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How do we make lifestyle changes in our lives that are sustainable long-term? With everything going on in the world right now, many of us find ourselves turning inward. We're reevaluating our regular way of life and making changes as a result. Maybe it's because we've had difficulty tracking down household necessities over the last few weeks. The scarcity of certain items may have changed our collective perspective. It could also be that during isolation over these last few weeks, we've all gotten in better touch with our roots and the things that bring us joy and comfort in an uncertain world.
We're turning inward as we reflect on our lives as they once were. Many of us have been making positive changes for the better. As we work toward the goal of reducing our carbon footprint, here are some easy ways to make positive changes in our lives that are sustainable long-term.
Gradually Cut Back on Paper Products
If there's one thing we do know it's that toilet paper is a hot commodity during a global pandemic. For a few weeks when shelves were empty, bidet sales on Amazon increased. American families realized what their European counterparts have known all along; the bidet is an amazing little tool. While you don't necessarily need to attach a water spout to your toilet to cut back on paper products, there are other less ‘intrusive' lifestyle changes we can make that will remain sustainable.
In the kitchen, consider cutting back on paper towels and make use of handcrafted reusable cloth towel sets. These snap-able unpaper towels attach right to your paper towel holder and can be washed in your regular laundry. This is a small eco-friendly change you can make to reduce your waste. Similarly, if you drink your morning coffee from a coffee maker that uses paper filters, switch out the filter for a washable canvas one. These can contribute to a sustainable zero-waste kitchen.
Make Sustainable Choices in Personal Hygiene
The decision to live a more eco-friendly life is not only beneficial for the environment but can also benefit your health as well. For women who have spent years using toxic tampons and sanitary napkins laden with chemicals, healthier options have finally gone mainstream. Many women have switched to the menstrual cup and several others have made use of cloth sanitary napkins. Switching to cloth pads or silicone menstrual cups will greatly reduce the waste that winds up in landfills. Changes like this do require a slight learning curve and mindset shift. These are, however, easy lifestyle changes that are sustainable for both you and the earth.
Grow Your Own Vegetables and Herbs
One easy and fun way to get back to your roots is to start an herb garden or grow some container vegetables. Getting to the grocery store in recent weeks has been challenging. Many of us are buying organic food online and taking advantage of grocery delivery. We don't really want to go out or only go when we really need to replenish our stock. Having vegetables on-hand that you grew yourself is the ideal way to combat this issue. Now is the perfect time to learn how to grow your own herbs and vegetables for a healthy lifestyle and food for your family in a sustainable way.
As we move forward in the coming weeks, there will be more lifestyle changes to come. Sustainable living and going back to the basics will hopefully become the norm. It's unfortunate the circumstances that led us to this new normal but a future where we're baking and cooking at home more often, more, planting vegetables and washing our hands often, is definitely one to look forward to.
Have you begun the process of detoxing your home? Check back for more tips on detoxing like a pro.
