THEN vs NOW
I watched this TedTalk a couple years back and the woman began by describing a photograph she found of her grandparents having a picnic when they were young. The first thing she said she noticed was that there was no plastic in sight. To her modern eyes, it seemed strange, as unfortunately it seemed to mine as well. But single-use plastic was literally not in use by the every day person when that photo was taken. If we let that sink in, it means that less than 80 years ago, humans could spend the day doing the same things that we do nowadays, like having a picnic, but without creating any waste... What an unthinkable time! No strawberries in a disposable plastic punnet, no plastic water bottles, and definitely no plastic cutlery or paper towels. Us humans seem to leave a distinct trace nowadays wherever we go - plastic and trash - and that can't continue.
NOT ALL BAD, BUT...
Now conveniences go way beyond these everyday things wrapped in plastic, because plastic is just one (albeit large) element of the convenience problem that is currently consuming most of us unknowingly. Most of us have been brought up with conveniences inundating our lives, so to 'undo' what we've been accustomed to is no easy feat. But at the same time it's more important than ever to do so we can open our eyes and experience more of how life should be. Now all this goes without saying - not all conveniences are bad. Many of them have helped humans so much in all kinds of ways and some have even helped the environmental crisis as well. HOWEVER, I think since most of us are able to distinguish which ones are less necessary and actually destructive, and so I want to focus on those because they personally don't get talked about or recognised enough in our growth-focused, high-paced, convenience-driven world.
"Amazon is able to deliver your package the next day"
"Obviously I want that. Check!"
"Would you like a bag for your groceries?"
"Yes I don't have any reusable ones on me"
"Oh no I have a hole hole in my sweater!"
"Just go get a new one from the high street!"
Do any of these sound similar? They definitely used to to me, amongst many other scenarios... When you grow up with all these comforts, one-click-away purchases, and no need for preparation or forward-thinking, why would you think of doing anything different? All these things make our lives better and easier, right? Well, yes, sometimes you really do need something the next day, and sometimes you genuinely forgot to bring your reusable bag that one time, and sometimes the sweater is so worn out that it's beyond repair. But how many times is that actually the case? Rarely for most of us. What we don't realise is that these conveniences have generally been invented so that we buy more, buy lower quality items, spend more time solely focused on work, and importantly, are not as able to cope with things that aren't super convenient or require some more time and energy.
MAKING TIME FOR THE ROUTINES
For example, it's super convenient to go out and buy a hot drink everyday, let's say, on your way to work. You're in a rush and so you frantically race out the door and make it just in time to order and get your coffee and rush from there to the office. However, why not space out an extra 5 or max 10 minutes in the morning to make your drink yourself at home? "Well that requires time and effort so that's not desirable", we say to ourselves. But what we seem to have forgotten over the years is that by us being so focused on the next thing on our to-do list, on tirelessly working away and bypassing all the steps in our everyday lives that make us slow down a little, we have for the most part gotten rid of the enjoyment of the little things in life, whatever they may be for you.
BEING CONSCIOUS AND LIVING IN THE PRESENT
So little of what is done in the modern world is focused on the present moment, but life is not what is going to happen tomorrow - it might not even happen and it abandons any chance to appreciate the moment you're currently experiencing. If you space out those extra 5 minutes to grind the coffee beans, boil the water and heat up the milk instead of having someone else do it while you're impatiently waiting in the queue staring at your watch surrounded by people doing exactly the same anxiety-ridden thing, you'll start to notice that these seemingly more 'inconvenient', effortful tasks aren't all that cumbersome after all. Again, it doesn't mean that every day you'll space out the exact amount of time to make your drink yourself. But just being conscious that it's even an option, and a more mindful one at that, is the first step in the right direction.
IT TAKES WORK, BUT IT'S WORTH IT
I've really had to be both strict and realistic with myself about trying to avoid the convenience traps that seem to be set up all around me, especially when living in a major city. But I try to make it as easy as possible for myself to be prepared to not fall into them, and that has come with a fair amount of self-discipline, thoughtfulness and preparation. If I'm out and I've forgotten my reusable coffee cup but I'm craving a hot chocolate let's say, I take a step back and think, "Do I really need that hot chocolate right now? Or can I wait until I get home later and make a homemade one or go back and pick up my reusable cup and bring it to the closest café?". Or when the only bananas at the supermarket are ones wrapped in plastic, I try to tell myself "I don't need them right now. I can come back tomorrow to get ones that aren't wrapped in plastic".
BE EASY ON YOURSELF
This all comes without any judgement to anyone reading this who does these things, because I genuinely believe that most of us are trying our best, or at least we truly think that we are. I most likely do things that others see as unnecessary and vice versa. And given that we live in a world where the onus is unfortunately heavily put on the consumers, not the producers, it is important to be strict on ourselves because unfortunately the convenient option is that status quo. But arguably most importantly, we have to be kind to ourselves if we want to make impactful choices consistently and for a long time. It's not about being perfect every time, because we're really set up to fail in this society, but just trying your best is more than anyone could ask for.
UNDERSTANDING THE WHY
It isn't the norm to bring your own cutlery or produce bags around with you whenever you do the shopping or just leave the house. It takes up room in your bag and can be a hassle. But, when you spend some time living the 'inconvenient' life, you not only bring less trash and plastic waste home, but you also have a greater appreciation for life (as grand as that may sound), and you feel good about yourself for putting in some effort and 'doing your part'. And also, it seems that the more inconvenient things tend to be better for our health (a big generalisation, but true on the whole). So when you think about it in that way, it can make it easier to choose the less smooth path when every other path seems like smooth sailing even though they are really too good to be true.
