Ever felt that your friends or family don’t understand why you’re so concerned about sustainability? Have you tried talking to them about the importance of environmental issues but always fail to connect? It’s not an easy job to encourage your friends to change parts of their lifestyle, especially when they are unaware of the urgency of the climate crisis. Talking about sustainability can indeed be difficult and draining too with some people, but with a little patience and kindness, it’s possible. Here are some suggestions for encouraging your friends and loved ones to embrace sustainability, even if they do not immediately relate to it.
1. Be patient and positive
Persuading people to change something about their lifestyle is not easy, and it works differently for everyone. Remember that this is a change for your friend and changes take time. So the process to get them onboard might get frustrating sometimes, but don’t let that dishearten you. Because while trying to get your friends on board to love the planet is not supposed to be an easy job, you’re still trying your best. And with a little patience, it’s possible and also extremely rewarding. Keep your mind open, be patient with them and also be positive.
2. Start small. Avoid giving them too much information at once
Focus on their areas of interest (which will be different for every person), hear them out first, and give little information relevant to those areas and sustainability and/or climate change. Give them time to process that information and feel connected to what you are trying to make them realize and why that’s important.
3. Share simple and fun activities to start with
Introduce them to simple and fun activities that they can participate in within their areas of interest and make them understand how these small actions can have a huge impact and how they can be real changemakers by taking these small steps towards a more sustainable lifestyle every day. For instance, if they are into fashion, you could challenge them to style a dress in three to five different ways, if they are into gardening, maybe you could help them start growing their own herbs or fruits, and vegetables.
4. Use the power of Social Media
Educate your friends by raising awareness using the power of social media. Focus on sharing interesting, essential but light and relevant content to raise awareness. Share about how living sustainably has been so rewarding to you so far and how awesome it would be if people realized the fun in it. Let’s make sustainable living the new mainstream.
5. Introduce them to Eco-friendly Products and Services
Introducing your favorite eco-friendly products and services to your friend will help them get to know about eco-friendly alternatives (and learn how cool they are!). Also, this will help ethical eco-conscious businesses with the support and attention that they truly deserve.
6. Plan Eco-friendly Activities Together
Arrange clothing swap meets among your friends, do volunteering activities like beach cleanups and plogging together, and let your friendship find a life outside of your social media accounts!
7. Gift them Eco-friendly Products
Birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays are the best times to give eco-friendly products to your friends as gifts. This will help them experience first-hand what it’s like to use sustainable products and see how convenient they are (and also eventually fall in love with them!)
8. Stay away from Eco-shaming
Avoid eco-shaming at all costs in your attempt to convince them. This not only will fail as a strategy to convince them to live more sustainably but will also negatively affect your friendship. Keep your mind open and respect their opinions too.
9. Appreciate and Celebrate
Appreciating and celebrating their small steps is a crucial part of the plan to get your friend to live more sustainably. Always remember this – One who loves to live, will love our planet and always take care of it.
A young climate activist who isn’t afraid to speak up for the planet, Marinel Sumook Ubaldo is one of the leading climate activists in Asia who also helped to organize the first-ever youth climate strike in her country, the Philippines.
Marinel’s life was just like a movie in a tropical paradise until her life suddenly changed forever when she had to witness the terrors of climate change firsthand in 2013, as Super Typhoon Haiyan wiped out her country, taking away lives of thousands and homes of millions of people. Disappointed at the crisis response from their government at the time, she decided to speak up and has since become one of the leading climate activists in the world.
Today, she’s an advocate for climate justice and environmental issues and also a registered social worker. While her story has touched thousands of lives and inspired so many young people to speak up for our planet, today, we will be taking a different look at her lifestyle, and learning how she keeps doing all the incredible things that she does, so that readers can resonate with her story, and know that anyone can be a voice for the planet, no matter who they are and where they are from.
Marinel, What’s a typical day in your life like?
