Conscious living is about waking up. More than just mindful living, it’s about being conscious of what you consume with your senses and of the effect it has on you.

Enjoy these simple steps to live more consciously

Understand the origins of your purchases

All too often, we make purchases without thinking about the value of them. We’re in a hurry during the day and grab a sandwich for lunch. Or it’s your friend’s child’s birthday and you forgot to get them a gift so you pick up a toy from the store on the way to the party. This works for companies that have built their business model around convenience, but it doesn’t work for communities or the environment.

Next time you are making a purchase, consider the origins of the materials and how it came to be. Is there an alternative available? Could you make it yourself? Do you even really need it? Once you start to think about how far each of your purchases has traveled to make it to the shelf in front of you, you will soon find yourself making smarter purchases.

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Go organic

When it comes to purchasing food, choosing organic produce is a great way to improving your health. The organic produce is more likely to be seasonal, so you can be assured it is also likely to be local. Seeking out your local farmers’ markets is not only a fun way to spend a Saturday morning, but it will also do wonderful things for your health as your body rids itself of the toxins found in non-organic food. Another option is to grow your own herbs, vegetables and fruits. 

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Give back to your community

Volunteering in your community is one of the best ways to give back in some meaningful way. If you are skilled in a certain area, such as cooking or accounting, there will be plenty of charities in desperate need of your skills. There are many other ways to give back to your community, and it’s all about using your skills in the right way. 

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Pledge to produce less waste

The next big threat to our planet is the abundance of plastic waste making its way into our waterways. You can help mitigate this impact by being mindful of your own personal waste. Want to inspire your family to go packaging free? Try these family challenges:

• Pledge to go without packaging for one week.
• Aim to reduce your family waste by a certain amount every day.
• Place a “tax” on any item thrown away that can’t be recycled to help your family make smarter choices. Make it a challenge and see who can amass the least “taxes” in a month.

Conscious living is all about appreciating yourself as well as everything around you through seeing and acting with greater clarity.