Sustainable Habits For The Busy Professional

Being a busy professional in this quick paced world can pose many challenges. However, with a little determination and a plan that is easy to incorporate into your lifestyle, you can begin to make some changes that will make a positive difference and be of benefit to you and others in many aspects of your lifestyle. The main thing to remember is to introduce any changes fairly gradually and keep them small, as major and immediate changes could easily cause overwhelm and unnecessary disruptions.

Begin by taking a long hard look at your lifestyle. Then assessing where you may be able to make a difference can go a long way into identifying certain areas where you can do things differently. There are many ways to make small yet significant changes that align with your beliefs and values such as choosing eco-friendly and cruelty free products, reducing waste products or saving energy.

Despite being busy, tell yourself that you can find the time for your new sustainable habits and before you know it, they're already being incorporated into your lifestyle without even thinking about them! This efficiency in time management can help you to embrace changes in other parts of your life too, away from work.

The different options regarding travel to and from work, and indeed anywhere, can not be underestimated. Reducing carbon emissions has become a priority for many people and alternatives such as walking, cycling or car sharing can not only help the planet but can reduce stress and provide an invaluable exercise routine.

Many products now are environmentally friendly, cruelty free, are made of recycled materials or have a minimal carbon footprint which is something that is becoming increasingly important for consumers. From furniture to food and from cleaning and personal care products to bedding, seek out the alternatives that give you peace of mind and a clear conscience.

Embracing the three Rs is an especially good rule to adhere to, which stands for Reducing the amount you buy, Reusing items where and when possible and of course, Recycling items. Many people enjoy repairing items which may have been otherwise thrown out and if you are not the repairing ‘type’ then you are in luck as there are ‘repair cafes’ springing up all over the country which offer many tools and there are volunteers present -  all with different skills.

Aim to educate yourself and stay informed on a continual basis, using all the resources available to you such as the internet or books and search out like minded people to add to your network of associates where you can share knowledge and hopefully become even more inspired.

When you make the decision to begin to build sustainable habits into your busy schedule, remember to take your time and that it is perfectly acceptable to start with small steps. These will inevitably lead onto bigger and more significant contributions as your journey into sustainability continues.