Well, a typical day, for me, is getting up at 8 in the morning, and then I make my bed, read a book, clean my apartment, and then I would start work. That’s when I answer my emails, attend meetings, answer interview questions, facilitate events and conceptualize them, write proposals and concept notes, etc. I usually work until the evening, at around 8 or 9 pm, depending on how many meetings I have on that day. And after the break, I resume working from 11 pm until 3 am in the morning, to entertain the other time zones — which is not nice, you should not follow that at all, sorry! You should sleep, and get your 6 to 8 hours of sleep every night. But, as for me, those are my working hours. *chuckles*
When I’m working, I would eat in between, sing in between, watch Netflix or listen to some music, and just try to have a normal day because I always like to think I am in control of my time even if I am not. That’s also a way for me to cope during trying times, whenever things are just too heavy, especially if you are working or living alone, it’s always nice to have other little things to do while you are working. I think it kind of balances out your time.
I also want to say that you should not take the pressure to have your life all figured out. Because no one has a perfect life. We are all just thriving, we are all just surviving. You should do whatever makes you happy, what you love, because, you never know how many years you have on Earth before the climate crisis becomes unstoppable. So you should really enjoy the life you deserve. And, please sleep 6 to 8 hours daily!
How do you practice sustainability in your regular lifestyle?
Well, as a climate activist, I am more on climate change, lobbying with the government, having a dialogue with the leaders, etc. Because, I believe that, we should try to engage with leaders because it needs a standard change. For several billions of people living on the planet, there are only 100 corporations fuelling climate change, and that is just so unfair. Even if we all transition to a zero-waste lifestyle, still, these corporations will profit from the sufferings of other people. They will still be emitting so much carbon dioxide that it would imbalance the gases in the atmosphere. So, I believe that it is our responsibility to make these corporations accountable and reliable, and I’m always working on that. And that is my contribution to sustainability.
I believe that we should not blame ourselves all the time. I am a very open person in my life. I eat seafood, chicken, fish – I love chicken. But I don’t eat red meat, pork, or beef – animals that are contributing too much carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, I don’t eat them. But, I also acknowledge that as a person, it is a privilege for me, a luxury to have that kind of choice on what to eat, and everybody has that choice. So, I would say that we should always engage with our leaders, alongside, of course, changing bits of our lifestyle, and, choosing a more sustainable way of life.
What’s your favorite local food? Does climate change have any impact on it?
My favorite food? I love everything that’s chicken. Well, all of the sources of the food that we are eating, are being threatened by the climate crisis. So, even if you’re not from a developing country or those communities or countries that are bearing the brunt of the climate crisis, and even if you are in Europe, the U.S., or other parts of the world, you will be affected by the climate crisis. Just look at the source of the food that you are eating, because all of the raw materials are affected by the climate crisis – our poultry, the plants that we eat, and even the source of the clothing that we wear.
All of the aspects of our lives, including the little special things, are being threatened by the climate crisis. All of our favorite foods, our favorite places, our loved ones, and even the book that I am reading, all of these things that I enjoy are now threatened by the climate crisis. Because the climate crisis does not just show up through floods or typhoons or other climate disasters, it also shows up through pandemics, and health crises, among various other forms.
Tell me about a practice(s) in your culture that’s actually very sustainable and good for the planet.
Oh, in my hometown, since it’s a very remote community — it’s facing the Pacific Ocean, actually, it’s a whole side of the fishing village, we don’t use too much plastic, and I’m very proud of that. And our environment is very rich in all sorts of natural things, like various kinds of herbs, and all kinds of things we could use, even just for the food, the inclusion of our food… thinking about that, I just feel we were really lucky to grow up in our community. It also has a really nice beach, so we don’t have to go to other places to just swim or have the beach experience. And, we don’t use too many preservatives, because the food here is so fresh and nice.
How do you keep yourself motivated, and keep doing what you do?
Tell us how you practice self-care, or how you deal with negative emotions, like eco-anxiety and so on.
Well, it’s so hard to even answer that question. But I think, as humans, we always have to know what our limits are. I love singing, so it is actually one of my stress-relievers, even when things are not okay, like being in this space is already so energy-draining, even Instagram is so energy-draining. With all of the pressure around, sometimes, I just want to go back to my apartment, turn the lights off, and get the music on, and that’s one of my ways to practice self-care… and also acknowledge that you need those times for yourself, so you can recentre your priorities.
