This past year I found myself getting more caught up in the relentless greenwashing and audacious campaigns being put out than ever before. These marketing ploys really started to get under my skin. Things like Skims making climate change the butt of a marketing joke, countless Temu ads, Shein propaganda, and that Shell collaboration with Fortnite felt inescapable and never-ending.
I noticed myself becoming increasingly disappointed with the world and the resulting anxiety only continues to grow. I’ve spoken about ways to overcome this, but I’m not perfect and coping can get tough. Everything felt so unachievable and out of my control.
However, this is not where I want to stay in the new year! After all, at my core, I believe that any action can lead to positive change in the world. So, I desperately need to take my own advice and create actionable goals that align with my values. I need to regain a semblance of control over my life since everything else seems a little dystopian.
As we begin the new year, I want to focus on improving myself to combat feeling dysregulated and disaffirmed. I’m itching for change, accountability, and growth. I doubt I’m the only one, so I’d like to share 5 habits I plan to prioritize to regain purpose in 2024.
1. Continue to educate myself.
This is something I believe can help anyone, expanding knowledge not only serves your mind but also is grounding. For me, I plan on learning more by reading more books, articles, and journals. That’ll be more achievable for me since I’m a reading and writing type learner, so I’ll have a greater chance of actively sticking with this habit. Overall, I have a goal to read at least 20 books in 2024 but I also want to make an effort to prioritize educational content.
Two sustainability-focused books I plan on reading in the new year are A Life Less Throwaway and Girls Just Wanna Have Impact Funds. These books, and others on my tbr list, should reequip me with tools I can use to regain some control with cultivating sustainable practices in my life. In general, I think we could all benefit from expanding our bubbles and fields of knowledge because through education we can bolster critical thinking and creativity. If you’re interested in forming this habit in the new year too but aren’t a reader, you can listen to audiobooks, podcasts, or watch educational content to achieve this goal!
2. Embrace slow fashion.
In 2023 I started actively scrutinizing the clothes I was buying. Thrifting became more important, but I still think there’s room for improvement. So, if there is something I’m set on buying, I want to focus on finding the best options. The point of this is to be able to fluidly and consciously consume. That is, I want to continue to give proper thought to every purchase, but I also want to express myself and feel comfortable consuming if I need to.
So, in the new year, I want to build the habit of thoughtfully finding and choosing fashion pieces that serve me and the environment in a way I’m comfortable with. I want to find a balance between not consuming at all and consuming responsibly to stop creating more anxiety around it than needed. I also found resources like Good on You and Delve that help rate fashion brands, so I want to continue using those resources while learning more about alternative materials. I’m sick of fast fashion but, at the same time, need to learn to give myself some slack if I need some new hiking boots so hopefully this habit helps me with that.
3. Only support ethical brands and products.
I’m trying to not only consume less but consume better and that applies to skincare and other products aside from clothes too. I spoke about some of my favorite ethical skincare brands, but I want to only support ethical brands and products moving forward. I’ve done well cutting down my spending substantially but, for things I’m committed to repurchasing, I want to make sure I’m choosing the best products and brands that make sense for me.
I just love skincare and personal care, but I’m over using things that don’t serve me properly. I plan to actively use apps like Yuka, find more local brands and products to support, and only support companies that have third-party certifications. For me, this is all about upgrading the things I use when it’s time to repurchase so I can make sure I’m supporting products and companies that align with my values.
4. Make time to stretch.
One of the essential New Year’s resolutions is journaling, but I already journal every weekday. Yet, I feel like I can still get better at introspection and mindfulness. I also struggle with regulating my stress and anxiety a lot of times and that doesn’t help me combat outside worries. Stretching can be a powerful tool for strengthening mindfulness and inner peace, but in the past, I’ve fallen off the practice easily.
So this year I’m going to shift my mindset about it and hopefully will be able to follow through! There’s a lot to be gained through moving the body in a more nurturing way and making time for recovery instead of constantly trying to be productive while pushing down feelings. I want to be kinder to myself and my body in this way so stretching is something important I’m going to focus on in the new year to foster that.
5. Be more present.
This is all about lessening my debilitating concern over injustice in the world to try and regain my sanity and hope. I think the best way to help ease those bad vibes is by doing more slow and intentional things. I already subscribe to a slow-living ideology, but in practice, I’m not perfect. I get overwhelmed and overstimulated easily, yet I don’t want to feel like I’m just floating through life.
I want to fully embrace and immerse myself in life! Along with this, I need to learn how to properly set boundaries to assert my worth which will allow me to only give energy to things that positively serve me. Right off the bat, I’m planning to do this by focusing more on hobbies that bring me peace and reward like gardening, baking, and reading. But I also want to make a conscious effort to get out in nature more so I’ve also set a goal of going on at least one nature-centered outing a season.
Let’s prioritize growth and awareness this year!
As we head into the new year, I hope we see an end to these ridiculous campaigns and cash grabs. I’d love to see more accountability across the board, but I can only truly hold myself accountable. So, I’m choosing to do better in 2024. I’m committed to finding more ethical and sustainable solutions so I can continue growing into the best version of myself.
I want to continue to try and not only become more aware and conscious myself but to also spread these ideas to help others who may be struggling in similar ways. What about you? Do you have any resolutions for the new year?