LIVE LIFE IN
Sustainable Style
ISSUE 2: FEBRUARY 2021
For the Love of Sustainable Self
sustainability in style
A note from Katie FOUNDER OF SUSTAINABILITY IN STYLE This is a message to you. The person trying their hardest with the tools they have been given to be a force for good in the world. A person who does things that might seem strange, weird, gross or out of the ordinary in the name of sustainability. You are a lover of people, planet, animals, and living a life that’s streamlined to focus on the things you really care about. Your efforts to do good for people and the planet are tireless. There are days when you wonder if there’s any point. If anyone really cares. If the things you do matter. You might doubt yourself. Feel tired. At worst- you might get eco-overwhelmed or burnt out. This message is a reminder. What you do matters. That big changes start from paradigm shifts in self. Changing the way you think, feel, or perceive the world around you to act in thoughtful new ways. Sometimes on the surface, mindful reflection can look like inaction. We might be fearful that this time we take for our Sustainable Self is accomplishing little. But each time we stop, reflect, and recharge our batteries, we make space for greater insight and understanding. We reinvigorate our why, take stock of what we are grateful for, and move forward with clarity and purpose. This February you are invited to make space for you. For the love of Sustainable Self. Now take a moment to pause, breathe deep, and allow your shoulders to drop away from your ears. Feeling better already? Let's get ready a February of Sustainable Self exploration with love and focus.
HOW I RECHARGE Time away from people in nature! As an introvert, this hyper-connected social world we live in is exhausting. I schedule total drop-outs into my calendar where I can 'hide' from everyone and everything for a couple of days at a time. Sort of what life was like before smartphones changed our expectations for reply times and reachability. This is my best happy place, happy face at my fave local beach.
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Contents
A Note from Katie..................................................................................... 1 Catch Up on Last Month's Content....................................................... 3 Our February Theme................................................................................ 7 WTF is Sustainable Self........................................................................... 8 Kiss Eco Overwhelm Goodbye............................................................... 11 Our Toolkit................................................................................................... 13 Self-Love Recipes ................................................................................... 15 Book Club..................................................................................................... 17 Make a Notebook Cover........................................................................... 18 Sustainable Self Month Content............................................................ 19 Tools You Can Use- Preorder Your Sustainable Coach ................ 25
From Our Community
Sustainability in Style is all about sharing, and we love seeing how you use our tools. Here’s some highlights from our January communications. You recycled your old clothes using our Make bolster DIY
@britt_selby Our gal Sammy from @crystalations_au shared this gorgeous yoga set using our Stretch tools.
@amypistoriusyoga and @aliandfrankie
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TEN IDEAS It seems that after a busy and complex 2020 that some simple mindful living ideas were just what we collectively needed. The New Year hasn’t been without it’s challenges, but these ten tips are easy to implement without the eco-overwhelm.
READ HERE
SPEND OR SAVE?
There was lots of positive feedback about our tool for shopping mindfully on any budget. While some of you love to spend your cash in a mindful fashion splurge, others prefer to save their dollars for a meaningful investment item. This tool is a sneak peek into our Level-Up course 'Learn to Shop in Sustainable Style', launching this month in online format (for the very first time). Check out the post for a preview of what's to come in our online course release!
READ HERE
CATCH UP
What You Loved Last Month
Last month we celebrated the start of 2021 by focusing on how we can be more mindful consumers with our ‘New Year, New ConsYOUmer’ series. Let’s catch up on what you loved and how it can be carried beyond January (because we don’t believe in single-use resources).
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Download your copy now
DID YOU DOWNLOAD OUR
FREEMindful Planning
JANUARY WORKSHEET?