My alone time is very, very important to me. Because that is the time that I kind of think about what I should improve on. That’s also a way for me to evaluate myself, and process my thoughts and emotions. As a Cancer, I am an emotional person, and acknowledging that you’re emotional is not a weakness; rather, a strength, really. We should turn these emotions into strengths so that we can use them in a better way. Instead of dwelling on being sad, angry, or disappointed, you can use those emotions to actually ignite the fire in you to do more, act more, and influence others to do the same to influence more people. Because being in this space is not about me as an individual person, it is about the community that we represent and the causes that we advocate for.
Whenever people ask me what a typical day in my life is like, I don’t even know how to answer because, just like every other people, my typical day… it’s not that special. I think just accepting the fact that we are just human beings, that we are limited and we can not do everything, all at once – is kind of liberating, to accept and acknowledge, that you are capable of just doing so much. You actually have the right to step back, and process everything on your own, and not just feel pressured about what other people will say. People will keep on talking and expecting too much from you. And even if you give in, it doesn’t end, it will just continue on until it drains you completely. So, if you don’t have the energy to actually do what you love, because you are just too drained pleasing people trying to live up to their expectations, please acknowledge that you are also a person, you also have needs, and sometimes, you also have to pause and just be with yourself. And I think that is what I did, this week – to be out in nature — because Manila is sometimes too crowded which gets too much for me, and I just want to be in a new environment. Although I was still working, taking calls, and still answering emails, the time you spend with yourself… those are crucial for keeping up, and, keeping sane, basically.
So, you see, I am not different from any other youth activist, even any other 24-year-old girl or woman out there. I am still just a 24-year-old girl with emotions, I get angry at times, I get too emotional at times, I get hurt at times – because I am just a person. And, my aim, at this stage of my life, is to not be bothered by the expectations of other people towards me. Because I just have to be bothered with what I want for myself, not the expectation of others. And I think that is how I handle my eco-anxiety, by accepting that it’s not always about being perfect, it’s about doing as much as you can to make an impact, no matter how small. Because we need everybody to be in this movement and we don’t have time to think twice about if we are doing enough. We just have to do what we can.
What would your advice be to someone in the climate movement who feels hopeless and burned out?
Sometimes we feel hopeless because we think that we can’t do anything about certain things like the climate crisis. And, as I said earlier, it’s okay to feel hopeless at times, it’s okay to have these negative feelings. As humans, we all feel negative things and that is okay. But we should not drown ourselves in these negative feelings, rather use them as our motivation to do more.
How do you envision your future?
I just want a future that is peaceful, I just want a future that is safe for me to live in and for my future children. I just want a future where I can hold my potential and be the best version of myself. I want a future where I will not be afraid to live, I will not be afraid to dream, and I will not be afraid of wanting to have my own family. That is my greatest dream – to be a mother, but also that is my greatest fear too. I don’t know if I will be a good mother, or if I will even be a mother, I don’t know that. So I just want a future where it is safe to dream, it is safe to reach your dreams.
Do you have an idol?
I do have an idol. I look up to people who are doing amazing things for our planet. One of my idols is Naderev Yeb Saño. He’s just a really monumental person in the climate movement, not just in the Philippines but also internationally. He is like an idol to me and a really nice person. And I’m very very lucky to call him ‘Tatay’ which is a word we use in the Philippines for father as he’s like a father to me. He always inspires me to do more for the planet, because he is just an amazing person. Yeb Saño is the Philippines’ former chief negotiator in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). And he has done so many amazing things. Even when he was working with the government, he made sure to keep working for the people, and with the people, not for his own interest. And that’s what I love about him. He’s always thinking about things that make people happy and safe.
What do I do for fun? *chuckles* Well, like I mentioned earlier, I sing. That’s one. I talk a lot, I hang out with my friends, and I drink at times. But most of all, I sing, I love to sing karaoke.
What’s your mantra for life?
