Earth Day is April 22nd, and our small changes can make a big impact on our planet. This is a great time to consider how we can work together for a more sustainable future. Find some fresh air to breathe in, grab some organic snacks and a nice cup of herbal tea and enjoy these 5 ways to go green in recovery.
1. Nature Crafts
Research shows that crafting has many benefits including reducing stress and improving self-confidence, mood and motor skills and alleviating symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Crafts keep us focused on the present and can be a great form of active meditation. Increased serenity from meditation is great for sobriety. Consider donating your finished products to a recovery center. Art always brightens up a place.
BONUS: With these, you get the added benefit of fresh air and a walk to collect your supplies.
Pinecone Bird Feeder: Attach a string or ribbon to the top of a pinecone. Spread peanut butter on the pinecone covering it completely. Roll the pinecone in birdseed pressing the seeds into the peanut butter. Hang your pinecone bird feeder in a tree and watch as birds come to enjoy the tasty treat. Upcycling materials, especially those from nature increases sustainability. If you do not have pinecones readily available, try these:
Seed Bombs: Mix clay, potting soil, and a variety of flower seeds. Shape the mixture into small balls and let them dry. Once the seed bombs are dry, toss them into areas that can use some extra beauty. When it rains, the seeds will germinate allowing the wildflowers to grow.
2. Outdoor Gardening
Working in an outdoor garden, especially a water-wise drought-tolerant garden, provides exercise, increased vitamin D, decreased blood-pressure, and an improved diet if you eat your provisions. Reduced stress, and improved physical health makes us feel better physically making it easier to focus on the mental aspects of recovery. Gardening fosters community by sharing or trading produce or volunteering together at your city community gardens.
Growing our own food and substituting homegrown fruits and vegetables for manufactured animal products reduces carbon footprint by reducing energy and resources expended in transporting food from the source to the table.
3. Get Outside
Incorporate outdoor and nature-based activities into your recovery program. Outdoor excursions, hikes, or camping trips not only provide a break from routine but also foster a deeper connection with the environment and decrease energy expenditure on electronics, driving other activities that increase vs decrease environmental impact. These activities can contribute to overall well-being, allow for deep meditation which supports individuals in their recovery journey.
4. Volunteering for Mother Nature
A vital part of recovery is fellowship. What better way to bond than spending a day outside improving the environment. There are countless organizations and nonprofits that organize activities like park improvements, lake clean-ups, recycling drives and need volunteers. Grab a few of your sober friends, sign up and make a difference in honor of Earth Day.
5. Encourage Responsible Consumption Within Your Recovery Community
Create a recycling program at your recovery center. Make the receptacles out of reclaimed wood or multi-use bins and volunteer to take paper, aluminum cans and water bottles to the local recycling center. This could be a service opportunity as well making for a win, win for recovery and Mother Nature.
Peruse used bookstores for recovery books (and treasures) – Half Price Books has an entire recovery section making it easy to reuse and recycle those Big Books and addiction fiction novels essential to recovery. You save money and a tree. BONUS: This habit can turn into a treasure hunt. You may find a rare edition, a super beneficial book or sober story that you did not know about but are thrilled to stumble upon. And of course, you keep that circular economy going by returning it to be resold when you go for your new, used treasures.
Sobriety and Sustainability Are Connected
Sobriety and sustainability are connected through the promotion of individual health, responsible consumption, and a heightened awareness of environmental impact. Leading a more mindful and sustainable lifestyle, benefits both personal well-being and the health of the planet. And getting out of ourselves is a driving principle of recovery and spirituality. So, this Earth Day consider getting into nature and how you can improve the environment as you strengthen your sobriety.
Exploring Our National Parks
One of the most powerful outdoor meditative experiences I have had was on my solo trip to Joshua Tree National Park. You can read about the trip and get my recommendations in The Sober Curator’s What a Trip: How to Explore Joshua Tree Solo and Sober.
SPEAK OUT SPEAK LOUD! Embracing Sobriety: How Getting Sober Unveils a World Full of Garbage and Inspires a Daily Commitment to Cleanup
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Resources Are Available
If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.
