How Sustainable is Your Routine?

Illustration by Annick Harvey

There are multiple ways to be sustainable. You can be sustainable by using paper or metal straws, riding a bike to work, planting more trees… you get the gist. 

Whenever we think of being sustainable, reducing our carbon footprint instantly comes to mind. But has anyone ever thought of social sustainability? 

Social sustainability focuses on improving people’s quality of life by making sure that everyone in their community feels like they belong. Basically, ensuring that everyone has equal rights, according to Diversity. 

In light of the recent stabbing at the Albany bus station, I think improving our social sustainability has never been so important until this day. 

Throughout my secondary school years and my uni years thus far, I never imagined that crimes could occur so close to my place of study. In fact, as I was formerly living within walking distance from that bus station during the last two years, moving out felt like I definitely dodged the bullet. 

But what about those who are living in Albany? What about the rest of us situated in the Auckland campus who have to turn up for class regularly? What about us who rely on public transportation and don’t have anyone to carpool with? Is it even safe to go to the library right now when we’re so near to the crime scene?  

Here’s how we can begin becoming socially sustainable as a student starting with our routine. 

Recognizing Your Toxic Routine 

I’ll be honest, I haven’t been very socially sustainable with my routine myself. This is mainly because I was winding myself up to do more than I could do. 

Up until recently, I would just work non-stop and take very few breaks, to the point I forget to drink water.  

Since I’m more or less studying via distance again, I haven’t gotten the chance to go out to get some fresh air. In fact, the only times I get to go out were the times I helped my parents with the groceries. And those groceries weren’t very stress-relieving because the Asian market we frequent is extremely cramped and everyone is always squeezing past or shouting in your ear because they wanted to talk to someone from across the room.  

Even though I get to take power naps, it’s hard to actually feel like you’re resting when your workstation is in the same place as your rest. 

Other than struggling to find time to unwind, I’ve been feeling uncertain about the future because I’m thinking of changing my career paths because my dream career wasn’t as I expected to be. This is, as some can imagine, extremely easy to compromise one’s mental health, especially since I thought I always knew what to do with my life. 

Satisfying Your Basic Needs 

Before practicing self-care, start satisfying your basic needs like eating when you’re hungry and staying hydrated. And when I say eating, I mean eating actual meals rather than just binge-eating on junk food all the time. As for staying hydrated, drinking water or some warm tea to calm your nerves. 

It’s honestly tragic that this is how competitive society has become to the point something as simple as this needs to come as a reminder. But since everything from the university library to job interviews have become online, it is nevertheless an important reminder since some of us are almost always glued to the screen. 

Practicing Self-Care 

When’s the last time you organized your desk or made your bed? 

I never  thought that I would say this, but doing chores can be a form of self-care. 

I know, I sound like I’ve morphed into that boring adult we all dreaded of becoming when we were kids. But then again, everything was done offline when we were younger. We didn’t need to be glued to the screen the entire time just to finish an essay because we would be blistering our fingers and wrists to write it all out with a mechanical pencil and a piece of paper. Good times. 

Of course, there are other forms of self-care out there like reading books, meditation and technical skincare regimens. But I personally find that doing chores grounds us in our surroundings while creating a cleaner and tidier space to live in.  

Ignoring Toxic People   

Have you ever come across a person who was so rude, disrespectful and toxic to you for no reason? 

I certainly have, almost everywhere. Even in an online interview. 

The right thing to do is to try to understand why that person was acting in that manner towards you. After all, kindness is the heart of social sustainability. 

But if you still can’t understand why they were acting like that, just ignore them and try to stay away from them, or at least keep a distance.  

Acceptance 

Like a quagmire that pulls you in, trying to figure out your life and what to do next, or even why people are being toxic to you, can compromise your mental health, which is what I learnt the hard way. 

Accept that there are just some things in life that you can’t control. You don’t have to have an answer for everything.