Experience is not what happens to you, it’s what you do with your time and what you take from it. – You’re the lead in your life. You can do whatever you want with an experience you’re having and that is your responsibility to make sure that it’s used for the greater good. Every person I meet, I always try to learn from them and make sure that there’s an exchange of knowledge. Even if it’s a relationship that’s not working, it’s okay. People come and go, some become our constants but many don’t stay forever. But we need to make sure that we always learn from the experience and use that to grow better next time.
We have so much to learn from each other, no matter what our standing is in society. We all have unique stories, and we can all learn from each other, no matter who we are, and wherever we come from.
How can others join you in the climate movement?
You can connect with me on Instagram or Twitter. You can also like our pages Living Laudato Si’ Philippines and Oecono Media for updates on events and opportunities coming up. And if you want to be a part of the movement, you are always, always welcome whatever you do for the environment. You don’t need labels to join us, you just need to do something for the environment. We are a community and we call ourselves siblings in the movement because we are in this together. And we should be allies with each other as we need that kind of solidarity in this movement.
This is a part of a series where we explore the stories and take a peek at the lifestyles of incredible people like green entrepreneurs, innovators, climate advocates, activists, community leaders, and content creators, all around the world, who love the planet, and are working tirelessly to make the world a better place.
Halloween is almost here! A time for all things scary… like ghosts, creepy clowns, ghouls, and… TRASH! Yes, you read that right. In fact, the most terrifying thing about Halloween is the useless piles of waste that it generates worldwide.
Every year, around one million kilograms of pumpkins are farmed in the United States. Many are carved into jack-o-lanterns and then wind up in the trash rather than on the table. Authorities have warned that these decomposing pumpkins release methane, which significantly contributes to climate change. Similarly, according to 2020 research, half of the UK’s 24 million pumpkins carved for Halloween had ended up as food waste. Plus, 42% of study respondents had no idea that pumpkin flesh was edible. There’s more, with 70% of UK shoppers expecting to buy sweets, chocolates, and other delights, Halloween is now the UK’s third largest commercial festival after Christmas and Easter.
Starting from the massive food waste, shoddy single-use costumes, and plastic candy wrappers to mass-produced decoratives, Halloween is not only a nightmare to the environment but also to our wallets. Here’s your guide to how you can have a happy and Green Halloween in 2022.
1. Reuse or DIY your own costume
Find your old costume from last year. Adding a different accessory or face paint will make it new again! You can also DIY your own costume from thrift store fabrics or recycled finds around the house. Get creative!
2. Swap costumes with friends
Another super fun option is to arrange a Halloween costume swap with your friends. This is a great option if your old outfit doesn’t fit anymore, or if you just want to change things up this year!
3. Make your own homemade treats
Homemade treats are the best! Plus you get to spend a great time with family and friends baking cookies and cakes for Halloween! Then again, if making homemade treats is too time-consuming for you, you can do this instead…
4. Ethical alternatives to regular candies
You can look for sweet treats and candies with independent certifications like B-corp. Note that these certifications do not necessarily always mean they’re completely green. It’s completely okay if you still have to buy regular candies. Just remember that buying only what you need is not only better for the planet but also for the kids too!
5. DIY Decorations
Decorating for Halloween with family, friends, or even just by yourself is a great way to explore your creativity while also being a conscious planet lover. Just find random stuff around your house and go crazy with your ideas!
6. Buy local and seasonal produce
It’s best to buy your pumpkin from a local grower or a farmer’s market. If pumpkins aren’t in season for where you are(like the Southern hemisphere), you can carve out watermelons instead!
7. Make the best use of your pumpkin
Save the seeds and flesh to eat later. You can make pumpkin soup with the flesh and even muffins. Plus, you can also roast the seeds, it makes a pretty good snack! Compost the remains of the pumpkin if it’s past its best use after being on display for too long. Remember, you don’t have to throw away your Halloween pumpkins. You can actually use the Guts, Skin, Flesh, and Seeds to make some amazing dishes. Some examples include:
Baking a pumpkin pie or a cake
Making pumpkin cookies
Making pumpkin soup with the flesh
Making chips with the skin
Making pumpkin gut muffins
Baking a pumpkin bread
Cooking a delicious pumpkin curry
Roast the seeds as a crunchy snack
It’s okay if you still can’t eat your pumpkins, or they seem to be completely inedible. You can always just compost them instead!
