of your day can help your brain move out of overload and into forward motion. You’ll learn why short, manageable time blocks support focus, nervous-system regulation, and habi...
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Season 1
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Episode 198
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5:30
Ep. 197 - Why We Keep Things “Just in Case”: The Brain Science Behind Extra Stuff
Why do we keep things just-in-case even when they quietly drain our space, attention, and energy? This episode looks at how our brain uses familiarity, categorizing, and uncertainty to delay decisions and why keeping items for “someday” often c...
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Season 1
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Episode 197
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7:00
Ep. 196 - What Your Brain Needs When the World Feels Heavy
When the world feels heavy, your brain can start carrying more than it was designed to hold. This episode explores how ongoing stress, constant information, and uncertainty affect your nervous system, focus, and energy. You’ll learn why feeling...
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Season 1
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Episode 196
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8:09
Ep. 195 - Money Matters: The Hidden Costs Your Brain Ignores
In this episode, we’ll talk about why these charges slip under the radar, how they quietly become “normal,” and how to spot them so you can decide what’s worth keeping (and what isn’t). Sometimes the fastest way to gain more isn’t earning more;...
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6:29
Ep. 194 - Money Matters: How and Why We Spend (or Don’t)
In this episode, we unpack the hidden psychology of money and why finances often trigger stress, avoidance, guilt, or overthinking. We’ll explore what happens in the brain when money enters the conversation, why certain financial habits are so ...
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8:57
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Ep. 193 - The Neuroscience of Less: A Digital De-Clutter Guide
Digital clutter isn’t just messy—it’s mentally exhausting. This episode breaks down how digital overload affects attention, decision-making, and mental energy—and offers practical ways to reduce digital noise in short, manageable bursts. ...
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Season 1
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Episode 193
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7:08
Ep. 192 - The Brain Snacks Appetizer Sampler: 10 Fast Tracks for Real Life
Looking for simple, science-backed ways to think more clearly and move through your day with less friction? This episode brings together 10 of the most-revisited tools from the Fewer Things Better archive, offering practical strategies f...
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Season 1
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Episode 192
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9:53
Ep 191 - Three Ways to Calm Your Overwhelmed Brain
Our brains do a lot of heavy lifting every single day. During periods of change (a new season, a new year, or just life), it’s common to feel overwhelmed.This episode revisits three simple, science-backed ways to reset when your brain fe...
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Season 1
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Episode 191
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8:20
Ep. 190 - The Neuroscience of Giving | Gifts That Cost Little & Mean a Lot
We spend so much time searching for the perfect gift - the right item, the right price point, the right delivery window. But what if the most meaningful gifts aren’t found in a store at all? This episode explores why time, kindness, wo...
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Season 1
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Episode 190
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7:21
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Ep. 189 - The (Brain) Chemistry of Feeling Good: 3 Happy Hormones
What if those feel-good moments with in life are also doing real, measurable work inside your brain? In this episode, we break down the brain chemicals behind feeling good—dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, and oxytocin—and how everyday experienc...
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Season 1
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Episode 189
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8:42
Ep. 188 - Sleep vs. Fatigue: The Brain Science of Two Very Different Exhaustions
We often lump every kind of exhaustion into being “tired,” but the brain doesn’t see it that way. This episode unpacks the difference between the body needing sleep and the whole system needing recovery...and why those two states feel so differ...
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Season 1
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Episode 188
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12:48
Ep. 187- 4 Ways To Reclaim Your Focus in the Next 4 Weeks
When life speeds up, our focus is usually the first thing to slip through the cracks. In this episode, we talk about why our brains feel so overloaded this time of year and how a few small shifts can change the next four weeks in a meaningful w...
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Season 1
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Episode 187
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10:55
Ep. 186 - Why Personal Notes Still Matter (+ What They Do to the Brain)
In a world built for speed, the smallest slow moments often matter the most. In this episode, we explore the brain science behind surprise, delight, and why personalized effort boosts connection, dopamine, and emotional well-being. ...
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Season 1
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Episode 186
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8:42
Ep. 185 – Time Matters, Part 4 | Real-Life Toolkit: 4 Science-Backed Ways to Maximize Your Minutes
In this final episode of our Time Matters series, we’re bringing together four simple, science-backed tools that help you make the most of the minutes you have. These practices [Key Three, Ridiculously Small Steps, the 10-Minute Kickst...
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Season 1
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Episode 185
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13:20
Ep. 184 - Time Matters, Part 3 | The Economics of Time & How to Stop Donating Yours
We often treat our time like an unlimited resource: available, affordable, and always open for others. But constantly giving without re-calibrating comes at a real cognitive and emotional cost. This third episode in the four-part Time Matte...
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Season 1
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Episode 184
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10:07
Ep. 183 - Time Matters, Part 2: The Myth of Catching Up (& Why We Always Feel Behind)
This episode explores the feeling of always being “behind” and chasing the finish line of being “caught up." What happens when we slow down long enough to look at why we feel so rushed, what that pace is costing us, and how to re...
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Season 1
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Episode 183
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8:42
Ep. 182 - Time Matters, Part 1: The Psychology of Being Always Early (or Always Late)
Why are some people often early while others are usually late? In this episode, we explore what your time habits reveal about your brain and the deeper relationship with time. Plus, why time always seems to slip away, never feel fully caught up...
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Season 1
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Episode 182
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9:29
Ep. 181 - In Good Company: The Science of Solitude
Your brain loves patterns but also thrives on novelty and space to reset. In this episode, we unpack how time alone or stepping into a new environment can shift your perspective, restore focus, and rewire your thinking. You’ll learn how quiet m...
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Season 1
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Episode 181
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8:10
Ep. 180 - Why Messy Is the Best Medicine for Perfectionism and Procrastination
You only do something for the first time once. Every expert was once a beginner who was willing to step into the unknown and learn through the messy middle. In this episode, we’re talking about why waiting for “perfect” only keeps us stuck and ...
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Season 1
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Episode 180
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7:52
