10 Wellbeing and Sustainable Living Buzzwords That Matter

‘Mindfulness’, ‘sustainable’, ‘digital detox’ – these are some examples of words or phrases which have become so-called buzzwords. They are used frequently, especially online what with social media and wanting to keep up with the latest trends. In recent years, the amount of health and wellness and environment-related content has increased. This is especially as concerns about the need to lead more planet-friendly lifestyles grow. The pandemic and widespread social activism have also highlighted the importance of both physical and mental health and work still needs doing to create an equal and respectful world for all.

Health and wellbeing and living sustainably are all vital topics which need open discussions and positive action. Has terminology within these areas become overused though? Has the essence of the meaning been lost? Businesses have taken advantage of people’s desire to live healthier and more sustainable lives. We see greenwashing, for example, rife in industries such as fashion, and this loses the validity of certain terms and concepts.

Instead of seeing more and more words being thrown around, maybe it’s time we step back and remind ourselves of their true meaning and significance, because mindfulness and sustainability are not buzzwords. They really do matter.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness, or mindful living, is all about being present. It is about being aware of each moment in front of you through your mind, body, and surroundings. So often we get swept up in our thoughts, the noise of the outside world, and are always thinking about the next thing.

You lose the appreciation for the present. When you get caught up in your thoughts, it is easy to forget how your thoughts impact your actions and emotions, as well as how you interact with the world around you. Mindfulness helps you to simply notice what is happening in the current moment, but without judging anything or jumping to conclusions. Living more mindfully can increase self-awareness levels, reduce stress, and help you understand your thoughts more and know how to effectively manage them. Mindfulness has a history spanning thousands of years and has been linked to Buddhism and meditation. It takes time and practice but can improve life quality and wellbeing.

Conscious

For me, the notion of consciousness is comparable to mindfulness.

Awake, thinking, and knowing what is happening around you – Cambridge English Dictionary

Being conscious is having an awareness of what is going on around you, both internally and externally.

Nowadays, the concept of consciousness is applied to the environment and sustainable living. Environmental consciousness is certainly an important aspect of the whole concept of being conscious, with terms such as environmentally friendly, eco-friendly, nature-friendly, Earth-friendly, planet-friendly, and green frequently used in conjunction.

Consciousness spreads further than the environment though and encompasses all aspects of self, others, and the world.

Soulful

When something is soulful, it comes from within. When you act from the soul, you do so with deep feeling, emotion, and compassion. You take time to think about why you are doing something and live from a place of awareness and consciousness.

Wellbeing

Wellbeing and wellness centre around us as humans and as individuals. Finding wellbeing is often considered as finding health – both physically and mentally – and happiness in life (Cambridge English Dictionary). There are multiple elements which are thought to create overall wellbeing. Grace Victory in her book How to Calm It (2021) discusses the Seven Dimensions of wellbeing, originally developed in 1976 by Dr Bill Hettler in the US. These dimensions, or pillars, are emotional, spiritual, physical, environmental, social, intellectual, and vocational. Wellbeing covers the whole self, rather one particular aspect.

Self-Care

I’m having a self-care day. A sentence we regularly share both to ourselves and online.

Self-care has become a buzzword in the sense that it is now associated with more materialistic things. Face masks, chocolate, bubble baths, and Netflix. The value in these things which bring us joy and that we consciously decide to include in our lives is not to be dismissed.

But is there something deeper to self-care which is becoming overlooked? At the heart of self-care is carving time to nurture and understand every part of yourself, both mind and body. Through self-care, we start to realise what in life is serving us and what isn’t.

To me, self-care has become a buzzword – meaning that, sadly, its original meaning has been lost along the way. Rather than bubble baths, yoga, and candles (all of which are lush, don’t get me wrong!), self-care to me means asking myself what I need and actually responding to that. What I need differs each day, with a multitude of variables affecting it – by defining self-care as specific things, we miss out on the nuance surrounding what it is to meet our own needs. – Julia Davies, The Quiet Rebel Club

True self-care is not salt baths and chocolate cake, it is making the choice to build a life you don’t need to regularly escape from. – Brianna Wiest

Self-love is more focused on the relationship you have with yourself. Do you appreciate yourself? Do you value yourself? You are kind to yourself and respect yourself, and this appreciation means you act in a way that supports your wellbeing and growth as a person.

Digital Detox

Detoxing has developed an association with the diet and fitness industries. Originally meaning to remove harmful habits, and food and drink from your lifestyle, you now see the likes of ‘detox teas’ and diet plans appearing online, which can do more harm than good when it comes to body image and what living healthily actually is.

A detox which is beneficial though is a digital detox, where you remove social media and screens for a period of time. The idea behind it is to give time to live in the real world rather than through screens and the internet. While social media and the internet have their benefits, there are also downsides. These include fear of missing out (FOMO), comparing your life to someone else’s, and hyperconnectivity – being supplied with a constant stream of information, which leads to stress.

With digital detoxes can come positives including better focus and concentration on the present moment, improved sleep quality, leading a slower pace of life, and feeling less anxious.

Balance

How many times have heard the term ‘work-life balance’? Balance is subjective and can be interpreted differently depending on who you are, your personality, and your lifestyle.

As Vicki Chagger from Hey Mama Earth says:

Balance seems to be one of those buzzwords that keeps showing up in my life. Perhaps the universe it trying to get me to take note? To find more balance between work and leisure? I’m working on it, but it’s a word that can mean something entirely different to each of us. For me, it reaches past ending the workday at a certain time, towards finding the structure that most suits my energy and natural peaks in creativity.

Work-life balance is not just about allocating a set amount of time to your personal and professional live, but rather living in a way that serves what brings you joy, peace, passion, and fulfilment.

Slow Living

Slow living shares ties with mindfulness and consciousness. It is a way of life focused on slowing down, being present, and stepping away from the idea that being ‘busy’ and things being ‘fast’ is better. You make conscious decisions on how you spend your time and live with more intention, instead of passing your time on screens and participating in habits which have a negative impact on the environment and your wellbeing such as supporting fast fashion. A slow lifestyle favours quality over quantity and being more mindful about how you live your life.  

Sustainability

Sustainability nowadays crosses over with ‘eco-friendly’, ‘green’ and other such phrases, however, it goes further than that. Sustainable living focuses on living in a way that secures a future which benefits the environment and society. This involves preserving resources, pollution reduction, using more local businesses and resources for economic benefits, and ensuring the whole manufacturing process of products is energy efficient and eco-friendly, as well as items that can be disposed in a way that does not harm the environment. The list goes on. Like many of these terms, there is no one way to define them, but as the United Nations says, sustainability is not compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

Ethical

Ethical is used increasingly in industries such as a fashion and beauty. It is open to interpretation, with the wider association of ethics relating to morals and rights and responsibilities in society. In areas where you may encounter ‘ethical’ on a regular basis such as shopping, it seems to refer to treatment of humans and working conditions. An ethical company ensures fair treatment and proper payment of workers, safe working environments, and that the whole manufacturing process respects everyone and everything involved.

Are there any important wellbeing and sustainable living terms which you feel have become buzzwords?

Enjoyed this? Why not check out People and Planet Before Profit – Not Just Numbers?

Sources: Mind, Mrs Mindfulness, NHS, Mental Health Foundation, Green Living Ideas, Her Inner Glow, Slow Living LDN, BBC, The Curious Button, Eco Cult