8. Save your costume and decorations for next year
Now, this is pretty self-explanatory. Saving everything up will make it smooth and easy for you to set up your Halloween game for the next year. Even if you don’t want to repeat it next year, you can always swap with your friends, or even get crafty and DIY it into something completely new.
Remember, trying to be sustainable, should not take the fun out of the festival. All you have to do is be mindful of your small choices, and it would make a huge difference. Happy Green Halloween!
With the growing awareness around climate change, Gen Zs and Millennials all around the world are stepping up to become more responsible global citizens. While many individuals are convinced that they must take action to protect the environment, many are finding the transition to be intimidating because of the price tag that comes with it. So to quench our thirst for curiosity we tried to do our own research by asking the question – Is sustainable living expensive?
So, does living sustainably really have to be expensive?
We interviewed people to figure out some of the main challenges they face when trying to live sustainably. Among the few common challenges we found, the most popular one was “it’s too expensive”. However, what’s surprising is that some people also shared a completely opposite argument. Among them, some said that being sustainable is easy and usual for them because of their financial difficulties (that should mean that it’s relatively cheaper to live sustainably, right? ); while others said, sustainable living can seem rocky at the start but in the long run, it’s extremely rewarding and saves you a ton of money if you stay invested to the journey. Even though most eco-conscious practices like recycling, reusing, conscious shopping, eating plant-based, thrifting, conserving energy, etc. are expected to minimize personal expenses, there are many factors that make people think otherwise.
But, why do people feel that way?
1. The media effect:
There is no doubt that social media heavily dominates our idea of how our lifestyles should be and it works the same way for sustainable living too. Looking at some posts on social media, many of us get the implication that sustainable living means owning a massive house with minimalistic decor and garden space, purchasing all the trendiest zero-waste accessories and ethical products, and so on. What we need to consider here is the fact that there is a gap between how sometimes sustainable living is advertised on social media and how it really is.
The good thing is that sustainable influencers and bloggers are growing aware of how this might be altering the message they are working so hard to spread. Many of them have now come up with ways to help their audience understand when they are making regular content and when it’s actually an ad by adding hashtags like #ad to those particular contents or simply by announcing an advertisement at the beginning of the caption. Besides, if you look, you will find so many incredible sustainable influencers (some of our favorite creators in the space include Kate Hall, Danielle Alvarado, Kathryn Kellog, Kira Simpson, and many more!) who are not afraid to talk about their real struggles, and how they deal with them besides the frugal and fun side of sustainable living. Make sure to check them out. You can find more sustainable influencers in the space through Ethical Influencers.
2. The price tag on sustainable products:
Photo by Rodnae Productions
Let’s be real here. It is indeed true that sustainable products come with a higher price tag and there are quite a few reasons behind that.
Firstly, the ethical resources used to make sustainable goods are more expensive to produce, manufacture, and process. Growing organic cotton, for example, with fairly paid labor and strict labor rights, will surely cost more than pesticide-laden cotton processed by unfairly paid employees.
Secondly, while the demand for eco-friendly and sustainable alternatives is increasing, it is still fairly low in comparison to mainstream alternatives. This implies that, whereas mainstream non-green items can benefit from economies of scale, the same cannot be said for those in the sustainable market.
Another very important factor that adds up to why sustainable products cost more is the fact that they are made to last way longer than traditional alternatives. Many think it’s easier and cheaper to simply rely on single-use items rather than reusable ones as they seem more convenient and affordable to use, but investing once in a sustainable alternative instead can take us a long way and help us save money in the long run too. That way you don’t have to make frequent purchases all the time that just keep adding up (which is obviously more expensive!). A plastic-free reusable water bottle might cost you higher than the price of a regular single-use plastic water bottle. However, you can be certain that the reusable bottle will last you far longer, has never had any plastic around it in the first place, and will also save you money in the long run.