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COMPARE LESS REFLECT MORE Unknown
Our February Theme
When it comes to living life in Sustainable Style, we often think big. This tendency to think big isn’t a surprise, given our hyper-connected Global communication systems. The ‘big-picture’ is usually at the forefront, from climate change and permafrost melt to racial tension and the seemingly ever-present threat of global economic collapse. It’s the kind of news that sells stories across seas. The big-picture (or what’s academically referred to as macro) scale issues are important for sustainability-minded folks as they are the key reason why the issues, we collectively face are called ‘wicked’ problems. They are complex, cross borders/cultures/religions, and don’t have easy-fix or one-size-fits-all solutions. When we start on our journey to live life in Sustainable Style, we might be fuelled by a desire to solve these wicked-scale issues. It could be a desire to eliminate plastic from oceans or stop global warming. These are noble motivations coming from a place of heart, soul, urgency, and passion. But they are likely to wear your Sustainable Self out pretty gosh-darn quickly without a considered plan of action and a support system designed to refill your tank! Which is where we start to think about Sustainable Self, and why it’s a key factor to living life in Sustainable Style.
For the Love of Sustainable Self
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MACRO MICRO
WTF is Sustainable Self? Our macro scale world has social/ governance, economic, and environmental sustainability considerations. These larger picture issues may be global climate change, oceanic plastic pollution, civil unrest, global governance, world trade, and measuring economic success (to name a few). These are big picture problems to which there are no easy (yet) solutions. Our Sustainable Self operates in a smaller level of influence. Our social circles are work, friends, family, and our broader community (IRL and online). We have impact (to an extent and geographically dependent) on our local and national governance systems. Our economic situation can determine the amount of time and money we can commit to our sustainability mission. It can also define the environment we inhabit. This could be an area of natural
amenity (a scenic place, in a desirable location, surrounded by natural beauty), or service amenity (near schools, work, culture, transport, shops etc.). It could also be a low socioeconomic area, an environment of systemised racism, or a marginalised community. Whether you buy, rent, share or live in a moveable dwelling (i.e. car, tiny home, tent, couch-surfing or otherwise). Depending on who you are, where you live, the culture in which you live, your social capital, personal finances, and available time can all impact what taking action in Sustainable Style might look like to your Sustainable Self. Your Sustainable Self may want to solve all the World’s macro problems. Depending on your social and economic scope, and the country you inhabit, you might accomplish one or more of these things (i.e. solve global poverty, cure cancer, or stop global warming). However, it’s best to keep in mind that some of the wealthiest and most famous folks have tried to solve these issues, failed, or outsourced to panels of experts or the community. So, this is the point where we get real. It’s doubtful you will solve all the 8
world’s problems solo. Phew! Do you feel relief about this? We hope so! It’s not your job to fix everything, but it is your duty as a global citizen to care about our collective future and take action based on your values. We choose to use values as the driving force for taking action because our Sustainable Self has a different lived experience from others. Our differences in upbringings, culture, beliefs, traditions, locations, access to education, our abilities, gender, sexuality, the colour of our skin, and our economic status all formulate our unique Sustainable Self. And it’s this unique self, working within our sphere of influence that can ripple out to have a large impact by taking simple, mindful steps on issues we really care about. One mindful day and considered action at a time!
Avoiding Burnout and Eco-Overwhelm
No matter where you’re at in your sustainability journey, it’s challenging to find ways to research, care, reflect, and take continued action (big or small) without some high and low points. For every animal rights petition we sign, community group we found, or piece of litter we remove from the beach, there will be a news story about an endangered species, a member who can’t make it to group meetings and drops out, or another ten pieces of litter on the beach next time we return. These events and stories can cumulate into a sense of eco-overwhelm. A feeling that no matter how hard we try, or how
much we care, the problems are too large, we aren’t making an impact, or that nobody really cares what we are doing. While it can be tempting (especially during these low points) to give up on your sustainability mission, the World really needs each of us to care and act in a self-responsible way! This means knowing ourselves well enough to pick up on stressors and find ways to care for ourselves, be our own personal support crew, and ensure we learn from our mistakes. Because all of us (at one time or another), will follow our sustainability passions so tirelessly (and sometimes solo) that we cause stress or burn ourselves out. Symptoms of this can appear in multiple ways. 1. Spirit: When you’ve worn out your spirit, it’s like the cheerleader or coach within has taken a holiday. You’ve lost your faith that what you’re working towards will have a favourable outcome. For some faith can be derived from science, action, or nature. Others may have a set spiritual practice or religions they look to for guidance. 2. Mental: Stress or burnout can impact our cognitive function. You might find yourself with brain fog, fatigue, or impaired memory. If you’ve spent a lot of time reading, researching, or watching content related to your sustainability passion, then you might feel like your brain is ‘full’ or ‘overloaded’. 3. Emotional: Many of us are aware of what it’s like to experience emotional stressors or overwhelm. When we feel emotional, it can be related to something that activates our fight/flight/freeze response or linked to longer-term memories, personal triggers, current events or stage of life (to name a few). 4. Physical: When our bodies are stressed, tired, or burned out it can manifest as structural (like sore feet from pounding the pavement at your protest march), or tired eyes from working all night on your sustainability campaign.
