When I first embarked on my personal sustainability journey, I was driven by a motivation to reduce my impact on the environment. What I found was an unexpected sense of purpose, simplicity and connection. Living a bit lighter on the planet has been about so much more than changing a few household habits – it’s been an evolution of my mindset and perspective.
A sustainable lifestyle has been better for the wellbeing of the planet, but it has been undeniably better for my own wellbeing in so many ways:
- Doing the right thing: It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with climate change and the state of the world, but making small planet-friendly changes to my habits has been a really powerful way to move me from feeling a sense of despair to feeling hopeful. When we take action that is aligned with our values, regardless of how small that action is, we are rewarded with a little rush of feel good hormones. Taking action feels good.
- Connection: As humans we are hard wired to connect. Whether it’s the planet, our communities or a higher purpose – sustainability gives us a platform for connection. In the busyness of life, I’ve found that a sustainable lifestyle has given me a reason to connect with others and something bigger than myself.
- Learning: Living lightly has me constantly exploring new information and finding different ways of doing things. I love that it keeps me curious and engaged, and the added benefit is that it fills up my social media feed with useful and inspiring content.
- Nature: Study after study shows that being outside in nature is hugely beneficial for our personal wellbeing. Whether it’s being out in my garden, walking or biking instead of driving the car, or taking the kids to the lake instead of going to the shopping mall – it always slows me down and makes me feel more mindful. Every time I go outside in nature it helps give me perspective and makes me feel more grounded.
When we take action for the planet, we’re also taking action for ourselves – how amazing is that?!? Sustainability isn’t an all or nothing game, every action counts. Focus on making one small sustainable change and you might just be surprised at how good it feels.
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