Becoming More Environmentally Friendly? Most of us can agree that Mother Earth is in dire need of our help. With our oceans suffering more than ever and our land getting ruthlessly damaged by civilization and agriculture, it’s our duty as humans to do our part in helping this crisis. Humans are massively responsible for climate change and therefore need to do what we can to help!
Before going further, I would like to stress that this article isn’t going to insist you turn fully vegan or sell your car for good so you can take up riding your bike everywhere. Instead, I would like to suggest a few helpful tips and some encouraging words that will help you become a greener earthling!
Going green isn’t about doing it all, it’s about making the changes where you can and being mindful.
Make green swaps
If you are looking to start leading a more environmentally friendly life, then making green swaps is the perfect place to start. If you aren’t sure what I mean by ‘green swaps’ then here is a list of a few examples:
- Swap out single-use products for reusable ones. Eg, you could invest in a few reusable grocery bags, metal straws, or buy a reusable water bottle.
- Pay attention to materials. Eg, If your current coffee brand comes in a plastic tub, try to seek out a satisfying alternative that comes in a less damaging material such as paper.
- Source your energy mindfully. Eg, swap out the light bulbs around your house for LED bulbs.
- Choose ethical farming or mass farming when possible. Eg, purchase from local markets or support sustainable crops such as hemp
Do your research
This is free! Well, it is free as long as you already own a laptop or phone. There is an abundant amount of helpful information about environmentally friendly life hacks. We have endless information quite literally at our fingertips and self-educating is (I would say) the single most important factor of going green.
Nothing will help you along your journey to green living more than educating yourself. The information base on this topic is ever-growing, especially in recent years. As always, make sure you are checking your sources as the internet is littered with tons of false information, no matter what you are researching!
Consumption, convenience & consumerism
The three C’s that many of us have been conditioned to naturally exercise as a default mode. It is nearly impossible to avoid falling a victim to these tempting paths. With overexposure to advertisements, we are constantly bombarded with marketing tactics, such as manipulation, that make you believe you need something that you can easily live without.
Sales constantly being thrown in your face, making you feel as though you will miss out if you don’t act fast. Shopping hauls clogging up the YouTube history of many, promoting fast fashion and unstable clothing/make-up trends.
Competing shipping options on every online shop, allowing you to expect everything with extreme and often unrealistic convenience. All of these things as a collective do a lot of damage to both humans and the planet.
Just try to be strong and avoid your natural desires to give into convenience and over-consumption! When it is time to consume when you need something, try to source ethical products that help the planet when possible. This is an amazing way to reduce your carbon footprint when you have to purchase something.
Eat more plants
Speaking of material consumption, let’s talk about biological consumption! You can help your journey of going green along by eating more green! Before you can even have the thought, I will stop you right there-No, I am not saying you need to go fully vegan!
Although that would be the best thing to do overall, I am saying you should simply introduce more veggies into your diet. Not only could most traditional diets use some more greens in regards to health, but it is also a great way to reduce your carbon footprint!
Animal agriculture has done its fair share of nearly irreversible damage to the planet. Reducing your consumption of animal bi-products (even a tiny bit) will help you in going more green. If you are already vegetarian, maybe cut out some dairy from your diet if you can. There is always room for improvement! As always, don’t push yourself as this often leads to inevitable failure.
Example: Let’s say you can easily cut out dairy products… except you just cannot cut out cheese!
You love cheese and can’t imagine not having it but you really want to go more green. Then the answer is simple-keep eating cheese! Just cut out everything else if that is easier for you. You don’t have to go entirely vegan to be more green. Only make adjustments that you can handle!
Holistic Herbal/Plant Swaps
Continuing our talk about plants, consuming holistic herbs is a great way to benefit you and the planet. Swap out harmful treatments for natural ones to help the planet and gain extra benefits.
Here are some examples:
- Try alternating between your daily coffee and lions mane mushroom; a natural mushroom that assists the bodies natural pathways, helping your body to regulate energy more efficiently.
- Instead of having a beer every day after you get home from work with the motive of unwinding, have some CBD tea instead! This non-psychoactive hemp tea is an effective way to wind down without having to ingest toxic chemicals.
- Cook with more rosemary to increase your brain function and enhance your overall focus! This is a simple and delicious way of adding more holistic herbs to your life.
- Have a hard time sleeping and often turn to sleeping pills for help? Give something else a try such as Ashwagandha, a plant that works as a natural relaxant and helps you sleep. Still doesn’t help? Pair it with some valerian root and CBD oil!
Don’t try to be perfect, just be mindful
Mindfulness is your #1 weapon when going green! Remember that this is somewhat of a journey and you must treat it like such to be successful in your mission. Don’t be hard on yourself and, for the love of God, do not try to be perfect with your efforts!
This is so important. So many people don’t dare to go green with the fear of doing it wrong or not doing it well enough. Don’t listen to pushy vegans or eco-activists on social media. Although they are onto something, it is easy to end up feeling guilty and being put off of these things.
Do you and remain as mindful as you can. Don’t make any green changes to please others. Instead, do it for you, the future generations after you, and for Mother Earth who has done nothing but try to nurture us since the beginning of human history.
You will never be perfect in any area of life no matter how hard you try. It is much more productive to make changes one by one as this will only gain momentum, whereas trying to change your entire lifestyle overnight will likely end in a discouraging failure. Do what you can- nothing more, nothing less.
Closing:
I truly hope this article helped anyone looking to live a greener life. Remember that everyone starts somewhere and there is no better time to start than now! We need more people like you in the world who are willing to make the changes they can in order to help Mother Earth. Do lots of research, make changes as you go/learn, go easy on yourself/others, and be mindful. Remember, change starts from within.