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It can also manifest as biochemical. This can be linked with short term body stressors (like the activation of our acute stress response), or the impact of nutrient deficiency that arose from being too busy to eat mindfully. As we’ve already established, we are all living our own unique life paths so we can’t tell you what your stressors might be, or how best to deal with them. What we can do for you is offer the knowledge on how to categorise your types of stress, our worksheet for tracking them, and then tools you can experiment with to see what works for you.
STEP 1.
DOWNLOAD YOUR WORKSHEET
Download your copy now Download your worksheet, choose a monitoring period, note when you feel stressed out or overwhelmed, and play with some solutions (try the toolkit for ideas).
STEP 2.
CHOOSE A TIME PERIOD
STEP 3.
NOTE YOUR STRESSORS
STEP 4.
TRIAL SOME SOLUTIONS
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Kiss
ECO-OVERWHELM
GOODBYE
OUR TOOLS YOU CAN USE TO REDUCE
Eco-Overwhelm
When it comes to living life in Sustainable Style it can be a challenge to maintain balance. Thanks to the wicked complex systems in which we live, there is an abundance of issues that we can take action on and endless decisions on making changes in our daily lives. From doing a cost-benefit analysis about which toilet paper is the most sustainable option to carving out time to work at your local community kitchen, making considered changes requires mental energy and emotional inputs. There’s little wonder that we can experience fatigue, eco-overwhelm, or anxiety due to careful contemplation of daily consumption choices. The good news is that we’ve been in the Sustainable Living communication game for more than a decade (our founder Katie has been studying and researching sustainability for thirteen years now). We’ve learned a few tricks along the way for maintaining a holistic balance. Our toolkit for Eco-Overwhelm is one part of our Kiss Eco-Overwhelm goodbye strategy. It has eight tools you can experiment with to see how they can help you with physical, mental, emotional and spirit-busting life stressors. The best part is that we offer all these tools for free, with options to level-up to some of our paid resources. Why? Because we believe that support to simplify sustainability should be available to all, and we also believe in being paid ethically and fairly for providing a service.
LET'S EXPLORE WHAT'S IN OUR HOLISTIC TOOLKIT FOR
Sustanable Self
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OUR TOOLKIT
In last month’s issue of Live Life in Sustainable Style, we briefly touched on our eight-part toolkit for holistic approaches to balancing our Sustainable Self. This month we dive a little deeper. Each of these links takes you directly to our website to access our current offerings that will be further developed and enhanced throughout the year.
MAKE
PLAY
Lifelong learning increases your critical thinking prowess. When information gets too much critical thought processes can reduce overwhelm.
Make and mend things with your own hands and reduce your consumer impact. Use craft to get into ‘flow’ when feeling stressed.
Einstein famously stated that “Play is the highest form of research” Through play we find new solutions to wicked problems and reduce stress.
READ
SHARE
STRETCH
STYLE
Reading allows us to gain a deeper understanding, increase empathy, and expand/ challenge norms. Read to relax when stressed or gain clarity.
Sharing your Sustainably Stylish journey in a kind and empathetic way can inspire others. Having a support network when stressed is essential!
Sedentary lifestyles and overconsumption put strain on our planet and our mental and physical health. Stretch your body and mind to reduce stress.
Material culture and personal identity construct are part of how we go through daily life. Craft a sustainably stylish path that suits who you are.
BREATHE Meditate to increase your mental and emotional resilience. Stop and take a breath when overwhelm sets in.
GROW
We highlight our eight toolkit themes throughout this magazine using stars in matching colours. These are provided to help you identify what tools you might want to consider working into your daily life to reduce eco-overwhelm.
