Inside Thoughts Outside

Off-Grid But on a Bucket: Our Muddy Attempt at Self-Sufficiency

Ever dreamed of ditching the grid and roughing it like mountain folk, only to realize your survival skills peak at making instant coffee? In this episode, Ana-Marija and Sam trade plumbing for buckets, turn DIY into D-I-Why-are-we-doing-this, and debate whether living off-grid is a path to enlightenment or just a path to missing Netflix. Come for the banter, stay for the questionable rainwater.
Key Takeaways:
Defining off-grid living… and discovering how many buckets you actually need (spoiler: so many buckets).​
The couple tackles real off-grid challenges like DIY rain catchers and compost toilets—with only slightly more success than most reality shows.​
Unfiltered feelings on self-sufficiency, glamping, and why maybe we’re not meant to become feral wilderness people after all.​
Legal (and bodily) obstacles for urban off-grid life—if you’re thinking of going rogue, watch out for zoning laws and cat poo surprises.​
A heartfelt confession: Off-grid living is… hard. Possibly bad. But hey, at least we didn’t get eaten by a bear (yet).​
Keywords:
Off-grid living
Comedy podcast
DIY fails
Wellness trends
Married comedians
Rain catcher
Compost toilet
Urban survival
Mental health
Sustainable living

Weird ASMR Trends Explained by Married Comedians | Do You Get the Tingles?

Get ready to tingle! Ana-Marija Stojic and Sam Jae, your favorite comedians and life partners in marital crime, dive headfirst into the world of ASMR. From the cosmic mysteries of meridians (no, the equator isn’t just a really big belt) to whispered comedy, cat statistics, and whether listening to women whisper online counts as cheating, this episode serves up wellness with banter, giggles, and just a sprinkle of marital confusion. 
Key Takeaways & Highlights:
What the heck ASMR actually stands for
Ana-Marija and Sam’s deep existential debate: Are there more cat videos than actual cats?
ASMR triggers you never knew existed, like head massages, crinkly sounds, and mukbang—you’ll laugh, maybe cringe
The percentage of “tinglers” (and why Ana-Marija thinks she was left out of the survey)
How ASMR and meditation can help you find calm in your stressful day—or at least justify wearing headphones to ignore your spouse
Tags: ASMR, Comedy Podcast, Wellness Trends, Married Comedy, Mental Health, Mukbang, Equator, Cat Videos, Mindfulness, Podcast Humor

We Tested Manifesting for a Week (One of Us Manifested Jay Leno)

Do your thoughts really become things? Ana-Marija's skeptical, Sam's willing to believe, and somehow Jay Leno ended up on a vision board. We dive deep into the manifesting phenomenon, from "The Secret" (2006's spiritual blockbuster) to the ancient philosophical roots of thoughts shaping reality. But what happens when manifesting goes wrong? Ana-Marija coins "shadow manifesting"—when you accidentally manifest your worst fears. We create our own vision boards live on air, complete with parachutes for trust, disco balls for self-shine, and yes, Jay Leno! 
Key Takeaways:
Manifesting has ancient roots in Hinduism and Stoicism, not just Instagram culture
"The Secret" (2006) commodified manifestation into a billion-dollar industry
Shadow manifesting: when your thoughts become negative self-fulfilling prophecies
Vision boards are basically goal-setting with more glue and magazines
The Serenity Prayer philosophy might be more useful than pure manifestation
Sometimes the real benefit is just taking time to think about what you actually want
Tags: manifesting, vision-boards, the-secret, law-of-attraction, goal-setting, spiritual-wellness, positive-thinking, self-help, mindfulness, philosophy

This Communication Book Changed How We Fight

What if we told you there's a "right" way to have conversations? Ana-Marija dove deep into Jefferson Fisher's "The Next Conversation" after dealing with a difficult person at work, taking copious notes and using it like a script. But the book also triggered her anxiety about communicating "perfectly." We break down Fisher's key concepts: building confidence, framing conversations, and the power of the pause. Then we put it to the ultimate test by role-playing one of our actual relationship conflicts (spoiler: Ana-Marija needs a booster seat, and that explains a LOT). Featuring special guest appearances from our dog Ren in his anti-cat-poop hood.
Key Takeaways:
Confidence can be practiced through small language changes (stop saying "just" and "maybe")
Framing conversations gives direction instead of emotional word-vomit
The power of the pause: breathe, scan, have a quick pep talk with yourself
You can't control how others receive your words, only how you show up
Sometimes communication problems have simple solutions (like booster seats for short people)
Grace for yourself and others beats perfect technique every time
Tags: communication-skills, jefferson-fisher, relationship-advice, confidence-building, difficult-conversations, book-review, marriage, conflict-resolution, wellness-books, personal-development

Are Journals Cheaper Than Therapy? One of Us Has 7,000+ Pages to Prove It

Can a flimsy piece of paper and a pen solve all your problems? Sam's been journaling religiously for over a decade (morning pages, bullet journaling, EDC notebooks—he's got it ALL), while Ana-Marija writes in hers maybe twice a year before burning it out of embarrassment. We explore whether journaling is actually beneficial or just an expensive way to document your spiral. From Leonardo da Vinci's 7,000 surviving journal pages to our live gratitude exercise, we discover that maybe the real treasure was the "struggle archives" we made along the way. Plus: why serial killers shouldn't use journals for murder planning (looking at you, Amazon order history).
Key Takeaways:
Sam journals so much that Ana-Marija wonders what inner chaos he's not sharing with her
Journaling can help process emotions, improve self-awareness, and clear mental "garbage thoughts"
Famous journal keepers include Da Vinci, Frida Kahlo, Anne Frank, and surprisingly, Oprah
You don't need fancy notebooks—phone notes or email threads work too
The "Struggle Archives" is now officially a thing we coined
Live gratitude practice reveals Anna is grateful for butterflies and Sam's equipment setup skills
Tags: journaling, bullet-journaling, morning-pages, mental-health, gratitude-practice, EDC, wellness-habits, self-awareness, therapy-alternatives, mindfulness

Float or Sink: We Built a DIY Sensory Deprivation Tank

What happens when you mix an inflatable pool, some sea salt, and two comedians who clearly didn't think this through? Ana-Marija and Sam dive headfirst into the world of sensory deprivation tanks—from Ana-Marija's traumatic first experience (complete with imaginary stabbing scenarios) to Sam's zen-like float sessions in Venice Beach. They unpack the surprising 1954 origins of float tanks, attempt their own backyard version, and discover that sometimes the best wellness hack is just having your spouse stand guard while you float. Spoiler alert: Ana-Marija's wetsuit was NOT made for her body.
Key Takeaways:
Sensory deprivation tanks were invented in 1954 by Dr. John C. Lilly—way older than we thought!
Your first float experience can be terrifying (thanks, overactive imagination) or zen-like, depending on your mental health journey
DIY float tanks work surprisingly well with sea salt, an eye mask, and a very patient partner
Sometimes you need a lifeguard for your wellness journey, and that's totally okay
The real benefit might be appreciating how chaotic the world actually is when you return to it
Tags: sensory-deprivation-tank, float-tank, wellness-trends, DIY-wellness, mental-health, meditation, comedy-podcast, married-comedians, fad-or-rad, couples-therapy