3. The notion that fossil fuels are cheaper :
Photo by Chris LeBoutillier
Surprisingly, not anymore. It’s true that fossil fuels have been dominating the world’s energy supply for the past two decades due to their cheaper price range during that time. But wait, did you know? Between 2010 and 2019, the unit costs of solar and wind energy have fallen by 85% and 55%, respectively. So basically, these safer and cleaner sources of energy are not just becoming increasingly cost-effective, but also more accessible to general people.
The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has also confirmed that solar and wind are currently the cheapest and best options for reducing world emissions, which must be reduced by 24 gigatonnes by 2030.
4. “But wait, won’t this shift make people lose jobs?”
Photo by Ron Lach
It’s true that the transition towards greener alternatives in the market could initially affect the income opportunities for people dependent on the ‘not so green’ industries for a living. But here’s the thing, according to ILO’s estimations, the shift towards a greener economy with appropriate policy implications could give rise to more than 24 million new jobs by the year 2030 that would eradicate poverty. So eventually, there will actually be more jobs!
You can find ethical companies with relevant opportunities on LinkedIn just by putting your keywords on the job board. You can also keep an eye on our green opportunities section to stay updated on current and upcoming relevant opportunities in sustainability.
So, how can you afford to live sustainably?
Of course, a better lifestyle can come with a price, but it does not have to be expensive. So, what can you do if you don’t have the budget? The good news is that there are several low-cost and affordable ways to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Here are a few of our favorites:
1. Avoid replacing until absolutely necessary:
Living green does not require huge investments, it can simply start with making the best use of what you already own and slowly making small transitions from there. Tossing out all of your plastic storage containers or entire plastic bottles of shampoo does not benefit the environment. Living sustainably entails using what you have to the fullest extent possible. Only then should the items be replaced with eco-friendly alternatives.
2. Learn to share and borrow:
This is especially relevant if we know we won’t be using an item frequently, or more than once. This has also emerged as a new concept in the global economy, known as the ‘sharing economy.’ For consumers, the basic concept of sharing and borrowing rather than purchasing new is undoubtedly a great practice toward more mindful and cost-effective consumption. Need a fancy dress for a dinner party, a car for a special event, or just a particular tool to fix your broken appliance? You can just approach your friends, relatives, and neighbors, use rental services, or just reach out to your local community.
Here are a few platforms that you might find useful:
Nextdoor: a platform that connects neighbors, local businesses, and services, with over 265,000 neighbors globally. After checking in and choosing your area, you will be able to see what your neighbors are posting about – stuff for sale and rent, services, lost and found items, events, and so on.
The platform is available in the following countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, Denmark, Sweden, and Canada.
The Clothing Loop:The Clothing Loop is a community-based program that allows people to easily swap garments with others in their own community. It’s fun, free, and environmentally friendly. The concept is pretty simple – big bags packed with clothes move along a path through all participants in a certain city or neighborhood. Each member takes what they like and put something back in it for others to find. No matter where you are from, you can easily join a loop in your area or even start your own loop if there isn’t one already.
Peer-to-peer car-sharing platforms like GetAround(operates in the USA, UK, Spain, France, Germany, Austria, and Belgium) and Blablacar(operates in almost all of Europe and Latin America) can get you a car whenever or wherever you need with just a click. Now you don’t have to buy a car just because you need it for one special day.
These platforms for the peer-to-peer exchange of products and services may cost you less than goods and services provided by traditional shops. Furthermore, sharing products with individuals you know and trust, or who you met through the community may help you save money in the long term too, for example, you can purchase a lawnmower with a neighbor and just divide the costs.
3. Shop consciously:
Don’t make the mistake of becoming a rampant consumer in your effort to establish a sustainable lifestyle. Fundamentally, having less is the greatest approach to sustainability. Consider whether you really, truly require another reusable water bottle. The best way is to make a list of things you need and stick to it when you shop.
For grocery shopping, it’s always best to start with a weekly or biweekly meal plan, visit your local markets, and shop in bulk. According to this University of Portland research, customers may save up to 89 percent by purchasing bulk groceries. Besides, buying fresh produce from your local market will not only help you eat healthy and unadulterated food but also enable you to support your local farmers.
