This quarantine is having a toll on our mental health. We all love to resort to binge-watching and doing nothing when we know we have the whole week or possibly month to ourselves. But it is high time we realised that our actions and bad lifestyle choices have brought us to this state. For once we have the time to escape from the busy and hectic schedules in our daily lives, so let’s make use of this time to rethink our options and change for the better. Here is a list of a few options that we have curated for you to make your quarantine greener and healthier.
1. Read, read and read!
We all have that one collection of books that we bought and forgot about. It’s high time we dust those books and get reading. Reading helps you improve your memory and lowers your stress levels. Thus helping your mental health as well as enabling your creativity.
If you are not able to access books, there are always e-books available on many online platforms. And if you aren’t much of a reader then you can listen to audiobooks or podcasts which are pretty good as well. You can also learn about how to make greener choices and sustainable living.
2. De-clutter your wardrobe
No excuses this time! You have all the time in the world to organise your cupboards. Start off by labelling your clothes and arranging them in a structure that you might easily maintain. You can also donate your old clothes or those pair of jeans you have never worn. You can also re-sell your clothes on many online platforms that encourage sustainable fashion. We all know that the fashion industry is the largest polluter, so read books about ecological fashion and try making the switch from fast fashion trends.
3. Planting helps you know
Do you know that plants can communicate with each other? Plants are also known to clear the air in the room, Literally! House plants like Peace Lilly or Aloe vera have proven to produce enough oxygen and clear the room of any pollutants in the air. They also have positive effects on your mental health. Planting helps lighten up your mood and helps you relax. Although nurseries are still open during the lockdown as they are essential shops, if you don’t want to go out to get your pots or seeds, we have you sorted! You can check out our article on How To Get Started With Planting Green Life In Quarantine.
4. Clean your home
Ughh… Yes we know asking you to clean your house is a big task but with your house help not available at the moment, it’s time for you to take that extra effort. And trust us you will feel much better after you are done. Cleaning your environment clears your mind as well, giving you space to organise your thoughts and be much more productive. Due to the unavailability of many essential products, you can also make DIY sanitisers and cleaning liquid to make it greener. You can check out our post on Make Your Own Essentials to know more. So put your earphones on and get cleaning as you groove to your favourite beats.
5. Yoga and meditation
Lying on your couch all day with Tv and some popcorn might sound like living your life. Get up and do some stretches to help you get back to your couch again this time without that back pain due to all the lazing around. Time to wake up early and get your daily dose of sunlight whether in your balcony or rooftop, just go out there (cause that’s how far you can go outside your home) and stretch out a bit. Let your body flow with the wind, take deep breaths, hear the birds and trees and feel nothing but gratitude to be present, at this moment, safe and at the comfort of your home. Also, don’t forget to keep a bowl of water and some dry grains for the little wings that visit your place. After all Atithi Devo Bhava guys! Don’t forget Indian values *wink*.
6. Segregate waste
Never a better time to rethink your garbage disposal methods. Its takes a bare minimum effort to get an extra bin or take an old box that you don’t use anymore. Separate your decomposable waste and plastic. Try to reuse those old plastic boxes instead of throwing them and try to switch to more eco-friendly products to minimise waste as the corporation garbage collectors work even during these hard times for our safe and healthy living. Being kind and considerate doesn’t take much.
7. Draw, paint or colour
Everyone loves to either draw, paint or colour well, go on and get your creative juices flowing. There’s no time to play with colours as the present. Be it crazy doodling or watercolours just get started by imaging your favourite place and sketch it up. You might not be an artist and it might be very silly, but who cares just go for it! And do share your amazing art on your Instagram by tagging Last Ripple to get featured as Green Quarantine Enthusiasts in our IG stories.
So okay now that we have come to the end of the article, get up and start making your life greener and cooler just like us.