Okay everyone, it’s game time. 2018 is right around the corner, and everyone’s planning for their New Year’s Resolution. This year, make your resolution about more than just you. No matter the goal, you can take it up a notch and find ways to make your resolution green, too. Whether you’re trying to fit in a little more gym-time or personal-time in the new year, living more consciously might just help you reach your goals!
Get Fit
The most popular New Year’s Resolution of 2017, most people approach getting fit by signing up for gym memberships or going on diets. In order to keep up with this resolution throughout the year, however, it’s important to take steps that work with your overall lifestyle. By focusing on living a little more sustainably, you might find that your fitness goals will start to follow suit.
This year, try to choose your bike over your car for shorter trips to the grocery store. Equip your ride with a pannier or two to make it easy to tote everything you need. Better yet, hop on your bike to go to the gym–you’ll be all warmed up when you get there! By choosing a bike over a car, you’re not only decreasing your CO2 footprint, you’re working on your cardio in the process.
Take advantage of our outside playground in your fitness plan! Search for nearby lakes, mountains, or even a neighborhood park you can explore (just make sure you stay on the trail to keep your impact low!) Have a dog for a workout buddy? Take them out for morning hikes or get to know your neighborhood with afternoon jogs every week. Exploring the nature in your backyard is a beautiful way to connect with nature, while getting fresh air and a great workout. (Plus, it’s a whole lot cheaper than that trendy spin-barre fusion membership.)
Whether yoga’s your thing, or you shred at the skatepark, gear is an important part of any activity. You can keep your footprint low by seeking products from companies who are protecting the planet you play in! From yoga pants made from recycled water bottles to skateboards made from discarded fishing nets, shop products from companies that are creatively solving the environmental issues you care about on our Get Fit Resolution Guide!
Treat Yo’self
Between work, family, and holding together a social life, it can be hard to schedule out alone time! This year, treat yourself to some relaxation while treating the planet with care. Take a step back, find what makes you happy, and allow yourself to enjoy some much deserved r&r.
Aromatherapy is a wonderful way to give your brain a vacation from the hustle and bustle! Are you running low on calming creams and oils in your bathroom? Surround yourself with organic lotions smelling of rosemary or lemon while steering clear of parabens, phthalates, or sulfates. Keep those harsh, petroleum based chemicals from touching your skin (or flowing through your drain and into local waterways!).
Finding time for yourself can clear your mind and inspire new creative ideas. While enjoying your home spa day, relax even more with a therapeutic coloring book or some self-reflective journaling. Putting a pen to paper can be a great way to calm down–just look for alternative paper sources to reduce what you’re taking from the environment!
Set up your home spa day with our Treat Yourself Resolution Guide.
Cook Consciously
We know, keeping those healthy cooking goals can be hard work! Between deciding on ingredients, storing leftovers, and following through on your weekly menu, it’s easy to give in an order takeout. Once you get in the habit, however, meal planning and prepping can save you a ton of time (and money!).
Start by looking at what ingredients you have, and decide what meals you’d like to cook based on that. Take your reusable grocery bag to the store and fill in what you need, and set up your weekly menu! Future-you will be super thankful for those easy to throw together meals later in the week. Not only does setting up your meals in advance save you time and money, but it also tends to cut down on last minute takeout–which is almost always packaged in styrofoam. (Bonus points if you plan vegan and vegetarian meals: lowering your meat consumption is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint!).
To stick to this New Year’s Resolution, make sure your kitchen’s set up to make for a fun cooking environment. When you have the right tools, you’ll have no excuses! Be prepared with all of the kitchen essentials in our Cook Consciously Resolution Guide.
Minimize Waste
The average American throws away 4.4lbs of trash every day. It’s no surprise that reducing your waste aligns with protecting our planet, but it can also save you money too!
One of the easiest ways to cut down on your waste? Keep a reusable water bottle in your bag so you won’t ever be caught needing a plastic one. Not only are there plenty of environmental and health reasons to say no to plastic bottles, but on average, Americans spend $249.12/year on them! Save money in the new year, and turn to reusable.
Instead of turning to plastic wrap or aluminum foil for your leftovers, give Bee’s Wrap a try. Refuse straws at restaurants (or bring your own!) Start your own compost, and read up on your city’s recycling guidelines. Turn it into a household competition–who has the least amount of trash at the end of the week? Whoever loses has to take out the recycling for the rest of the month!
Start simplifying and minimizing waste with our Minimize Waste Resolution Guide!
What’s your New Year’s Resolution? How will you be approaching it in a environmentally friendly way? Let us know in the comments below!
