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S U S T A I N A B L E L I F E

B y B u l e l w a T h a n d o A d o n i s

It is necessary that I question what I talk about before elaborating on it, so I did what I always do, I did my research. Google defines sustainability as the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level. An extended version of their definition is the avoidance of depletion of any specific thing. I think this is all a fancy way of describing how we can ensure a sense of wholeness within ourselves. I want us to ponder on the following questions before diving in:

1. Do you think you are able to sustain, most if not all, factors of your life? 2. What helps you sustain your life? 3. What is stopping you from retaining sustainability?

Irrespective of your answers, there is no debate that life has taken a complete 360 on all of us. None of us could have predicted a global pandemic that would completely redefine our ‘ normal. ’ But you know what? Here we are! Alive and breathing because we have sustained ourselves through this global crisis.

Sustainability is an active form of selfpreservation. It is the conscious act of wanting to make sure that you are taken care of for a long period of time. Our bodies teach us sustainability every day. If we are hungry, our bodies tell our brains our needs and that evokes motives or instructions to engage in a manner that will cater to those needs. The same happens whenever we are ill, our bodies will react in an irregular manner which will cause irregular behaviour. These are messages and signs from the body to us which exclaim the need to sustain our wellbeing. This is not subjected to your physical self alone, but mentally, socially and every other factor that forms part of you and your daily life.

Avoiding depletion and attaining sustainability can be achieved through the following steps:

As simplistic as this may seem, as people we fail to accomplish may things because we forget this step.

Choosing YOU means choosing all the things that bring you joy and help maintain or enhance your wellbeing. Choosing you consciously alerts your internal self that your needs are prioritized over everybody else’s needs. By choosing yourself, you are acknowledging all the things that enhance you as an individual.

This can be translated with things that surpass your basic needs, which are known as your Physiological and Safety needs according to well known psychologist, Abraham Maslow. Maslow ’s hierarchy of needs perfectly breaks down the different needs we have as people.

The needs I’ ve already mentioned consist of food, water, safety and security. Your second most important set of needs are your psychological needs which are a combination of belongingness and love needs as well as your esteem needs.

This includes your needs to be accepted in social relationships and acknowledgement of accomplishments.

Finally, the needs positioned at the top of the hierarchy are our self-fulfillment needs. This briefly means accomplishment of one’s greatest version of self. I purposefully chose to break down our needs using Maslow ’s hierarchy of needs, not because I am a Psychology student, but because it is a clear breakdown of the multiple categories of needs we have as people. Our needs are a sum of physical, psychological and social ones.

I intentionally chose the word ‘ practice’ because I wanted to indicate the truth that many don’t vocalize about how hard it is to attain consistency. To be more transparent, I think it will help that we view consistency as a muscle. It needs to be worked on. It will be stronger on some days and weaker on other days.

Overall, the process of practicing consistency will develop habits and routines that enable your wellbeing and ultimately your growth.

We are a part of an era where being a “busy body ’’ is the biggest trend to a point where it has become the new normal. We’ ve misled ourselves into believing that doing multiple things is necessary to make the most of time. Can I be honest with you? I, personally, feel like we may have gone about things the wrong way. Personally, I am still unlearning the urge of having to do everything and try acting on every idea I have at one time by prioritizing what is helping me grow. A way of identifying those things is by being fully present in where you currently are in your life, mentally and physically. These are a few tips to achieving overall sustainability.

Let me leave you by saying- you are worthy of feeling whole and you deserve to live a sustained life. Attaining sustainability is possible for all, don’t second guess your progress irrespective of how people may respond to your personal journey of sustainability. At the end of the day, you need you before you need anyone else.