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Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey

Living Lighter Checklist: Some Ways to Up Our Game in Simpler Living

Sep 30, 2021 06:30AM ● By Ronica O’Hara
Glass jars of various dry foods sitting on counter

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Minimalist Simplicity

  • Buy only what we truly need
  • Prune clothes and books
  • Declutter, category by category 
  • Repair, don’t replace 
  • Purchase for quality, not quantity
  • With each new purchase, give away something old
  • Choose paperless receipts
  • Digitalize books and movies
  • Use a budgeting app to lower expenses
  • Reduce food waste
  • Go slow: slow food, slow fashion
  • Consider moving into a smaller space
  • Unsubscribe from catalogs and retail emails
  •  Give away clothes not worn for a year
  • Re-examine social commitments
  • Use reusable tote bags for shopping
  • Eliminate duplicates
  • Drive less and walk, bike and ride mass transit more

Ecological Simplicity

  • Eat more plants, less meat
  • Grow our own food
  • Compost food scraps
  • Go plastic-free in the house 
  • Conduct a home energy audit
  • Install solar for home energy
  • Use green cleaning supplies
  • Save water with toilet and shower eco-devices
  • Air-dry clothes
  • Switch to an electric or hybrid vehicle
  • Buy quality clothes in natural fabrics
  • Recycle whenever possible
  • Buy pre-used items
  • Use reusable bags and food containers
  • Make DIY beauty products and cleaners
  • Volunteer for local eco-activities
  • Boycott products that endanger wildlife
  • Campaign for environmental policies and candidates

Conscious Simplicity

  • Spend on experiences, not stuff
  • Minimize shopping online and offline
  • Detox social media accounts
  • Scale back TV and cable
  • Savor nature with a daily walk
  • Plant trees locally
  • Volunteer often
  • Commit to a cause
  • Use holistic medicine practitioners
  • Take a personal growth course
  • Meditate or pray daily
  • Explore yoga, tai chi or a martial art
  • Take up a creative pursuit
  • Explore the local area
  • Sign petitions or organize drives
  • Get involved in a worthy cause
  • Invest to delegitimize fossil fuels and deforestation
  • Donate to worthy environmental or social causes

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Less Stuff, More Joy: Ways to Live Simpler and Lighter on Mother Earth

How to turn to simpler, sustainable, conscious ways of living molded by our personal values through minimalist lifestyles. Read More » 

 

In-Print National Content Conscious Consumption October 2021
5 Top Tips to Finding Your Next Doctor

1 Keep an Open Mind! Healthcare has come a long way. Today, you have access to practitioners that branch outside of traditional medicine and aim to identify the root causes of conditions while using alternative treatments that may help you get the relief you need. Just because it’s not a pill, doesn’t make it pseudoscience.

2 Build Your Health Care Team. There is no one doctor that can be the be-all-end-all for your health needs. Be sure to have a team of practitioners with different “lenses” and areas of expertise who will treat the root cause and not just the symptom(s).

3   Environment Influences Healing. Health is multi-factorial. Your mental and emotional environment plays a pivotal role in your healing potential. Your doctors and their staff should create an office atmosphere filled with positivity so you can get the most out of your care.

4 Your Story Matters.  Before you begin any treatment, be sure to have a comprehensive consultation to discuss your health concerns. Find practitioners who welcome questions and will take the time to listen and treat you with respect.

5 Report of Findings. When it comes to our health, we often make decisions without understanding the risk versus benefits. Knowledge is an important part of the healing process and is essential to make conscious, informed health decisions. Find practitioners who take the time to explain their exam findings and the recommendations for treatment in ways that make sense to you.

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