Why Mindfulness Is Key To Sustainability
What if I told you that the secret to sustainability (and life) is mindfulness?
By being aware of ourselves, our place in the world and the impact of our choices, we can collectively improve the state of the world.
To improve outward circumstances, we must do our own inner work.
Did a little voice in your head just say, “woah, hold on there, how can adopting mindfulness make me more sustainable? This seems far-fetched and unrelated…”
Well, love, it’s not...and, I’ll tell you why.
The Link Between Mindfulness and Sustainability
Sustainability is mindful living. In order to live with more intention, we must raise our consciousness and our awareness.
Mindfulness is the act of being fully conscious and aware in our present moment. Seems easy enough, right?
Well, not so much. Our basic consumer habits show that we are as mindless as ever. How often do you think about the length of your showers, what the working conditions are like for the people who make your clothes, how often you get packaged to-go food or coffee, if you recycle properly, or what happens to food that’s thrown in the trash (it turns into methane, btw).
Getting out of this cycle of overconsumption starts with leveling up your mindfulness. While the concept is simple, living mindfully means making a lifestyle change. It requires discipline, practice and commitment.
The Benefits of Mindfulness
Science shows that practicing mindfulness makes you an all around more aware, empathetic and emotionally intelligent person. The benefits of mindfulness include:
Regulated emotional response (aka less reactive)
Heightened self-observation
More communication and compassion in relationships
Ability to respond positively to constructive criticism
More empathetic
Increased ability to act with awareness in social situations
Lower levels of stress and anxiety
Reduced psychological distress
Enhanced prefrontal lobe function, including self-insight, morality, intuition and fear response
Once mindful practice begins to show its promise, people tend to disengage from their mindless, automatic thoughts. Instead of living life on auto-pilot, people become more open to behavioral change and freedom to make their own choices, which is key for inspiring change!
How To Be More Mindful
Every single person is capable of mindfulness, meaning every person is capable of inspiring change. By raising our collective consciousness, we will change the world. So, how can you be more mindful?
1. Meditation
Meditation is the single most effective way to increase mindfulness. By practicing meditation, you are giving yourself the gift of stillness, which is an opportunity for clarity. It’s like hitting the “restart” button on our minds.
When meditating, note the following:
Your mind is never quiet
Your thoughts will not stop
We often think that the goal of meditation is to make our minds completely blank as if no one is home. You’ll learn quickly that this is pretty unattainable.
Rather, the goal is to stay in the present moment and not hang on to those thoughts. Just let them come and go like passing cars. Pay attention to your breath, surrender to your thoughts without judgement and continuously return back to the present moment if you’ve found that you have wandered off.
There is no point in getting frustrated about how your mind won’t stop thinking. By simply watching your thoughts, you are meditating. Start off with five minutes everyday and be patient with yourself!
2. Mindful walking
If sitting in stillness isn’t your thing, then mindful walking is a great alternative.
Go for a stroll and be mindful of how your body moves. Notice the pressure you put on every single toe and how your knee bends. Stand tall with your back straight. Focus on your breathing.
Now, pay attention to your five senses — sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch. What do you smell? How does the grass or concrete feel under your feet? How does the sun feel on your skin? Pay attention to all the sounds you hear and their different volumes. Look at a flower, like really look at it. Every petal. Every stem. Every detail that is a transcendence of life. Be more present than you ever have been in what you are experiencing.
If you are truly in the present moment, this can get exhausting quite quickly. So, I recommend practicing with undivided attention for five minute increments.
3. Intention setting
If you find yourself forgetting to be mindful (it happens), then intention setting is the tool that you need.
The best way to hack into intention setting is by making it part of your morning routine. Every day, write three personal intentions, with mindfulness being one of them. This will plant the seed and keep it in your subconscious throughout the day.
While intentions are great, mindfulness is still a skill that requires practice. So, if you really do seem to be forgetting, then set alarms periodically throughout to remind you of your mindful intention!
4. Read books
I can confidently credit my journey with mindfulness to the works and wisdom of incredibly talented authors. Reading is a powerful tool and learning from others will undoubtedly propel you to where you want to go. While not exclusively about mindfulness, these books helped lead me where I am today. They’re all very popular, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve already heard or read some of them.
The Mastery of Love by Don Miguel Ruiz
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer
The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation by Thich Nhat Hanh
Closing thoughts…
Mindfulness isn’t like a bus stop you finally reach after a long journey. It is the journey. And, it’s an incredibly powerful one.
Once you start practicing mindfulness, you’ll start paying attention to other aspects of your life that flew under the radar before. You’ll start to react differently, think differently and— the best part— care more about people and nature. I promise you, this will happen. Studies have already proven it.
Mindfulness isn’t a linear path; some days you’ll be more aware than others. Don’t let this discourage you as the goal here isn’t to be perfect.
Never forget that small conscious changes are better than none at all.