It’s common for New Year’s resolutions to be centered around health. Some common resolutions include “to go on a diet,” “to lose weight” or “exercise more,” but these often have a negative connotation surrounding them, which isn’t great for general or mental health. Instead of focusing directly on your health, focus on something else that may have positive health effects, like resolutions that can help the environment. Not only will you be making the earth a better place, but you may boost your health, help others, and become more mindful in the process.
Biking more
Biking is one way you can get healthier and reduce the gas and energy you are using on a regular basis. If you live in an area where the weather is warm and sunny all year round, then take advantage of being able to get outside and bike to work or to run errands. Even taking your bike to work once a week can drastically reduce your emission of gas from your car. You will quickly find that including your bike in your daily routine can have a positive effect on the environment, your health, and your wallet.
Reducing daily plastics
One of the best things you can do to help the environment is to reduce the plastic you use every day. From plastic bags to water bottles, everyone knows the common ways to cut down, but you can still do more if you’re already doing these things. Think of other times you use plastic during the day, like in the bathroom. Are your contact lenses producing waste? Daily contact lenses tend to come in bulky, plastic packaging so make a switch to contact lenses that use less plastic. What about the items in your shower? Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and face wash almost all come in plastic bottles. Consider switching to face wash bars and soap bars to wash your body to reduce half the plastic in your shower!
Eating less meat
You may not have realized the true cost of eating meat is that it’s harmful for the environment and your health. Meat production has been proven to cause pollution; it emits greenhouse gasses which can pollute our air and water. It also takes a lot of energy and water to raise animals for consumption on a mass scale, so abstaining from meat once or twice a week this year can help reduce your personal damage to the planet. Additionally, you may notice that your body feels better from your reduction in meat consumption. Animals are pumped with GMOs when they are being raised and diseases like salmonella are common on large farms which can be transmitted to people when you consume meat.
When it comes to resolutions, you don’t want to start the year off on a negative note. Knowing that you are making a choice to be kind to the planet is a great way to boost your mental health this year, and you may find that you can better your physical health along the way!
Leave a Reply