Living green is a conscious choice that you can make in a thousand small ways every single day. It's choosing to put that bottle in the recycling rather than the trash. It's choosing to take the bus instead of getting in your car. It's choosing to spend a few cents more to buy local, forgoing the fruit that isn't in season in your hemisphere. The benefits of being eco friendly aren't just for your planet and your community. You can feel them every day, in yourself. Living a green life is good for the soul in lots of small but measurable ways.

Live A Simpler Life

Reducing and reusing means fewer material possessions and living a simpler life. Instead of being overwhelmed by all the things in your life, reduce the amount of things you have. Owning fewer clothes, of higher quality and from better sources, can be just the start. Everything from your furniture to your art can be made more environmentally friendly this way.

Clear Your Conscience

Making choices that are better for the environment means less guilt to carry around day to day. You may not think consciously about the effects your actions have on the environment, but you know what they are. The trouble with knowing that your car is contributing to global climate change, is that there is a part of you that can never forget that fact. There is a part of you that knows that every time you turn on the lights, a power plant somewhere is contributing to global warming. You can mitigate that unconscious guilt in a whole variety of ways, whether you're taking public transportation or putting solar panels on your roof.

Better For Your Body

You are what you eat, and if you're putting better quality food in your body, you'll get better health and better quality of life out of it. Living green is better for your body as well as your planet. Look into the standards behind the labels for organic and GMO-free products in your local grocery store to find out what's really going into your body. Consider going straight to the source by getting produce from your local farmers directly via markets, farm stands and cooperatives. Buying locally-grown produce also means a lower cost in terms of carbon emissions, since those products don't have to be shipped from the other side of the world.

Connect With Your Community

A side benefit of buying local is that you will connect with your community. Local farmers markets are, after all, populated by local farmers and local buyers. If you're taking public transportation, or walking, instead of locking yourself in your car, you'll interact with more people and connect with your community. Instead of your primary interaction with fellow commuters being honking, you could be talking to them instead.

Connect With Nature

All of these steps are designed to help you better protect and appreciate the planet you live on. So take time to enjoy the benefits of that planet by getting out in nature and appreciating the world you are trying to save. Going out in nature is good for your physical health, your mental health, and your spiritual wellbeing. Go for long walks, visit your local parks, get some fresh air and sunshine, and remember what it is that you are fighting for.

Any one step you take to go green might seem like a drop in the bucket, compared to everything else that needs to be done. The trick is making those small steps into habits and making those habits part of your life. Over time, they become easier to do, and harder to forget. That way, it's not just one small step you're taking, it's many small steps. It's not just one drop in the bucket anymore, it's many drops. Those drops combine with others and overtime become a storm, a deluge, a flood. Never forget that even oceans are made of single drops.

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Written By:

Paisley Hansen is a freelance writer and expert in health, fitness, and growing young. When she isn’t writing she can usually be found reading a good book or hitting the gym. She loves hearing from readers so feel free to contact her through Facebook.

Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.