4. Invest in quality:
A cost-effective sustainable approach is to invest in a few high-quality long-lasting sustainable goods (remember to only buy when you need to). When we are on a tight budget, it may seem contradictory, but choosing high-quality durable items made of lasting materials, rather than products that wear out too soon, can be cheaper in the long term. Your carbon impact will not only be reduced in the long run, but you will also generate less waste. Even though spending more money upfront than we are accustomed to can be unsettling, there is a good chance you will be motivated to take better care of these items and, overall, value them more.
5. Do what you can:
Nobody has ever said that sustainability has to be all or nothing. If you believe you cannot afford a truly sustainable way of living, just do what you can. Remember – something is always better than nothing.
Photo by Hello I’m Nik via Unsplash
All in all, a greener lifestyle can actually be quite affordable, less wasteful, and more convenient for people and the planet if you know the right approach to it. Still, got queries? Send us an email at hello@greenandbeyondmag.com. Cheers!
The pandemic has surely got us to learn and use some new terms, of them the most popular one must be – “New Normal”. Our ways of thinking, our ways of speaking, and our ways of behaving change with time. Events – global events, local events, and personal events are the factors that drive these changes. The Covid-19 pandemic, being a global event, has surely brought changes into our lives too. It has made us think about our lives and our ways of living. We understood pretty quickly that, the sooner we can adapt to these changes, the better it is for us and we started calling these changes – The New Normal.
What is a Sustainable Lifestyle?
First, let’s discuss what a “sustainable lifestyle” is. It’s a way of living that helps one to have a positive impact on our planet, the people around us, on our own selves and save money, and live a healthy – peaceful life. This is, of course, a philosophy, this is of course a way of thinking.
Now let’s talk about why or how “Sustainable Lifestyle” has also become a “New Normal”, whether we understand it or not, whether we agree or not, it’s the best move for any individual to adopt this lifestyle, in this post-pandemic world.
The pandemic has made us realize that we need to act responsibly, otherwise worse events than this pandemic will become a “new normal” for us. The most important idea of a sustainable lifestyle is – responsible living and surely the pandemic has made us think a lot about our actions, our behaviors, and our decision-making process.
We have realized that spending responsibly is really important. Spending money on the things that we don’t really need is not quite a good idea. Saving that money up may help us or the people around us, in crisis. Spending money responsibly – not being an impulse buyer is an essential part of a sustainable lifestyle.
The pandemic has taught us that staying home, buying local, and visiting the places where we live are not only possible but fun too. Of course, a sustainable lifestyle wants us to buy local, spend and invest in local businesses to create a circular economy and reduce our carbon footprints.
Now we are more concerned about making healthier life choices. We are concerned about what we eat, how we live, and what we wear. We have realized that maintaining good health is important to have a strong immune system. More and more people, all around the world are cutting meat and fish off their menus slowly every day and getting interested in heavier planet-based diets. People are trying to keep their homes as clean and non-toxic and natural as possible because we have learned that any kind of pollution is bad for our lungs and good for diseases! Also, we have surely understood that not all types of masks can help us against viruses and we have also realized that, only taking pictures and uploading them on our social media we really don’t need to buy clothes no matter how many times the fashion brands tell us that we are getting out of style. Is it really difficult to understand that they just want us to keep buying new clothes every day just to make profits?
Lastly, we have learned to check on our family members, our friends, our relatives, and our neighbors more than before. The pandemic has taught us that our relationships are more valuable than any other thing and so we have learned to look for ways that will help us and our loved ones to live a healthy life and a “sustainable lifestyle” is all about living a healthy life. A society that cares about each other is really a strong one and we have learned that.
The most important thing the pandemic has taught us and which is also the most important part of a sustainable lifestyle is finding meaning in our actions and finding peace. A sustainable lifestyle is all about making our lives easier, acting responsibly, and finding peace and the pandemic has taught us all of these. It’s really not tough to understand and say that – Of course, Sustainable Lifestyle is the New Normal.
