I remember a time, that now seems very long ago, when I would wake up in the morning and start my day with the regular routine. You know the drill – go take care of Nature’s business, take a shower, brush my teeth, apply skin care and make-up (pretty minimal for me), dry my hair and voila! Ready for another day. That was before mindfulness set in. Fast forward to the present: I have morphed into Mrs. Green. I become conscious of what I am consuming, how much I am consuming, and think about how healthy my every choice is or isn’t – for me and for the planet.

New scenario: Assess toilet paper use, keep shower under 5 minutes, use healthy soap, shampoo and conditioner, turn water off while brushing teeth using an appropriately vetted healthy toothpaste, apply only Environmental Working Group approved skin care products, and make sure I unplug the hairdryer when finished to avoid using phantom electricity.

As I go about the rest of my day, mindfulness is my constant companion. Eat and meet only at locally owned restaurants, ALWAYS refuse a straw, take the shortest route possible to reach my
destination, and always travel with a safe, refillable S’well water bottle. And, at times, wonder if I made sure my computer was turned off and all of the lights were out before I left the house this morning.

If I go shopping: Do I really need this? Where was this made? Did I check out all of the resale stores to find what I am looking for? Is this a store I should be giving my business to?

And if shopping for food: are these fruits and vegetables on the Dirty Dozen or the Clean 15 list? How many preservatives are in this particular food item that sounds good to me? Read every label to avoid the big bad fillers and other bad “stuff.” Do I really want to eat meat this week? Are these beautiful flowers near the check out register organic or sprayed with harmful pesticides?

Mindfulness: Blessing or Burden? Blessing! At the end of the day, I  saved clean water, saved energy, supported locally owned businesses, ate healthier, shopped with intention knowing not a single person was harmed in the making of my clothing, saved money or spent a little more for the right reasons, did not over-consume, did not put toxins on my skin nor use products that are harmful to the earth.

At the end of the day? Feeling pretty darn good about being mindful. And you?