Weekly Plan For Sustainable Living

 

 

 

“THE BEST TIME TO PLANT A TREE WAS 20 YEARS AGO. THE SECOND BEST TIME IS NOW.”

Start by learning to say no! Our mind may label seemingly insignificant changes as useless, but let’s not forget that small changes can have big impacts. Some call it butterfly effect, some call it crack on the ice. Whatever name you grant to your little efforts, never forget that even the rainfall consists of many individual drops of water. Maybe you can say no to your car every Monday and use the bus instead. Maybe you can buy local vegetables, instead of the ones that have been transported overseas. Whatever you choose, allow it to become a habit.

 

 

Choose products that are recycled or support companies that use recycled materials. Sort out a practical method to tackle your household recycling. You can do it with style with innovative products like Everyday Design that help you sort your recycling effortless and easy. When you seek evidence for the things that are already working well, you start to build optimism rather than cultivating feelings of anxiety and stress. As a side note, in Finland we have a 90% return rate on all recycled bottles!

 

 

Whenever possible, avoid buying products packed in individual packages. Once you start paying attention, you’ll notice the amount of plastic there is. For example, buy a carton of yoghurt instead of individually wrapped ones. Buy fresh vegetables, instead of those chopped and taped into plastic. Use bars of soap and other environmentally friendly packaged products to avoid the overconsumption of bottles. Get familiar with forerunners and new innovations like Sulapac that offer plastic-free alternatives and solutions for its customers.

 

 

Revolutionize your grocery shopping. That being said, learn to bring your own shopping bag and whenever you can do the groceries by walking to your nearest shop. Those local stores are there to serve you and they need customers too. In addition, become mindful of your food waste. Do you regularly buy too many yoghurts that end up expiring. Every now and then, experiment with new products not by buying more, but rather by mixing the things you would normally buy. Try a new local brand. Visit a store like Ruohonjuuri to get your shampoos to find inspiration on alternative products you may not even know exist.

 

 

Go running or have a walk anywhere where green is the prominent color. I believe any movement will provoke healthy activism both in self-care and community service. Maybe while you run, you can pick up a trash or two. There you go; now you are plogging! There are numerous ways to make your neighborhood more inviting and clean for everyone. In many public libraries throughout Finland, you can also rent tools for trash picking purposes or rent a crafty book or magazine for your next DIY-project. Maybe you can become active with gardening or get inspired by the magic of growth by visiting some of the community gardens in Helsinki.

 

Many of us have forgotten the art of doing absolutely nothing. Slowing things down and spending time in solitude can shape our daily habits and strengthen the feelings of gratitude. Make it a habit to truly acknowledge the things you already have. We have been thought to drive for constant growth, improvement and running after the next big thing. Sometimes our toughest marathon is the one where we are still with ourselves. Make Saturday the day when you sat down.

 

 

Grow your own veggies and herbs! Yes, not that simple if you live up North with limited sunlight. Yet, we do it regardless. If you’ve got the sun, please allow it to be guiding you and your growth. Plant some seeds, experiment or read that gardening book that is waiting on the bookshelf. Last but not least, eat more greens. Skip coffee for once and try some earthy herbal tea. Time to start worshipping that temple your body truly is.