How Sustainability and Minimalism go hand in hand

All of the sudden everywhere you go, you get to hear the words like “eco-friendly” “sustainability”, or “Minimalism”. Right?

Do you think it’s a coincidence or a fad?

No, it’s because this is the need of the hour. This is the time when we need to talk more about these things. And you know why?

Sustainability is not bound to any area or sector. You may be anyone, doing anything but you are moving ahead with a different mindset. A mindset which is more empathetic towards our planet, its resources and its people.

Sustainable lifestyle is good but it cannot stand alone. Let’s take the example of fast fashion. You may be buying from ethical producers or you may be opting for eco-friendly brands but if you are still buying at a rate which is responsible for more utilization of natural resources, you have to do some changes there.

To live a sustainable lifestyle in the true terms, you have to tread on the path of Minimalism or unless, you are still a prey to the bug named over-consumption. Now, what is this Minimalism and how you can walk on this path?

Minimalism is a very pleasing-sounded tongue-twisted word given to the lifestyle where we buy less and intentionally.

It’s very similar to the first R in theory of 3Rs i.e. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Yes, you got it right- REDUCE.

We need to reduce our consumption before doing anything else because we are consuming at a rate which is alarming to the planet.

Not only it is depleting the natural resources but it is also increasing the height of land-fills each passing day. The more we bring into our homes, the more we send away to the garbage. It is that simple.

Reducing our consumption is no limited to our stuff, it’s also about digital consumption as well. This is why Digital carbon footprint is a big contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. The transmission of data via the internet can be very polluting. So every time we use the internet or social media, a small amount of carbon is being emitted.

There are many ways by which you can reduce your digital carbon footprint.

1. Do not leave your computer in sleep mode.
2. Download the content rather than live streaming.
3. Manage your emails, unsubscribe unnecessary newsletters, empty trash folder regularly.
4. Use your browser intelligently i.e. minimize the number of tabs you have open at any one time, and make use of bookmarks rather than Google searches to find frequently visited websites.

Be it stuff, food or content we need to minimize our consumption and weigh the needs and wants before bringing anything into our Homes.

Not only by minimizing, we are reducing the stress it comes with managing the stuff but we are also reducing the burden on our planet.

By adopting Minimalist Lifestyle, you are consuming less which is the base of sustainable lifestyle and by adopting sustainable lifestyle, you become an Eco-Minimalist. So, you see Sustainability and Minimalism walk hand in hand.

This is guest post by Upasna Sethi

Upasna is a Minimalist Coach | Founder and Host of India’s first #Minimalist #Podcast – The Comeback Minimalist, which focuses on simplifying Minimalism so that you can live a Life you wish for.

Listen to the podcast on – spotify