MAKE
GROW
BREATHE
READ
PLAY
SHARE
STRETCH
STYLE
THE VALUES Motivators
TO REDUCE ECO-OVERWHELM
Knowing what you value is the first step towards living life in a Sustainable Style and succeeding on your own terms. Say goodbye to overwhelm by taking our short (totally free) Quiz. It takes around ten minutes to complete and the questions are designed to identify what category (or categories if you happen to find yourself spanning across a few) might motivate your Sustainable Self.
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY ANIMAL WELFARE AND COMPASSION
SOCIAL EQUALITY SIMPLICITY & STREAMLINED LIFESTYLE
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self-love [self-'ləv] noun
a: an appreciation of one's own worth or virtue b: proper regard for and attention to one's own happiness or well-being ~Merriam-Webster
Make
The terms 'self-love' and 'self-care' are rife with quick-fix wellness ideas in our online media channels. While our Sustainable Self can’t be happy, healthy, and whole from a makeover or a foot-soak, these DIY beauty tricks might be ideas to trial when you experience mental, physical, emotional, or spiritual fatigue, stress or exhaustion. Don’t forget to log the outcomes in your Kiss Eco-Overwhelm Goodbye Worksheet. Experimenting with these pampering time-outs might just be the downtime hack you’ve been looking for!
FACE AND LIPS
DIY BEAUTY NIGHT
NATURALLY BEAUTIFUL KITCHEN CONCOCTIONS 15
LEARN TO SHOP
In Sustainable Style
LAUNCHING
FEBRUARY
The goal of this course is to harness your personal values, translate them to shopping motivators, and have you leave the space feeling empowered to work with what you already own, take away alternate shopping tips and learn how to purchase mindfully within your own budget. We understand that everyone is different and that sustainability is a complex and multifaceted issue. There is no one set way to be sustainable and we will honour your unique contribution to the world by tailoring a shopping plan to suit who you are.
For just $35 you get Access to our at-your-own pace online learning space.
Six areas of learning you will master in your own sustainable style, to fit with your Values Motivators. Video guidance for each area of learning (prerecorded so you can work at a time that suits you). A comprehensive e-book with space for your own mindful reflection.
Part of the
LOOK AND FEEL GREAT IN
SUSTAINABLE STYLE Series
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FEBRUARY • • •
09/02/2021 16/02/2021 23/02/2021
MARCH • • •
02/03/2021 09/03/2021 16/03/2021
Click to join our next Book Club It’s time for our February Book Club Live! These sessions began in 2020 as a way to connect (and stay sane) during the pandemic. We will be meeting up once a week on Tuesdays 6:30pm AEST for an hour Zoom catch up to talk about what’s happening in our lives, what we learned from this week’s reading. This session we are using the Layla F Saad’s book Me and White Supremacy to explore white privilege and environmental racism with a small and supportive group of friends. This book attendees get access to private book club content course pages with prompts, activities and additional sustainability focused readings. Each week our Zoom catch up is summarised in a video recording (we don’t record the live zoom because it’s your private discussion group) so that any wonderful revelations can be shared with those joining in at a later date. The best part about our Read: Book Club Live is that it’s totally free to join. Once our book club sessions are complete, the course content will be available as a ‘work-at-your-ownpace’ offering in our members site launching later this year. Enabling our members to read through solo or organise a group with some other Mindful Living HQ members. 17
Make a Notebook Cover
WHETHER YOU’RE HEADED BACK TO SCHOOL, UNI, OR JUST KEEN TO GET STUCK INTO SOME JOURNALING FOR YOUR SUSTAINABLE SELF, THIS NOTEBOOK COVER HAS BEEN A FIRM FAVOURITE DIY FROM OUR SUSTAINABILITY IN STYLE ARCHIVES. TAKE ME THERE A notebook is a great place to keep your book club musings
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The Hermit Crab
The symbol ‘For the Love of Sustainable Self’ theme is the hermit crab. The hermit crab is an easily accessible symbol for many as it’s commonly shared in popular culture due to its unique crab-ina-stolen -shell appearance. What might surprise many is the diversity of hermit crab species- there are more than 800 types across the globe! The hermit crab has been selected as our symbol for sustainable selfcare and responsibility for a variety of reasons. The first being that while we are all ‘humankind’ we all live in different areas and have differing beliefs. Which is why there is no one set way to ‘live sustainble' Keep Reading here
SELF-WORTH AND SUSTAINABILITY This musing from our founder Katie is an open and honest exploration of self-worth and sustainability. She reflects on some of the critical moments that shaped her life and how they have impacted her Sustainably Stylish ventures, including online communications. This post is shared to help others consider taking a deep dive into their psyche to understand better how our past can open doors or create gridlocks.
