And How You Can Overcome Them
When I first truly learned about the effects of climate change I was just an overly perky, baby-faced highschooler. Now to be clear this wasn’t the first time I had ever heard about climate change, this memory I’m describing was my “Aha!…Oh No” moment. The moment where all the information and data clicks in your mind and suddenly the positive posters of “Every Day is Earth Day” from your past are gone and replaced with the frightening data your teacher just explained to you. Hence the brief feeling of discovery, Aha! Leading quickly to OH NO.
Maybe you can recall this moment for yourself? Maybe it was years ago for you too or maybe it was like last week, but I digress. This moment has stuck with me for my whole life since.
Those charts I saw then were all predictions for 2020, which has now (happily for most) gone and passed, but the issue of climate change remains the same. I would love to say that right after that class I became a sustainability sensei or something like that, but the truth is it took me YEARS after that class to make impactful sustainability improvements in my life.
And why is that you may ask?
In short, because I lied to myself. I filled my internal self-talk with all the reasons why it just wasn’t possible or why I couldn’t commit to becoming the sustainable sensei I wanted to be. If you are reading this right now I am guessing it is because you have potentially been (1) telling yourself these lies too or (2) are looking to kickstart your sustainability journey without hitch (Wooo go you!).
Don’t fret though, if you are in group one or two or maybe even a whole different group I didn’t even mention I am about to break down these lies for all of us. Karate chop (really feeling the sensei metaphor now) through those suckers and show you why they are total B.S.!!! You can start your sustainability journey at any time, you just need to give yourself permission to do so.
Soooo without further adieu here are 5 lies that stunted my sustainability journey and how you can overcome them.
Lie # 1: “I don’t have enough control over my life to start now”
This one really speaks to my college self and my time living at home with my parents. In both of these situations, I felt like I had about 10% control over my life. At home, my parents have their set routine, a catalog of products they like to buy, and they are the ones who pay for almost everything. Without any cash to my name, I didn’t have much say in changing things, and it was easier to go with the flow.
At college it was slightly better but my dorm was chosen for me, I had the option of dining hall (A) or (B), my schedule was essentially set up by my major, and my parents still footed most of the bill. I would often daydream about all the things I could do when I was an adult with total control over how I chose to live my life.
Here’s why this lie I told myself was BS though…
you always have some control in your life
If I could go back now and peek into my freshman dorm I would have seen all the things in my direct control every day. From the snacks I chose to buy, the choice to recycle my trash or throw it away, and so much more, there were plenty of choices I could have made to be more sustainable.
So if it only feels like you have 10% of control over your life too, seize it and act.
Only have an option (A) or (B) for food? Well, try to still pick environmentally friendly choices, such as meatless meals some days.
Always get a coffee on your way to class? How about bringing a reusable mug.
Are parents not interested in changing their ways? Maybe suggest implementing a small change or an activity everyone can enjoy, such as starting an indoor herb garden. Check out my green habits guide for more inspiration.
For me, I chose to join an environmental club in college and make a difference on campus. I also chose meatless days in the cafeteria and always carried my reusable water. At home, I recently helped my family start composting and encouraged us to do an annual summer garden.
Ultimately, we all have some level of control and it’s up to us to realize where that is, even if it is small.
Lie #2: “I can’t commit to going all-in so I shouldn’t try at all”
This is a lie I think a lot of us tell ourselves and for me, I first fell victim to this while visiting the popular social media app, Instagram.
Instagram is a beautiful thing that can help you connect with people from around the world and leave you feeling inspired. Instagram though can also feel like a bully, leaving you feeling sad or like an imposter as you compare your life to others online.
A few years ago, when I first committed to becoming more sustainable, I had my first taste of this on Instagram. I had just had the mirror staredown telling myself, “You got this girl! Take some control of your life and help the planet!”. Fired up with my mission to become more sustainable I went to step 2 of my plan “Get Inspired”. I went to Instagram and started following some incredible sustainability advocates for ideas and inspiration.
What I found though was a whole lot of fear and anxiety.
Instead of being pumped up and ready to go I started to retreat from my mission entirely. These women were incredible, cutting out plastic from their lives, fitting their waste into mason jars, and living net-zero lifestyles. Seeing all of this I convinced myself that I shouldn’t even try to be sustainable because I knew I couldn’t go all-in like they could. And let me tell you, THIS HURT.
I feared that any sustainability choices I made would leave me feeling like an imposter because I could only make a few small changes at the time. I also feared judgment from others, thinking “What if I tell people I am becoming more sustainable and they see me doing something unsustainable?”, or “What if I can’t keep the commitments I make and people notice”.
After these thoughts swirled in my head for about a week I was pretty beat down.
But then I came to a realization.
- The planet needs our help, so who cares if you can’t commit to everything, anything is better than nothing. EVERY. LITTLE. BIT. HELPS.
- Everyone starts somewhere, those sustainability influencers all started somewhere too. Every time you commit to a small change for the planet, you are helping.
