If you’re troubled with the thought of needing to go to the city and explore more opportunities in life, well you’re not alone. However, contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to keep up with the Joneses or with a lifestyle that you’re not really comfortable with even if you leave for greener pastures. So in this article, we’ll discuss how you can bring sustainable country-style living into the modern city.
Try Urban Gardening
The city has always had a pretty accurate connotation of being a ‘concrete jungle’. You might love it at first but after a few years or maybe even a few months, you might find yourself sick and tired of looking at gray walls, tall buildings, and people who are always in a hurry. This is in stark contrast with country-living that is more green than gray and a lot more still than hurried.
To bring this into your current home, you can develop a hobby of urban gardening where you won’t only get a good amount of oxygen and beautiful flowers, but also a fresh supply of produce that would help you save money, too. Plus, gardening can work wonders not just for your physical well-being but also for your mental health. It will definitely keep you calm and mindful amid the raucous noise of the city.
Use Renewable Energy
Fortunately, the possibility of using renewable resources even within the city is now great thanks to several innovations in the clean energy space. Before, the only way you can use renewable energy is perhaps having your own solar panel or using small gadgets like solar lights and solar outlets. But now, there’s what we call community solar that offers a subscription-based plan for solar power. The best part? You only need to search for a ‘community solar near me’ on any search engine, then you’re good to go!
Save Resources
Power isn’t the only resource that you can be thrifty about. There’s also water, your time, and even your money. All of which are finite resources that you must value to live a good life. The good thing is, you can automatically save money if you make an effort to conserve both water and power.
Keep a Zero Waste Lifestyle
Having a country-style living also means having your own zero waste policy or at least keeping something close to that. If you’re gardening, then keep a compost pit. Even a small one would do to keep your plants nourished and the environment clean. By composting your organic waste, such as food scraps and yard trimmings, you can reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills and release valuable nutrients back into the soil. Make sure to do some research and read more about underground compost bins and explore how they can help take your gardening efforts to the next level.
Say no to plastics and take advantage of reusable bags, jars, and containers when shopping. Avoid plastic cutlery and buying things that won’t last. This also means having your own reusable water bottle when going out so you won’t waste money and litter for single-use water bottles.
Declutter and Donate
To truly live sustainably in the city, you must be able to live simply and declutter whenever you can. That doesn’t mean throwing away stuff just because you need to declutter. Discard things that you no longer use or you no longer value. Before throwing them away completely though, it’s best if you can try to see things that you can donate first. Doing so regularly would equate to living more mindfully and investing in quality items amid an era of disposable items and yearly upgrades that are so prevalent in the city. Do not fall into this trap.
Become an Essentialist
To have a sustainable life in the city, you have to become an essentialist. This means you need to value the principle of “less is more”. Being an essentialist will force you to come to terms with what you should and shouldn’t do in connection to your goals. You will learn to ‘say no’ more often, especially if they are not aligned with what you want to achieve. You will reduce regrets, especially with unnecessary purchases and activities. It will give you an eagle-eyed focus to achieve the things you really want.
Bringing sustainability in city life will allow us to maximize our resources and time in a place filled with busy streets and crowded people. It will help us reach our goals faster and live a more meaningful life wherever we are.