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CHILL TUNES
Music can uplift our spirits when we’re feeling down or worn out. It can ease emotional tension through calming tunes, or help us to let out sadness with a power ballad or aggression with some heavy metal. When we’re mentally drained, some white noise or relaxation music can help us soothe a sore brain. If we feel physically worn out the right tune can put us to sleep, or get us through the final stretch of a run. Music is a crucial part of our ‘Play’ tool for all these beautiful qualities. Find some time to note what music works to support your Sustainable Self. Here are two calming suggestions from our Spotify account!
MONTHLY
YOGA
In the past we’ve released our free Wednesday yoga videos every week. In the name of holism and balance we are moving our releases back to once a month. This gives us an opportunity to share content for all eight of our tools in a more balanced way. If you didn’t catch last month’s yoga, it was based around our animal symbol for ‘New Year, New ConsYOUmer’ the Butterfly! This month’s is still being developed but we are feeling a relaxed (perhaps hermit crab inspired) flow on the way! If you find yourself experiencing physical, emotional, or mental stress our flows might help you find some relief. Try it for yourself and take note of how you feel 20
CHEAP CHANGE
Does your budget prevent you from taking action in Sustainable Style? Eco-switches can seem expensive or inaccessible. Especially if you’re on a student budget, live in a rented home, or struggle to pay your bills on time. It can be easy to think that being mindful of People and Planet is for those with fat bank accounts. However, we’re here to challenge that notion with 30 simple ways you can change the world on the cheap. Not all will apply to you, but you might want to consider selecting a couple and working from there.
FREE
TIPS
Are you on our email list? If not, you’re invited to head to the website and sign up. When you do you will receive a free worksheet of ‘Prompts to Inspire your Sustainable Self’. This worksheet is filled with ideas on how you can reflect, learn, and take action in Sustainable Style. If you’re already signed up to our email list, then consider this a reminder to dive back into the worksheet and select a new prompt to inspire.
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Prickly
People
When we choose to take action in Sustainable Style, there are times when you will come across prickly people in your path. People can be just like plants, some folks are bright, happy and open, just like a sunflower. Others may be shy violets who are beautiful in their quiet little way. There are the wise old oaks and opportunistic strangler figs that aim high and launch themselves of the shoulders of giants. Then there are the cacti of the world. Always prominent, often a joy to look at, but sometimes prickly to be aroundwe often forget they are only built like this to protect themselves from external threats. This post is inspired by nature and looks at the world of prickly people from a plant-enthusiast perspective to help your Sustainable Self contemplate how to navigate thorny situations on and offline.
PROGRESSION OF SUSTAINABLE SELF Sustainable self isn’t static. As we move through, our life change is inevitable. To be responsible citizens of Earth, critical thought, mindful reflection, and self-assessment are essential for change in the right direction. This means continually auditing what you value, what you’re contributing, and how happy you feel as you move through life in Sustainable Style. The post linked here is a blog reflection by our founder Katie Roberts, sharing her thoughts on her Sustainability Journey back in 2015. She’s added commentary for a 2021 check-in to see what’s changed. This has been shared to show that living sustainably is a lifestyle, and that progression is part of this. We make mistakes, learn from them, and move forward with a sense of enlightenment. deep dive into their psyche to understand better how our past can open doors or create gridlocks.
READ MORE
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Just
Breathe
MEDITATIONS FOR INSPIRATION
if you love our TOOLKIT worksheets
VALUES MOTIVATORS
simplified approach to sustainability
WE HAVE
AN EXCITING
RESOURCE FOR You
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Your Personal Holistic Sustainability Coach
PRE-ORDERS FOR OUR SELF-COACHING
PLANNER THIS FEB
