Sustainability starts at home. By greening your home environment, you are doing your part to live a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. For many of us, our lives at home can get pretty hectic. Understandably so, right? However, creating routines provides stability in life and helps us create and maintain good habits.
These good habits can overflow into other areas of life, like your wellness routine. Establishing a regular wellness routine is essential for leading a healthier and happier lifestyle. Who doesn’t want that? Sometimes our individual wellness routines and the products we use are not only unhealthy for our bodies, but also for the planet. We’re here to help with three smart tips to green your wellness routine and be kinder to the environment.
Bath vs. Shower
Who doesn’t love a long, luxurious soak in the bathtub? It’s a great way to relax, plus there are many health benefits of taking a bath like improved sleep, reduced stress levels, and improved gastrointestinal health. If you love the incredible cleansing and moisturizing effects of bathing, you’re not alone. After a long day, a warm soak can be just what your body needs. However, if you want to reduce your carbon footprint and help save water, it’s best to limit the number of baths you are taking and opt for a shower instead. Since it takes about 70 gallons of water to fill a bathtub and only 10 to 25 gallons of water are used for a five-minute shower, showering is the more water-efficient choice. You can take your wellness routine one green step further by installing a low-flow showerhead and practicing tips to shower better. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), annual water consumption could be reduced by 250 billion gallons if every household installed a low-flow showerhead.
Grooming 101
Bathrooms account for more than half of all the water families use inside their home. Part of this water usage (and waste) comes from your grooming routine. While shaving is a daily task many of us do without much thought, it is an activity that can easily be altered to be more environmentally friendly. Changing bad habits, like leaving the water running while shaving, can save a significant amount of water. Letting the tap run during shaving uses ten or more gallons of water while filling your sink up to shave only uses one gallon of water. Wasting water isn’t the only downside of getting a clean shave. Believe it or not, your shaving routine can produce a lot of waste. It is estimated that over two-billion razors end up in landfills each year! To help reduce this, consider using low-impact shaving products that are good for your body and the planet.
Another simple way to use less water and energy in the bathroom is installing a touchless faucet. A water-saving upgrade like this can help elevate your bathroom, making it feel more like a spa! It might be tempting to DIY an installation like this, but hiring a local plumbing expert to give you a hand is the best option to help you avoid common mistakes or costly leaks. Also, professional plumbers will provide knowledgeable tips to tackle common plumbing issues, like if your grooming routine causes a clog in your sink drain.
Plant Companions
Bringing plants into your home and your wellness routine is a win-win for both you and the environment. Growing and caring for houseplants offers many health and wellness benefits, which can improve your mood and lower your stress levels. While plants certainly enhance the life and color of a room, they are also a vital part of the ecosystem since they remove pollutants and improve air quality. Filling your home or a specific room with plants is an easy (and fun) way to live more sustainably, and a great way to bring nature indoors. If you want to incorporate mindful habits into your wellness routine, plants are a great place to start!
Looking after the environment and yourself doesn’t have to feel unattainable. Making small, earth-friendly tweaks to your wellness ritual will make your outlook on the day ahead more positive and help you commit to sustainable habits.
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