This article was written by Sophia Smith, a beauty and style blogger, an eco-lifestyle lover and a food enthusiast.
A great morning routine is a perfect start to a healthy, Earth-friendly day, and a simple strategy to kickstart your healthy habits.
So, before you reach for that cup of early-morning joe, or munch on a handful of cookies, re-think your first steps of the day so that you can transform your entire lifestyle. Long-term results require long-term behavioral changes.
And this is where your ingenuity steps in and steals the spotlight, in order to craft such an amazing self-care ritual that the rest of your day will inevitably follow suit in the same, equally healthy spirit. Rise and shine, sleepy head, it’s time to go green!
1. Locally-sourced breakfast.
Just like meatless Mondays are a great way to cut on meat consumption and help protect our planet, your choice of breakfast food vendors can be a brilliant way to support your local economy. Opting for local groceries means you’ve chosen foods that haven’t traveled the world to reach your table, and thus have less of a carbon footprint.
You also get to eat fresh vegetables straight from your farmers’ market, ask around who offers organic, sustainably-grown plants and fill your fridge with items that are packed with nutrients, and toxin-free. On the other hand, you can grow your own garden of carrots, cherry tomatoes and other home-friendly veggies!
2. Mind your water usage.
As soon as you open your eyes, you scuttle to the bathroom and start brushing your pearly whites and washing your lovely complexion. And you probably also enjoy an early-morning shower that helps you become wide awake for your day. But we often don’t stop to pay attention to how much water we waste in the process, or which daily habits we could tweak and make a tremendous difference.
According to the USA Environmental Protection Agency, we can easily save eight gallons of water if we choose to turn off the tap while brushing our teeth, and an extra ten gallons when we shave.
Water is our most precious resource, so using it with greater care is a great way to start your day with a green mindset. Bonus points for those who use water-saving fixtures in the shower, as well!
3. Organic morning habits.
There are a few steps you can take to make your mornings more soothing, and protective of your inner peace for the hectic rush of the day. Start with a healthy, organic breakfast that doesn’t involve processed or fast food options. But instead make yourself a green smoothie, or another healthy alternative that will nourish your health as well as your beauty.
Try starting your mornings with a cup of organic Earl Grey tea with freshly-squeezed lemon juice to detox your body, purify your complexion, boost your digestion and provide you with numerous immunity-improving nutrients.
It’s best to go with tea that comes in leaves as opposed to bags, but if bags are your only option, then aim to find biodegradable options. The more organic, sustainable choices you make every day, the greater your impact on the planet will be.
4. Green beauty.
If you start off your day with a versatile meal that nourishes your good looks and your health, then all the more reason to continue your skincare in the same manner. Think organic, cruelty-free and all-natural exfoliators, cleansers, moisturizers, toners and oils for nurturing your skin. The packaging in which these products come is of equal importance, so choose recyclables or re-fills as often as possible.
Another simple, but effective way to contribute to our planet’s health as well as your own is to sneak a peek into your kitchen cabinets when choosing your skincare essentials.
Coconut oil, for instance, serves as an excellent makeup remover, and it provides ample moisture for dry, sensitive skin, lips and hair.
There are other home-made options that can accumulate to a positive impact on the environment, help you save a few bucks, and simultaneously lead a greener life. Multipurpose organic oils with natural UV protection, less makeup and boasting your natural look come to mind.
5. Carbon-free footprints.
For those of you who don’t enjoy the luxury of working from home, hence need transportation to the office, there are so many ways to replace using the car as your go-to ride to work.
It can be as simple as car-pooling with a few of your colleagues, switching to a bike, which will also improve your quality of life and health, or using public train and tram lines instead of regular buses, if possible.
You can also walk to work, or at least a part of the way to the office. Thus, refrain from contributing to one of the greatest global warming factors, as well as one of the key culprits for various other pollution problems.
Changing your mornings for the better can be as simple as making one green footstep at a time towards a greener, more environmentally-friendly life!