How to Take Action & Start Being Sustainable: Easy Tips ANYONE Can Do

It's talked about all the time - people should be more eco friendly, businesses need to produce less waste, governments should put laws in place regarding sustainability.

In this sea of buzz words and pointing fingers, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. I know, because I've felt that way too. Is positive change even possible? (let me tell you - it is! but it requires intentional action).

If you're overwhelmed with where to start, here are some tips & ideas to help you avoid analysis paralysis and start becoming sustainable like you want to.

To Start, Pick One Area of Your Life to Focus On

For me, the area I really started with was clothing and fast fashion. Right now, I'm really focusing on my kitchen & cooking habits. I'm at a point where I'm a bit more comfortable working on multiple areas at a time, but there is no way I could have started out doing that! It would have been draining and I don't want you to lose motivation.

To pick an an area to focus on, here are some questions you can ask yourself:

What am I passionate about/what are my hobbies? It could be cooking, art, fashion...

What do I spend a lot of time doing? Cleaning, working, traveling, etc?

Once you've thought of a couple of categories, pick one to focus on and start learning how to be more sustainable in that area. All of those example categories are things I have blogs about (or will soon!) but there are so many other resources to learn!

By sticking to one category at a time, until you can handle more, you're avoiding burning yourself out and getting overwhelmed! You may not be seeing changes as fast as you would like to, but it will be worth it :)

Slowly Make Swaps

Now that you have your category picked out, it's time to start making changes! But before you do anything: Don't throw out what you already have just because it's not "sustainable"!! This is a big mistake people make and I want you to make sure you avoid it the best you can!

Why does this matter?

Let me fill ya in with an example:

Imagine you have a yoga mat in good condition. It's not made out of any kind of eco friendly material so you throw it out and buy a 'sustainable' one to replace it. Now, there is a perfectly good yoga mat sitting in a landfill (rip). That doesn't really sound too 'eco friendly'... What should you do with it instead then? Keep using that yoga mat until you can't or give it to someone else that will use it!

The most sustainable thing you can do is use up what you already have. If there's things you can reuse and repurpose, try and do that before you donate or discard them.

BUT when you do use up what you have, buying an eco friendly alternative is an AMAZING idea! Just don't do it too soon ;) Some random things I've replaced around my apartment are cooking oil spray (now we have a reusable one!), period underwear (this is one of the more 'out there' swaps I've made so far!), and shampoo bars instead of in plastic bottles.

Remember, It's all a Mindset Game - You Gotta Change Your Mindset If You Want To See True Results

If you don't change your mindset about the things in your life, it will be harder to start being sustainable and eco friendly! Decide today to be more committed to slowly incorporating eco friendly swaps into your life. Avoid buying things in the first place that produce more waste than needed. This isn't a 'get eco quick scheme'. It takes time & effort, but you can do it!

Want Specific Ideas and More Guidance?

I've put together a 12 month guide where you can go through a different area of your life/home each month and start becoming more eco friendly! It has specific swap ideas and other specific tips to being sustainable. Download the guide here and sign up for my newsletter where I'll send more resources & tips.

YOU GOT THIS!

I'm cheering for you and I'm here to support you as make these shifts in your life! Don't be afraid to reach out if you have questions or if you have ideas you want to share -- I've loved learning from others and can't wait to learn with you!