The first step in this journey is an acceptance that we should aim for effort, not perfection. Let’s begin by loosening our grip on the ‘perfect’ way to live a zero-waste life and accept that making an effort in everything that we do all adds up to a big cumulative difference. This might mean one night you’re too tired to cook so you order home delivery, but it might also mean you wash all the plastic packaging from the delivery and reuse it for your next freezer meals. Every effort made should be congratulated.
Begin by writing a short manifesto on how to be a gentle activist. A gentle activist is one who is kind towards others and themselves about how much they can do and what they expect of others. You can return to this manifesto whenever everything seems too overwhelming or when you feel as if you’re not doing enough.
Take three deep breaths. Here are some writing prompts:
Minimise your distractions
We live in a world with a 24-hour news cycle, and advertising and social media constantly vying for our attention. This added noise makes us more anxious, angrier and more fearful. Climate change is the most important issue the world faces. However, watching the news with a feverish obsession, or mindlessly scrolling through social media isn’t going to change anything. We need to have practical steps to break away from the noise so that we can get to work. Today is the day to let go of these fears and become fearless. We need to be aware, but not scared. We need to educate our children, but not shock them. We need to be firm but gentle in our approach. Here are my self-care tips to ensure you’re fearless, not overwhelmed:
Denne historien er fra January 2021-utgaven av The Australian Women's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra January 2021-utgaven av The Australian Women's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Hitting a nerve
Regulating the vagus nerve with its links to depression, anxiety, arthritis and diabetes - could aid physical and mental wellbeing.
Take me to the river
With a slew of new schedules and excursions to explore, the latest river cruises promise to give you experiences and sights you won’t see on the ocean.
The last act
When family patriarch Tom Edwards passes away, his children must come together to build his coffin in four days, otherwise they will lose their inheritance. Can they put their sibling rivalry aside?
MEET RUSSIA'S BRAVEST WOMEN
When Alexei Navalny died in a brutal Arctic prison, Vladimir Putin thought he had triumphed over his most formidable opponent. Until three courageous women - Alexei's mother, wife and daughter - took up his fight for freedom.
The wines and lines mums
Once only associated with glamorous A-listers, cocaine is now prevalent with the soccer-mum set - as likely to be imbibed at a school fundraiser as a nightclub. The Weekly looks inside this illegal, addictive, rising trend.
Jenny Liddle-Bob.Lucy McDonald.Sasha Green - Why don't you know their names?
Indigenous women are being murdered at frightening rates, their deaths often left uninvestigated and widely unreported. Here The Weekly meets families who are battling grief and desperate for solutions.
Growing happiness
Through drought flood and heartbreak, Jenny Jennr's sunflowers bloom with hope, sunshine and joy
"Thank God we make each other laugh"
A shared sense of humour has seen Aussie comedy couple Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall conquer the world. But what does life look like when the cameras go down:
Winter baking with apples and pears
Celebrate the season of Australian apples and pears with these sweet bakes that will keep the midwinter blues away.
Budget dinner winners
Looking for some thrifty inspiration for weeknight dinners? Try our tasty line-up of low-cost recipes that are bound to please everyone at the table.