SO MUCH MORE THAN THE PHYSICAL
With regards to the mental side of things, when you actually take a moment to realise the convenient things you partake in everyday, it's quite scary how much we seem to rely on them. Our expectations are so high that it leaves so little room for 'failure' even if things around us aren't necessarily failing by definition of the word. We are constantly bombarded with these hits of dopamine from buying things and instantly receiving them. We are seeing advertisements everyday both on the internet and in real life for things we don't even need but are made to feel like we do. And most of the time, these things come at a huge environmental and human labour cost, which are obviously shielded from us because that would reduce sales and profit...
When you step out of this neat and seemingly perfect bubble of convenience, you actually realise that your mind is longing for a more stable and less erratic, consumption-driven life that involves some mindful activities that seem to have been replaced by quick-fixes. We have become so impatient that this all-too-common trait has infiltrated so many aspects of our lives at this point. We've become impatient with people, the weather and even silly machines. If the weather is a little rainy and has disrupted your plans, try to enjoy the fresh rain on your face and bring out the inner child in you and jump in the puddles! If the person you're waiting for is a little late, make conversation with the people nearby. And if your dishwasher isn't working, turn on some fun music or a podcast and hand-wash the dishes!
Life doesn't have to feel like a chore, we have enough actual chores to deal with. So why not make all the other things we do as fun as possible?
It may take a couple minutes for your Brita water filter to filter the tap water you just filled it with, for example. You might initially think to yourself, "why waste the time waiting for this water to be filtered when I can just grab a plastic bottle from the fridge and go?". But when was the last time you took a minute to just listen to the water droplets fall as they were being filtered through? When was the last time you took a minute or two to not look at your phone and just breathe and do 'nothing'? I try to take 5 extra minutes to air dry my laundry instead of chucking it in the dryer, not only because it's better for the longevity of my clothes, but also because it gives me 5 meditative, almost therapeutic minutes to do an activity that is seen as 'boring', but actually helps me to slow down.
LET YOURSELF BE BORED
Our minds are too stimulated nowadays and it leaves little to no room for boredom and imagination. It's almost as if we're scared to be bored because we'll feel or be seen as 'unproductive' or 'lazy', or whatever this hustle culture we're living in is telling us. Although it's so much easier said than done, especially the older we get, try to give yourself grace and do more of what your body and mind are telling you, because life really isn't all about material things, money and working to the point of burnout. You might all of a sudden reach an age and not know where time has passed you by and you might regret living life in the way society told you you should. If you don't want that to be you, there is no better time to start implementing these changes and this mindset than now!
UNWINDING SOCIETY'S NORMS
Try to do things that are just what society is trying to pull you away from. Don't buy the next big thing just because we're told "it will change your life" or "you have to buy it". The next big thing literally changes all the time, so how are we realistically meant to keep up with it all? So many of us know all too well the dopamine surge we get after buying something, even if we didn't really need it. Too many of these surges can actually makes us almost numb to the other aspects in life, and the activities that aren't super stimulating are not worth our time or are too boring. But what happens when you can't buy something new or you don't have a crazy Friday night out like you normally do? You can start to feel really down when you have to change things up and take the 'slower' route. But when you realise that humans aren't meant to be living in this go-go-go world that we have constructed, you actually begin to understand that you shouldn't feel bad for not filling your diary with back-to-back meetings, or for not responding to that email right away if it doesn't need a response just yet.
LIFE IS IN THE SMALL THINGS
Remember that you cannot change where you are right in the moment. But if you are able to remind yourself to try to be as mindful and intentional as you can be with everything that you do, even if it's just when you are cutting up the vegetables for the dinner you're making, it can really help us all to be less anxious and to enjoy all the small moments in life and enjoy taking the less convenient path. Life is way more about these small, seemingly mundane moments and activities than the big events (even though social media has unfortunately distorted things and has made it seem as though everyone around us is constantly having these big exciting life events, which is not the reality of it). And the younger you start implementing these routines and more mindful thought patterns, the easier it is and the less work you'll have to put in when you get older to reverse what you've been used to. Try not to abuse the privilege you have of actually being able to choose by choosing the easy option. Choose inconvenience when you can, because what is deemed 'inconvenient' has been constructed to seem that way even though it's not actually so. And eventually, what you used to think was inconvenient becomes normal to you - ground-breaking!
BREAK THE ROUTINE
So challenge yourself to look for alternatives to the products you buy that you feel like you buy just because you "always have". They may be fine, but chances are you've never thought about changing up what you normally purchase, so just take the time to do the research and break the habit of buying mindlessly because it's what you've always known. Convenience thrives off of comfort and routine, so start chipping away at what is easy for you to switch up and soon enough you'll find yourself buying completely different, more conscious products just because you put a little more thought and time into it. Remember, we essentially vote with our money, so as companies see that more and more of us our shifting our buying habits, they will inevitably have to make the changes as well!
NATURE IS THE ANSWER
One of the most effective ways I bring myself back to the more natural rhythm of life is by sitting in nature. I try to listen to the sounds around me, watch the ants crawl around the grass, and pay attention to the movement of the sun's shadow. The rhythm of nature might seem slow for our fast-paced, modern minds, but just remember that the sun always comes up, the flowers always bloom, and the birds always sing, and there's nothing we can do to change that. And one of my favourite quotes I always go back to is:
"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience"
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