- Stop comparing yourself to others in terms of what you can’t do, but instead of what you can do.
So I beg of you to think of these things as you start your sustainability journey. I have been creating a sustainable lifestyle for YEARS and when I started it was small, but slowly it grew and grew until I felt proud enough to share it with you all.
Still to this day, I will sometimes make choices that will cause my boyfriend’s head to turn and say “sustainable huh?”, but this is OKAY because I know that I am doing my best to stick to the goals I have set and I am proud of that.
Ultimately, use Instagram and others for inspiration, but your sustainability journey is unique to you!
Lie #3: “I don’t have enough money to become sustainable“
This lie infuriates me, I just want to go back to the younger Emmy and say “You don’t need to buy lots of things to become sustainable”. To prove that check out my 5 Free Ways to Go Green Today!
In some ways though, I can sympathize with my younger self. I was (and still am) balling on a budget, and the sustainable products I desired were just out of my price range. I know now though that not having enough money to be sustainable is total B.S. because sustainability (1) can start with no money being spent at all, and (2) if I bought one less chipotle burrito bowl a month I could have purchased some of the essentials I wanted.
Plus, while some sustainability products have a high-cost upfront they can save you soooo much money down the road as these products are generally durable and reusable. Some great options for sustainable period swaps can be found here. If you are tight on cash another option is to consider asking for sustainability items for gifts! This is a great way to create a collection of sustainability essentials with no cost to you!
At the end of the day, sustainability doesn’t have to be a rich man’s game. There are plenty of ways to help the planet that do not require any money.
Lie #4: “I have roommates and they wouldn’t be okay with me changing things”
This one goes back to the lack of control thing from earlier. A roommate situation can feel like an unsettled relationship at times. There is so much common space, but it still feels like there is an opportunity to step on each other’s toes (metaphorically speaking) at every corner.
In my past roommate situations though, changing things to become more sustainable was usually no problem.
So here is how to navigate doing it smoothly:
- Never put down your roommates’ habits or items they own, it’s their life to live, and starting out this way is sure to offend
- If you want to do it, at first you buy it- Purchase the sustainability items you want to implement or be the one that leads the charge if you want to change a habit
- Follow through- Put your action or item in place and use it. Also, encourage others to use/do it, and be open to questions
- If it ultimately makes major waves, then just keep using it for yourself
If you follow this guide I can tell you from personal experience it is going to be just fine.
Don’t Believe Me?
Here is a personal example. In 2019 I started learning about reusable paper towels that were made from bamboo (DOPE RIGHT). They look just like normal towels but you can use them over and over for years. I asked for them in a work Secret Santa gift exchange and got them (SCORE)! Now it was go-time to implement them in my apartment I shared with two roommates.
Before I put out my new reusable towels, I told my roommates all about this super cool bamboo towel gift that I got and how it works. I also purchased a small bin that they went in for our counter and a bag under the sink for when they were dirty.
At first, the towels were met with a little apprehension and lots of questions about how they worked. But I put them on the counter, right next to our normal paper towel roll, and I tried to use them all the time. When the dirty bag filled up I washed them and folded them and put them back. I treated cleaning them as my job.
Over the next few months, I found that our apartment as a whole used far fewer paper towels than before. Sometimes, we would even go days before replacing a roll of single-use paper towels if we ran out. This change was achieved without ever removing the normal single-use paper towels and happened within months with no problem!
So if there is something you want to try in your apartment I challenge you to do it and see how it goes! I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the outcome.
Lie #5: “I don’t even know where to start, what if I do it wrong”
This last one is something I still say to myself in recent years, especially as I sat down to create this website. What if I change a habit and it isn’t actually as sustainable as I thought? Or if someone calls me out for being wrong. Or if I started investing in products that turns out aren’t so great.
With all the information about sustainability out there it can be confusing to start. Be kind to yourself though, like anything changing your habits and trying new things may be challenging and awkward at first. Know that you are also likely to stumble along the way and make mistakes. I have made mistakes in the past and I will make mistakes in the future. So again, be kind to yourself.
Also, even though the information out there can be overwhelming there are so many people, like me (Hey!!!), who have tried out products and tested habits so you do not make the same mistakes we did. We are here for you, stay with us! Lean on others to inspire you in your sustainability journey and don’t be afraid to try new things.
Ultimately, there are a million right ways to become more sustainable and so make the changes that work best for you. If you make a mistake, no worries, try something different until you develop the sustainable lifestyle unique to you.
So There They Are…
the lies I’ve told myself and had to overcome to get to where I am now. Maybe you read this and thought “yep I tell myself that too”, for you I hope this helped you realize you can kickstart your sustainability journey today!
If you are thinking “Well these aren’t really lies for me” then I ask you to deeply consider if that’s true. Once I overcame these lies I told myself I was able to pursue the lifestyle changes I WANTED and it was so freeing. I revamped my life in the name of Mother Earth while (1) In college, (2) On a shoestring budget, (3) Living with roommates, and (4) Making mistakes along the way.
