Don’t be afraid to take a break
We know the urgency and overwhelming aspect of this fight can make this seem unrealistic - but trust us - there is time for you to take a break when you need to.
It is so important every now and then to check in with yourself.
Are your new sustainable habits adding to your life? Or only adding stress? Although it will require effort on your behalf to implement new habits and new aspects to your lifestyle - if these don’t feel sustainable to you (as in - can I sustain these habits long term?) then it may be time to check in with them. Shift or alter them. Don’t be afraid to do this, it’s not a ‘failure’.
After checking in with yourself, take a moment to notice all the little things you have achieved and how far you have come. Below is a journal prompt that could help with this exercise;
Firstly start by looking at your day. Note down all the things you did, what you had for breakfast, what sustainable habits you have and where are the gaps you might want to work on.
It is really important to do this without holding onto judgment for ourselves. Simply take note of how you currently live a normal day in your life.
Maybe you wake up and hop in the shower for 30 minutes using your zero waste shampoo and soap bars. Awesome! You drive into work and grab a coffee in your keep cup from your local before heading into the office.
Acknowledge the wins, and identify the next steps.
Leave that note and next time you check in with yourself - look back and use your last entry to see how far you've come and if you have made any changes you hadn’t congratulated yourself for. Maybe next time you check in, you now wake up and hop in the shower for 15 minutes using your zero waste soap bars. Progress! You bus into work and grab an oat milk coffee in your keep cup from your local before heading into the office. This is progress! There is still room for further improvement, but you HAVE made progress.
Identify the wins and the next steps.
We so often forget to celebrate our wins, but these small changes are really significant added together. They deserve to be applauded! No matter how much your efforts can feel like pushing a boulder uphill, that boulder is moving. You are making a difference.