new year resolutions

Welcome back everyone!

As we all know, sustainable and environmentally-friendly products have become a lot more accessible recently. A lot of people, myself included, want to reduce their own contribution to pollution, waste, and all of the harm we are doing to this planet. I’ve really been trying to become more aware of my choices and the waste I create, and it’s important to know that there’s actually a lot of easy and affordable ways to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. If you’re looking to reduce your waste in 2020, keep on reading for five simple ways to do so!

Use reusable cups, straws, and utensils on the go – I know reusable water bottles like Hydro Flasks and metal straws have become super popular, but there’s even more you can do. Bring your own thermoses to coffee shops if they allow it, and keep a set of bamboo utensils in your car if you’re getting takeout or food where you would otherwise be using plastic cutlery.
Pack lunches and snacks in Tupperware or lunch boxes instead of Ziploc or paper bags – Similar to reusable utensils and cups, packing your lunch in a way that produces less waste can also help you cut down a lot on plastic. This is something I plan on doing more this year, since at the moment I bring a paper bag lunch and there’s usually a couple snacks in ziploc bags. It’s an easy way to limit your waste on a daily basis, and it’s probably cheaper in the long run since you only have to buy a lunch box or nice Tupperware set once.
Support sustainable companies and/or charitable companies with products related to the environment – Lots of these companies will be a lot pricier, but the products are often designed to last longer and in some cases they are more ethically made as well. For example, Reformation is known for their sustainable clothing, but it’s also very pricey. There are also companies that create their products on the basis of charity, such as 4ocean that takes a pound of plastic out of the ocean for each bracelet bought.
Buy thrifted/secondhand clothes – This is helpful because it’s also a cheaper shopping option. Sites like Poshmark, Depop, and even eBay (less people go on eBay to buy clothes so you can get great deals) have tons of clothes you can get for super cheap, and it prevents people from throwing out their clothes. Also, going to your local thrift shop is just a fun experience 🙂 Of course, make sure to sell or donate your own clothes when getting rid of them so they don’t get thrown out either!
Take notes / do schoolwork online – This is more about reducing paper than plastic, but I’ve seen that a lot of students have recently gone paperless. If you would rather take notes and complete all assignments online, it’s a great way to reduce waste- it does save some plastic in the long run as well because you won’t have to buy notebooks with the plastic covers, folders, or binders that have plastic in them. I know this doesn’t work for every person’s school and studying situation, but it’s something else to be mindful of. If some of your teachers have options to turn everything in online but some don’t, just take advantage of the opportunity for the ones who do.

Hopefully this inspired you to make a few swaps in your daily lifestyle. Remember that you really can have an impact and change starts with these small choices. On the other hand, remember no one is perfect; it’s difficult to completely shift your lifestyle and there will definitely be slip-ups or times when it’s not feasible to center your shopping around sustainability. The important thing is that you try your best and keep the earth’s best interest in mind. We’re all in this together 🙂

Brooke

Happy New Year everyone!

I hope you all had a fun time celebrating the new year and decade last night. As I’ve stated before, I’m not a huge fan of New Year’s Resolutions because of the notion that no one will end up sticking to theirs attached to them, but I do love setting new goals and trying to implement new things into my life at the start of a new year. And of course, if new year’s resolutions work for you, go for them! I personally set goals very similar to what people normally have as their resolutions- I just remove them from that title. Regardless, there are always little habits and improvements to be made that can increase your productivity and enhance the course of your day. Keep on reading if you want to hear about five little changes you can make throughout your day to make 2020 the best year yet.

Try to stay off your phone when you first wake up – This is a bad habit that I’m definitely guilty of giving into. You think you’ll just check social media and hop out of bed to get ready, but it almost never ends there, does it? I recommend getting out of bed as soon as you wake up and getting breakfast/exercising/doing the first step of your morning routine, and then you can settle down for a couple minutes and check your phone. I feel like going on your phone in bed somehow makes you spend wayyyy more time in bed and online, making that the center of your morning, rather than waking up and starting your day.
Make to-do lists (and separate them!) – I’m a big believer in lists for dealing with almost anything that’s a part of my life. I talk about lists a lot, and you can probably tell by the amount of listicles on this blog that it’s how I organize my thoughts. You probably know making to-do lists is a good way to remember things and start being productive, but what about those times where your to-do list seems ENDLESS and things are constantly being added? In those cases, I often feel even more overwhelmed and stressed when looking at my long list. That’s why you should separate your to-do lists into categories and/or timeframes! I personally organize mine by timeframes- I have one huge master to-do list in my notes with a bunch of stuff on it (both long-term, short-term, and even some “optional” things I would just like to do), but then I have a more immediate to-do list of things I need to do that specific day. This helps me actually set my course for the day without getting distracted by other tasks that aren’t as important, and it prevents me from getting more overwhelmed than I already am.
Meditation – Again, this isn’t exactly an original idea, but it’s how you implement it that makes a difference. Meditation often scares people off, especially if they don’t have a lot of experience or background. People will end up abandoning it after one or two tries even if they enjoyed those first attempts, just because it seems like a lot of effort and they’re not sure how much they can actually get out of it- I’m guilty of this. However, if you use a guided app on your phone for just a couple minutes each day, or even just when you’re feeling particularly stressed, it becomes a lot more approachable. I personally use the app Headspace, and it really does clear my head- I often forget that I can use it to take a breather on tough days, but I’m going to work on making it a more regular habit this year.
Put extra effort into one part of your daily routine/appearance everyday – I wasn’t sure how to word this in a better way, but basically just pick one thing each day that you’re going to “dress up” a little. People often say when you feel good about your appearance/outfit/etc. you feel more confident, and therefore have a better day. I personally do not care enough to dress up everyday, wear makeup, and coordinate accessories. However, I do like doing a little something extra for myself. Whether it’s a spritz of my favorite perfume, a coat of lipgloss, or color-coordinating my shoes to my shirt, focusing on one little way to make me feel like I tried when getting ready helps a lot with attitude and confidence throughout the day. If you’re super into this you can obviously focus on putting effort into getting ready in every way everyday, but for someone like me who’s kind of lazy when it comes to fashion and beauty, one little change is enough.
Taking things one step at a time – This isn’t a tangible habit that you can just ~do~, but I think it’s a great one since it can relieve a lot of stress and anxiety. It’s important to stay in the present, especially when you think of how quickly time passes (I mean, how is it 2020?), so being self-aware of how much you’re taking on at a time is super important. There’s only one of you and you can only be doing one thing at a time, so don’t get ahead of yourself when planning for the future unless it’s necessary planning that you can control right now. I carry a lot of stress with me from day-to-day, but it’s so much easier to manage when I only focus on what I am able to do for myself in that moment, and tackle one challenge/task/problem at a time.

I think these habits are all manageable things you can incorporate into your life, so hopefully you’re inspired to try them. That being said, remember that these are not just for 2020, “the new year”, or any time in particular. This time of year is when a lot of people tend to be setting goals and trying to change what they didn’t like about the previous year, but it doesn’t mean you have to confine yourself or pressure yourself into starting new things just because it’s a “new year”- that’s basically just a title and a gateway for a lot of people. You can do whatever you want, whenever you feel comfortable! Let me know if any of these things work for you, and have a marvelous first day of 2020! 🙂

Brooke