Have you ever thought about how your lifestyle affects those around you? During the pandemic, many people started thinking this way. The global uncertainty was enough to remind most people of everything that matters to them. Food, shelter, health, friends, family, and loved ones. Also, many people started caring more about their surroundings than ever before. After all, adversity is a sure way of appreciating all the little things that make you happy.
When you’ve been home too long, it’s easy to start reflecting on such things. There’s only so long you can lie in front of your Spectrum TV or continue a passion project with easy access to Spectrum payment center, in case of connection loss or due to bill. So, an unexpected outcome of the pandemic was coming to terms with our choices. Some people ended up cleaning out long-forgotten nooks and crannies of their houses. Others decided to work on new habits. Among these, trying to live a sustainable life was a popular new mantra for many.
What Does it Mean to Live a Sustainable Life?
The word “sustainable” can sound scary to a lot of people. This is because many people quickly assume that it’s about a very big commitment for life, and they can’t possibly do it.
It’s not actually as complex as that. Sustainable, by definition, is something that you can sustain. Hence, a sustainable lifestyle includes habits and choices that you comfortably carry with you for life. These habits are usually meant to improve your quality of life by causing the least possible damage to others. So, you try to adopt habits that don’t drain the Earth’s resources or cause them harm.
5 Methods to Live a Sustainable Life
1. Saving Energy
This is a very simple component of living a sustainable life. Yet, people tend to not recognize it. By simply being aware of the energy you consume—electric or gas— you can create healthy habits. For instance, you can limit the number of hours you use your electric air conditioner. Similarly, you can assign specific days for using heavy appliances like washing machines and dishwashers.
On a more basic level, you can start by setting a house rule about lights and fans. If every member of your family makes it a habit to turn off lights when leaving a room, you’ll save a lot of energy.
2. Separating Your Trash
Recycling is usually a tedious chore for people. But it doesn’t have to be! Most times, we make the task difficult for ourselves by not separating our trash into sections. When all your house waste is dumped into a single bin, it will naturally be harder to recycle things.
However, you can simplify this by assigning separate bins for different types of trash. For instance, keep one bin for food waste, one for paper and plastic, and another for glass bottles. This way, you’ll never forget to recycle!
3. Repurposing Old Clothes
Clothes are some of the biggest categories of things people buy without reason. Over the years, we tend to hoard a lot of clothes we don’t wear or fit into. Also, the allure of fast fashion is difficult to resist. With clothing brands putting up regular sales, you end up buying “just one shirt” that you never wear.
To avoid this, make it a habit to regularly go through your wardrobe. When you do that, you’ll discover many items of clothing you had forgotten about. Then, separate your clothes into two piles: those you wear, and those you don’t. Keep the ones you wear. After that, divide your leftover pile into those you want to donate or give to other family members.
In the end, if you’re still left with some items you want to keep, ask yourself how you’ll wear them. If you can think of a use for the clothes, you can keep them—on the condition that you wear them.
4. Involving Loved Ones
To make sure you follow through with new habits, try and involve your friends or family members. Inform them of your intention to live a sustainable lifestyle, and ask them to keep a check on you. This way, you won’t feel alone. Also, you may rope in other people into your healthy lifestyle!
5. Switch to natural products
No, natural doesn’t mean exotic. It is a way of life that would make you feel at home, and soothe you against the harsh world of chemicals and toxins. For example, using a bamboo toothbrush is better than the plastic ones as they can be reused for other household purposes like plant markers or as compost. Similarly, a natural vegan mouthwash can work wonders for your dental health while being eco-friendly. Regular mouthwashes contain carcinogens and alcohol which is why they sting. A vegan mouthwash is gentle for you and cruelty-free.