We all strive to live sustainably, but how do you really embrace a sustainable lifestyle?
It is one thing to worry about development and to point the finger at the big contributors of CO2 emissions that we all know; it is another to actually be successful in living a sustainable life for yourself and your family.
What does sustainable living really mean?
We live a sustainable way of life when we protect our natural environment, human and ecological health, by making conscious choices to preserve the future of the planet while not compromising our way of life.
Remember that living more sustainably means making your life easier and it will definitely bring you more happiness. According to science, there is a connection between your quality of life and the sustainability of life you lead.
In the novel from yanvanathemessage.com the writer has drawn attention to adopting a sustainable lifestyle by writing it from the point of view of all the other occupants of the planet. Remember that living sustainably requires an ongoing commitment to the environment. Hopefully, you will be a living role model in how to sustainably interact with the environment.
In this article, we feature ten ideas for sustainable living, ranging from high flying to concrete and things you can do every day. It’s never too late to start a sustainable lifestyle but no point waiting either. If we all get together right now, we’re going to, at some point in the future, wonder what the real big deal was.
Produce less waste
It’s one of those things that is so easy to say, but still very difficult to actually do. Yet reducing waste is not that difficult. You can start right now and just make sure you think about it in everything you do.
What constitutes waste, of course, varies with what you do, the most obvious being the actual waste you throw in your trash can, but it can also be more subtle things, like energy spent unnecessarily, without reason.
When it comes to reducing waste, you can be as ambitious as you want. You can just do it more or less subconsciously, or you can be really ambitious, and keep track of your progress, set goals for yourself to stick to. Whichever method you choose, it will work. Just thinking about waste reduction will make you waste reduction. It’s a very good start! As if you can buy a multipurpose furniture that will reduce the wastage of space and money, you can use that money and space to build your garden.
Adapt your eating habits to your geography
People have always eaten, but our habits have changed significantly with globalization and the sharp drop in transport costs.
Just a few decades ago, our food habits were confined to what was produced locally or transported to us in canned or frozen forms. Even further back, it was even more like that. Today you can buy any food item, any time of the year, thanks to cheap transportation.
You can eat beef from Argentina, every day, or asparagus, stolen from Peru, in the middle of winter. But when it comes to a sustainable lifestyle, we suggest you skip such choices and eat whatever is produced locally. You will need to adjust your cooking habits accordingly, but it’s not that difficult once you get into it.
Adapt Minimalism
If you are living a sustainable lifestyle it shouldn’t be your thing to over-buy, but we live in a modern world and sometimes it will be necessary to buy something, whether it is a new phone or a new sofa set.
The next time you decide to buy for something big or small, think carefully if it’s really something you need, and if so, make sure you get the best quality item. that you can afford.
Then use it and repair it for as long as possible, before replacing it.
To live in town
The cities are ugly, dirty, and polluted, with polluted areas and no wildlife! Yes, some cities are like that, especially those built around cars, but that’s far from the full picture.
Many cities are actually the complete opposite, with beautiful architecture, lots of green space, and clean air. Their secret? Efficient public transport systems, made possible by a high population density and a sprawling local economy.
It’s tempting to think that country farm life is the right choice, but for sustainable living, you should choose any city you like to live there.
Start a compost
Even if you live in a one-room apartment without a balcony or other outdoor space of your own, you can have your own small-scale compost.
Naturally, you will have to adapt to the available space and you may not be able to compost everything, but even the little things matter.
Travel less – Meet online
Take time off closer to home and explore your own country on your next vacation. You can discover something new.
If you are traveling to work, meetings, and conferences, consider the option of not going. Maybe you can meet online instead. Even if you can only skip half of your trips, it is still a huge contribution to sustainable living.
Don’t buy an electric car!
Wait! What? And yes, Exactly!
Certainly, you might need to have a car, and in this case, an electric car could mean a huge contribution to achieving a sustainable life, but not buying a car at all would be even better.
There are plenty of options you can use, like public transport and carpooling, and why not exercise for free by taking a bike?
Save water
This goes without saying, water conservation is a natural component of sustainable living. This is something you can do every day that will have a big impact if we all do it. Here, nothing is to be excluded.
Taking shorter showers will count for a lot already and when you start to think about it there are a lot of situations where you can just cut back.
Cultivate a garden
Depending on where and how you live, it will mean very different things, but growing plants – all plants – is a great way to live sustainably. If you have the chance, try growing your own food.
Nothing will be better than food from your own backyard.
Deliver
Learning sustainable living practices is indeed a philanthropic effort to give back to future generations and it has a ripple effect with impact. Families who share a “green” lifestyle with their children encourage them to make similar decisions as they get older.
Calculate your carbon footprint
It can be difficult to gauge how much you are contributing to overall sustainable living, but there are great tools, available for free, that will help you.
Use a Carbon Footprint Calculator to get a number on where you are today and then recalculate in the future after making changes to a more sustainable life, and you will get an estimate of your progress.
Meditate
Whatever we are is a result of our thoughts. It is a personal transformation in order to create a sustainable way of life. Being aware of your thoughts, feelings, energies, and surroundings and focusing only on the present moment is a huge help to living sustainably. This is because you are less influenced by the pressure of emotions and you are more likely to make conscious choices and reduce emissions.
