Amidst these uncertain times, it’s easy to get carried away and let yourself go. But it’s vital to maintain a semblance of peace in your life now more than ever. And a wonderful way to achieve this is by creating a sustainable self-care routine. Not only will it help you feel so much better about yourself, but taking the extra steps to ensure it’s sustainable will help put your mind at ease as you’re taking care of the environment, too. That being said, here are some ideas for crafting your own sustainable self-care routine!
Stay Hydrated
While it’s well-known that drinking 8 glasses of water a day is essential for your health, keeping yourself hydrated with this natural resource can protect the environment, too. For one, the production of soft drinks adds to the already troubling amount of carbon emissions in the world. Also, the packaging of these beverages normally end up in landfills.
To this end, it’s best to have water as your go-to beverage, since you can easily quench your thirst when you have an insulated tumbler such as this one from One Green Bottle. And as an added bonus, hydrating yourself with water can work wonders for your skincare. Culture source PopSugar shares that simply squeezing lemon into your water can lead to increased collagen production, less acne, and a glowing complexion.
Prepare Your Meals in Advance
Did you know that households in the UK waste nearly 5 million tonnes of food each year? Although cooking yourself a whole spread is great to do every once in a while, meal prepping can make all the difference for food waste in your household.
Whether it’s a quick breakfast or a midday snack, preparing your meals ahead is a simple yet effective way to save food and money, while also keeping your hunger at bay. For those looking for a quick recipe, lifestyle website Pretty Me posted a great chia pudding recipe that only requires you to soak some chia seeds in water overnight. From there, mix your soaked chia seeds with some milk, your sweetener of choice, and fresh fruit! Look out for fail-proof recipes that help you get your required nutrients. At the end of the day, don’t forget to be conscious not only about what you eat but ensuring you’re eating the proper amount as well.
Declutter Your Closet
When you think about chores like decluttering, sustainable self-care might not be the first thing that comes to mind. After all, these are tasks that people tend to procrastinate. However, self-care is centred on creating peaceful surroundings so you can truly live the best version of yourself — and sometimes, this means cleaning out your closet. Indeed, The Telegraph shares that more clutter results in lower life satisfaction. Not to mention, the fashion industry is one of the biggest contributors to global pollution, and decluttering can help you combat this in your own small way.
Take a good look at your wardrobe. How often do you shop for trendy clothes that you don’t need? How many times have you worn each item? Going through your clothes and figuring out what pieces are really necessary is a great way to scale back on shopping (and ultimately, your carbon footprint!), while also making your closet look less like a puzzle. And there’s no need to worry about where your clothes will go, as you can donate them to charity and thus promote sustainable shopping.
Contrary to popular belief, self-care doesn’t always have to be a posh spa visit. Sometimes, taking care of yourself means relishing life’s simple joys sustainably.