Fasting is about refreshment and reflection. Forgoing for a while the familiar is more than an old tradition. Fasting actually has its roots in religion and should prepare us for the festive easter days. As well as in the old days as today it should be a period about reflection and consciousness. So also if you do not stick to any religion the fasting period can be used to discover something new while avoiding usual habits. Those habits are often performed excessively by one or the other. It could be the personal consumption of social media or the personal consumption of clothes. This could be sustainable fasting.
Sustainable fasting is about exploring new ways of living
As we know from ourselves but also from sustainable development the most things are not good if they are performed to excessively. Excessive consumption exploits ourselves, the people around us and the planet. So fasting is a time about reflecting yourself and your behavior. Within this period you can try to free yourself from something and make room for new things.
Sustainability is a topic that is endlessly explorable and sustainable fasting can be a way to discover your personal ways to a more sustainable lifestyle. The optimal outcome of a fasting period would be to show you how you and our planet could be better off by avoiding a “bad habit”. So we interpreted the fasting period in a more sustainable way and set ourselves an intention for the fasting period that benefits our environment. We are going to share our three most sustainable fasting tips with you:
3 sustainable fasting tips
1. Avoid plastic packaging
Try to pay attention to how many things you actually consume that are wrapped in plastic. By avoiding this type of packaging you’ll also explore innovative products and shopping destinations.
2. Try to find a sustainable alternative for every product you would buy
We luckily live in a time where it is easy to get information fast. So the extra effort of looking for sustainable products is not that big and does not take much time. While looking for sustainable alternatives it is always a good way to look for recycled or upcycled products that do not take many resources from our planet. An example would be to choose a recycled yoga mat over a mat made from virgin materials. If you can not find a sustainable alternative for your wished for purchase read the third tip.
3. Don’t buy anything
Of course, this does not include the essential things in life like food. Trying not to buy anything refers to those things that you just buy for the sake of consuming. For pleasing yourself in that exact moment. If you try a while without consuming those material things you’ll notice that you can make room for various more ways of happiness in your life. It is probably one of the hardest tips to realize. Asking yourself the simple question “do I really need this product” before making a purchase will help you to accomplish intent.
Nowadays fasting has become a more personal thing. It does not have to stick to the 40 days of religious fasting. You can start and try sustainable fasting for only a week or one day a week. Every small step is a step towards a more sustainable way of living and towards making room for the really important things.
