“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor” – Thich Nhat Hanh
Maintaining a state of mindfulness can become a tremendously challenging task at times. Isn’t mindfulness suppose to lead us to a state of well-being and maximize our productivity? Everything seemed okay while I was sitting at my desk, sipping my masala chai, staring at the training module that I was suppose to design for a client, while it was pouring cats and dogs outside the window. Ahh they say Mumbai Monsoon isn’t a season but an emotion of it’s kind.
I picked up my phone, tapped on my favorite social media app, to capture the beautiful sight outside, and may be share it as my #InstaMoment of the day, but WAIT! My “influencer” friend posted how upset she is about the climate situation. Another post about flood and another, about draught! Suddenly my grateful mind at the sight of monsoon shower isn’t anymore what I would love to post on the story. (SIGH)
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) shared their assessment report on 9th the August 2021 and OMGosh!! The social media has been flooded with the CODE RED reporting. But weren’t we warned about this situation decades ago? Each one of us know that we need a systemic change. We need the policy makers, the governing bodies and the ministry of environmental affairs, scientific, technical and socio-economic knowledge to work upon this, but it goes without denying that each individual human should play their part too.
“Sustainable switch isn’t an end, but a means to a better world!”
So, I will play my part. This is just the beginning! Let me share My Top 6 Sustainable Switches that I made in the recent past years and although I believe, we have a long way to go on this journey of playing a role in sustainable and mindful living, it is always a good idea to celebrate the small victories too, right!?
- From plastic to copper water bottles that I carry with myself everywhere. A reusable water bottle is not just good for the environment but also a good reminder to be hydrated. My copper water bottle boosts my immunity, facilitates good digestion, prevents anaemia, balances blood pressure, and is a natural detoxifierIt takes nearly 450 years for a plastic water bottle to break down. The copper bottle I use currently is from Prestige.
- My clothe bag being my constant companion. Not only are these reusable, cost effective and environmentally more sustainable, one cloth bag equals 22,000 plastic bags (over a person’s lifetime). It takes about 1000 years for a plastic bag to decompose in a landfill. I love my cloth bag from CrossWord.
- Menstrual Cup IT IS. These are sustainable, can be used for approximately 5 years, are eco-friendly, decreasing sanitary waste creation. Did you know that it could take up to 800 years to decompose a single sanitary napkin? My one is from PeeSafe.
- Hello Wooden Comb. My wooden comb had reduced my hair fall, controlled dandruff, prevented static charge, promoted scalp health and made de-tangling an easy-breezy affair! It is durable and of course 100% sustainable. I love carrying my little Vega Wooden Comb wherever I go. lolz
- Oh my bamboo toothbrush. Bamboo is naturally a fast-growing material. It is totally biodegradable. So once you are done using it for couple of months(I change mine every 3 months), just cut off the bristle and put the handle in the compost. That one plastic tooth brush takes around 1000 years to go. How many plastic tooth brushes have you used till date… will stay around even after you are gone. Oopz “Leave your mark” Your green footprint, NOT YOUR TOOTH BRUSHES! 😉 I recent got my bamboo dental kit from Terra Brush.
- Getting green babies home. Honestly, getting the indoor plans weren’t intended to be a sustainable switch for me. It came naturally as I had seen my mother gardening and enjoying her time with plants, humming along, from the time I was little. Plants are good, not only because of the photosynthesis functionality of it. I know. I know. More plants, more oxygen. But did you know plants help in boosting your mood and productivity. It reduces fatigue, purifies the air around, absorbs toxins and refreshes your vision. There is a cathartic effect of walking in the nature, all because of thousands of green shades dancing in synergy with each other, playing it’s magic on our mind and soul. I bought few of mine from Ugaoo
I have intentionally not mentioned my slow fashion journey in this blog post. That definitely needs an entire article, I guess. It does feel lonely. I do feel like a drop in the ocean. But together, millions of drops can create a wave! If not so atleast ripples of change? We just need to take that one step towards mindfulness. A conscious living is the need of an our. Climate emergency- Not a trend. A safer world for the generations to come- YESS PLEASE!
Until then, Obrigada Amiga. 🙂
