10 Eco friendly Life Hacks for Minimalists

Hello friends, this is Youheum. Thanks for joining me. Today, I'm sharing 10 eco-friendly practices I focus on as a sustainable minimalist. This includes both mindset approaches as well as technical hacks that I use in my journey. The first transition I made to align with sustainable minimalist living was using reusables on a consistent daily basis. To me, this was as simple and effortless as letting go of single-use products like plastic bags, disposable utensils, and food containers as much as possible. And instead of contributing to more waste, I made a one-time investment on long-lasting zero-waste kitchenware as well as some low-waste things to use wherever I go. But I do know that sometimes that it's inevitable to run into some single-use plastics and wrappings when doing groceries or eating out. And for this, I just work on my inner self to let go and release my attachment to perfectionism. I focus my attention on being mindful of the ingredients and being highly selective of what kind of products I use on my body and my sacred self. So I try as much as I can to let go of what I think may be toxic and harmful to my own body, including some chemical ingredients that I'm sensitive to as well as unnatural products. So I go for something like natural oils, plant-based extracts like essential oils instead of artificial ones. I also use sustainable fabrics like hemp, linen, and flax and biodegradable materials like bamboo. The objective for me with this is not to hoard eco-friendly products on top of what I already own but to simply return to making conscious choices when the need for purchasing necessities rises. So it's not really about accumulating natural and organic things for aesthetic purposes or as a way of demonstrating myself as somehow a sustainability guru, but the true intention is to be mindful with what I do decide to invite into my life. And I question if what I consume is really aligned with my values, my needs, and also the well-being of this earth. I enjoy gardening and growing my own food whenever I can in order to deepen my connection with mother earth. This I do by contributing to some permaculture projects as much as I can and also maintaining a plot of my own when that's available. And I think that this can be as simple as growing some potted herbs at home, signing up for community gardens, or helping a neighbor out in their garden. To me, it doesn't always have to be about making a full commitment as this may be difficult depending on the physical conditions. I also enjoy inviting mindful awareness when consuming food. And a part of this practice for me is to keep my compassion alive by eating in such a way that reduces the suffering of all living beings. But if this is not available for some, I also think that simply focusing on reducing food waste and composting when possible and appreciating my meals as well as extending gratitude to all the resources used during the growing process, during the harvesting and distributing process is something that's very important. So I usually dedicate a moment to thank the resources with a lotus prayer before I enjoy my meals. It's simply about forming a deeper bond with what I eat and about appreciating the miracle of plants. To me, consuming mindfully also extends to material things including being aware of what's used in the production process, being aware of where it comes from, who creates it, and how it is delivered to me. So preferably, whenever possible, I try to focus on ethically sourced products that are sweatshop free and sold by small businesses like Etsy shop owners or mom and pop shops. And that's where I source most of my things. And it's true that sometimes I have to rely on bigger companies, but as I mentioned before, it's not really about restricting myself completely for the sake of perfectionism. I feel that what's more important is to consume whenever needed in moderation in a limited way so as to keep the waste as well as any contribution to possibly unethical brands as low as possible. To me, it's not about complete elimination, but it's more about finding the balance and doing it with awareness and intention at the center of it. Sometimes I feel that the most humble way of loving this earth, without the label of me being sustainable, of me being eco-friendly, is to simply appreciate it, to approach it with gratitude and to be one with nature. And I do this by choosing to return to nature, to immerse myself in the moment of being with the abundance of life around me. I know that opening the path of sustainability, adopting eco-friendly and low-waste practices, and inviting conscious awareness into my life can be intimidating at first, and it can also lead to my feelings of guilt and shame about my own past habits. That's why I find it important to recognize the inevitable ups and downs and to apply compassion, gentleness, and even forgiveness when that becomes necessary. This way, I can approach it in a more long-term, process-oriented mindset, and I can recognize the value of all the challenges that unfold throughout my consistent practice by really taking my time to fine-tune a customized practice that's catered to my own lifestyle, to my own comfort level and priorities. In the past, what I knew about the sustainability movement as well as minimalism was very limited. And even now, I may not know everything, and I'm surely not a minimalist guru, and I have not mastered the way to be completely green. But I think that it is okay not to know at first. A lot of the times, the initial blot and mental resistance in diving into sustainable living in the first place is based on the fear of unknowingness, the fear of unfamiliarity, and the fear of omitting my own unawareness. But I nowadays think that it's okay not to know with perfection, and it's completely okay to want to educate myself from the beginning and to actually humbly ask for insights and learning materials from others. To me, my practice of sustainable minimalist living is a deeply personal practice, and it's not really about knowing more than others, putting others down, and blaming other people's actions. It's definitely not about judging my friends, pointing out how unsustainable they are, or about competing against fellow practitioners on who can be more eco-friendly and environmentally aware. My approach is to focus on healing the earth by committing to my own individual responsibilities of self-education, of conscious awareness, and intentional living as much as I personally can. And the focus is always on the self, and less on the external distractions or the competition. So it's centered on using my energy, time, and resources efficiently on personal development and self-awareness to bring about positive changes that can perhaps lead to the well-being of all living beings as a whole. So first and foremost, it is important to practice sustainability out of compassion and loving-kindness. So I approach this journey with love and non-violence, and I don't force others to be just like me, to think like me, and I don't force-educate them, or to manipulate them with guilt traps and passive-aggressive persuasion. To me, it's so important to extend love to all living beings on this earth, because I believe that there's no separation between earth, life, and us. We are in togetherness. We are wholesome. We are healing ourselves by healing the earth. So if you also want to practice with us on this path of mindfulness, sustainability, minimalism, and wellness through non-violence, feel free to join our Healing Circle Sangha online forum community, or simply like and subscribe to my Heal Your Living channel. I thank you all for being here, my friends, and I hope to see you again soon.