When it comes to the hippie lifestyle, especially in the realm of sustainability there is a lot of gatekeeping. Gatekeeping is the act of limiting access to something and I will not have it in my hippie hideaway. As I drive deeper into this lifestyle I’ve seen more and more people saying you can’t or you shouldn’t do XYZ and still be sustainable. It makes me want to scream! I personally don’t believe people should have rules or regulations on their lives so long as you’re not hurting anyone and I believe you can be a hippie at heart and still be corporate, we live in a capitalist society and you gotta do what you gotta do. But I digress I want to get rid of some ideologies people think you have to do or can’t do in order to be considered sustainable or hippie.
1. Shop sustainable brands all the time
Let’s be real for a second it would be amazing if we could all shop sustainably all of the time. But being sustainable sometimes can be expensive. I have been looking for more affordable brands that are good for Mother Earth but with the average top going for 30 USD it’s hard to choose between a new shirt and eating. Life is hard enough as it is and sometimes unfortunately you have to go to a fast fashion site to get a shirt more in your price range. In the famous words of my uncle, “It is what it is”. Not everyone has the income for that and we shouldn’t be shamed for it. The most important thing is you use it for as long as possible. Make it sustainable, reuse it as many times as you can, repair it, and buy only when you need to, not just because you want to. And when you can, buy sustainably and from a green company. It happens and it’s fine don’t be ashamed.
2. You don’t have to thrift everything
I love a good thrift, especially furniture. I like the mix-match aesthetic of it and the creativity of it my coffee table is an old trunk and my TV stand is a bookshelf. I love it but that’s not for everyone. People don’t have time or energy and it’s the same way for clothing. Not everyone loves it and sometimes it grosses people out. I get it. Pick and choose your battles if thrifting isn’t one of them cool. Again, if you can buy from a sustainable company then great! But make sure you really need the items instead of just wanting them. When you do have it keep the items last as long as possible regardless of where you buy them. If you can it’s best to make things by hand if possible. Pick and choose what you want to buy second-hand.
3. Be vegetarian
Ok, this is one I might lose a lot of people but you don’t have to do an entire lifestyle change in order to be sustainable. A lot of people are vegetarian or vegan because it’s better for the environment and eating vegetables are more sustainable in the long run than eating meat. Is it helpful that you do this? ABSOLUTELY! You can always grow more tomatoes but you can really remake a cow, that’s what makes it more sustainable, but if it’s something that makes you unwell then it’s not worth it. Also, and I can’t stress this enough, most if not all animals are not meant to be vegetarian, it will kill them. The way their body works is a lot different than ours so please if you love animals, don’t do this to your pets.
4. Meditate or do yoga
I strongly encourage you to do yoga and adopt a meditation practice. It helps you connect with yourself and your body and can make you feel more grounded. However, if you have other practices you prefer to do in order to help you feel whole then go for gold honey you do you.
5. Use only green products
In a perfect world, no animals or the planet would be harmed in order for us to have certain products, but we don’t. I personally don’t believe in animal testing and love using vegan and earth-friendly products. However, in certain situations, I completely understand using a product that isn’t so “green” if you need it, like medicine. As I previously stated. Life isn’t black and white and sometimes you need it. You using a product doesn’t make you any more hippie or sustainable than anyone else, your health comes first.
When it comes to being a hippie and living a sustainable lifestyle it’s not always black and white. Much like most things in life, there isn’t a clear answer. I will say there are a few things that being a hippie and living a sustainable lifestyle do encompass.
1. Understanding and remain open-minded
Understand that everyone is not perfect all the time and we do stumble and fall. As I always say life is a journey, not a destination and we can not truly judge others if we have not lived their life. Understand that there are different ways and ideas to reach a goal and although it might not be yours it might just work.
2. Believe in peace.
Pretty self-explanatory but violence is rarely the answer and usually brings more anger and violence. But when you choose peace and understanding then we can always work it out.
3. What we do today will count for a better tomorrow
Today might suck. We might fail and we might have some things to work on but it’s not the end. As long as we remind ourselves that tomorrow I will do better then tomorrow will always be a better day we just can’t give up.
4. Only take what we need
It’s human nature to want more and more. But things can not make us happy. If you live with the mindset that this is enough and you practice your gratitude you’ll understand that you don’t need as many things as you thought you did. Be satisfied with yourself and your current possessions. Take inventory of what you have before you spend more or think you need extra you might just find what you thought you were missing.
