Following up on my piece on modern day consumption habits, I wanted to share some thoughts around what I am doing to be more mindful about what I consume.
To start off, I want to address something. Am I completely impervious to all forms of consumption habits and trends? No, and that would honestly be a quite boring life. Trends showcase the current state of affairs and I appreciate the variety of ideas and voices that are available. What I feel uneasy about is conformity and the mindset of seeing consumption as an end and not as a means to make life more enriching.
There are small changes I am trying to make to my life which has helped me be more present and attentive to my consumption habits. At the end of the day the motivation for this is driven by a want to slow things down and fully appreciate what I consume.
Food
- Shopping at local farmer’s market: This thought started after my recent trip back from Nepal when my mom remarked she felt the apples from supermarkets in the US had a distinct smell. I couldn’t shake off that comment and so I compared the apple from a local Whole Foods to one I get at the farmer’s market and voila as always she was right! There is a huge difference. I’m very lucky to live near a farmer’s market but this has completely changed my view on consumption of food. For one, it keeps me in check on what is actually in season. Secondly, getting to talk to the growers of the food and learn how it is harvested is always so great in helping me feel grounded to my community.
- Limiting processed food: This is honestly close to impossible to not do. But coming off of Pollan’s book, In defense of food, I am trying to go for whole foods and foods that are not additionally processed. Additional processing can add much more to the item than intended. Hence, I try to go for things like whole milk or whole milk yogurt as much as I can.
- Keeping a taste diary: Started this as a recent practice to start logging how dairy, vegetables etc taste different according to seasons. I am hoping to use this diary to be more attentive on how things simply taste. In some ways, it is also about providing respect and appreciating the food that I eat fully.
Media
- Reading materials in print more: I made this switch about a year ago where if I can I will choose to read newspapers, magazines, books in print over digitally. It is not the most convenient when you have to carry many things but it in itself is a practice that helps me be aware of what I am reading. Reading print also helps me give my attention fully to what is in front of me and prevents distractions. I have also found that there are plenty of second hand book stores and with print subscriptions being very affordably bundled with digital copies, it is not exorbitantly more expensive to go this route of reading in print.
- Weekly log diary: not necessarily a journal but I like to use a diary to list out things I’d like to get done that week and then look at it daily to see how I am doing. At the end of each day, I write a sentence or two on something that caught my attention that day. This usually takes less than a minute each day so a great way to reflect.
- Have some kind of a creative outlet: I’m very guilty of consuming a lot of media. And frankly I love it! But with the information fatigue, I knew it was time to do something different. This blog in itself is one of the ways I’m trying to have a creative outlet. Second, shorter form is Instagram Stories. Instead of sharing only a picture, I like to share a few lines on why taking that picture was important for me. This has been a helpful practice in not only getting me to articulate my emotions better but also become more comfortable sharing my thoughts.
Products
- Buying a lot of basic pieces and few statement pieces: I love shopping and I love clothes. I try to buy only things I absolutely need to have in my closet at this point. There are so many wonderful things out there but if I can limit myself to some statement pieces that’s what I usually go for. I know both my closet and wallet will thank me later.
- Figuring out what works for you: There is no need for a 5 step if your skin does not need a 5 step routine. It’s completely dependent on you. For example, I have come to understand that I don’t need to wash my face with a face wash in the morning. With the naturally dry skin I have in the mornings, just water is enough. Eventually, I’d like to learn if there are any natural methods I could adopt. So form your own routines instead of following a standardized one.
These are just some things I’ve picked up along the way that have helped me in practicing mindfulness. I believe welcoming the feeling of being present is the most important aspect and with that other creative instincts will follow. Please share any tips you may have below on practicing mindfulness! 🙂