From keeping our showers shorter to refusing a plastic straw, the case for sustainability has become a stronger voice over time. Often perceived as something we should do in the interest of the greater good, not enough is said about how a sustainable approach to daily living actually benefits us first.
We are a consumption crazed culture, but it won’t be long before those choices come to question us, up close .
So here we bring you the first of two posts on why sustainability is good for both, the planet and YOU!
Ever wondered what does the word even mean?
Sustain means to strengthen or support.
To cause or allow something to continue for a period of time. To keep alive!
But one of our favourite definitions of the word sustainable, by far, is the ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising on the ability to meet the needs of the future.
Applying this simple understanding to our lives will lead to the idea that to live the life we want to, tomorrow, we need to make more conscious choices today! Carefully considered decisions about what we eat and a gentle rigour manifests us into stronger, fitter and healthier versions of ourselves. Now, If we extend that thought just a little outside of ourselves, it is but logical that we can only be as healthy as the air ,water and spaces around us.
A daily approach to sustainability involves feeling a deeper connect to our environments. Hard as this might be to practice in the daily rush of every day lives, it is possible to remember that just like our bodies and minds, we cannot introduce into our environment ,things that will in a few months turn toxic.
How to ? – Take stock
1. Watch what you discard every day as waste. Ever notice how much waste we generate when we have a party or order food in, on a weekend or after a round of shopping?
2. Pay attention to the composition of the things you consume. Start reading labels and find out what goes into the things you buy, the food you eat, the clothes you wear.
3. Observe your consumption patterns. Do you buy things for the long term focusing on quality and longevity or for the short term gratifications? How much do you recycle, reuse and repair ? And why not?
Just doing any or all of these three things will create a quantum shift in how you think & your approach to daily living.
How will it help?
Firstly, it will save you a tonne of money. We promise!
Once we become aware of what goes into the things we use, we automatically become wiser about our choices. Fast food and fast fashion are some of the biggest contributors to trash generated from packaging and deliberately short product lives. Cutting back on both of these will save you a lot of money, a lot of trash & a lot more of peace of mind.
It will make you smarter, practical and broaden your skills. Trust us!
Applying yourself to recycling, up-cycling and reusing things is a compelling way to improve your DIY skills, innovative thinking and living with greater engagement to your immediate environment.
What’s more, you’ll be healthier too!
Walking, cycling and using your muscles instead of your car will make you healthier. Eating more consciously will just add to that already positive looking picture.
Return to a slower pace of life.
One of the best things conscious living cultivates, is a way of life that we often think about nostalgically but don’t live anymore. So, if you yearn for a slower pace of life, make small changes and they will significantly contribute to living more in tune with your body and your habitat.
Get started
1. Separate your waste. Don’t wait for it to become mandatory in your apartment or city. Use wet waste as manure for your plants.
2. Consciously opt for ecological, sustainable and earth friendly brands in all that you buy and consume.
3. Broaden your horizons. Read, follow and support individuals and resources that practice ecologically friendly lifestyles and teach you how to do the same.
Stay tuned for our next post on why sustainability should over time become our default way of thinking and living – considering it has always been part of our culture. Remember, how our baby clothes were given to younger cousins and bournvita bottles were used as masala dabbas. More on that, in our next post. Until then, stay green!
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