Who else has been thankful to get outside and enjoy nature during this quarantine? I know I have! On this Earth Day, I’d like to encourage everyone to pause and think about some quarantine lessons learned that we can use to be more mindful in our ‘new’ everyday lives:

Drive Less! We are no longer strangers to working remotely or effectively conducting virtual meetings. Try to work from home when you can and encourage fewer in-person meetings with your clients, if virtual is appropriate.

Combine your Errands. This new habit of going to the grocery store less is not only a good way to stay safe, but it also cuts down on vehicle emissions.

Be conscious of food waste! No one wants to waste food, but especially not during a pandemic! Keep track of how much food you are wasting and – even better – start composting! The internet is full of helpful tutorials for getting started!

Use reusable bags (with caution of course!) Stores may be sensitive to reusable bags right now, but if you’re willing to bag your own groceries, you can save the on the number of plastic bags being used right now. Just wash/disinfect your bags after you use them!

Use your own silverware. Take-out food is common right now, and since you are eating it at home, say no to plastic silverware and use your own! Another tip: Put some camping utensils in your purse so you always have the option to use your own (less germs!)

Take shorter showers. Now that we are all embracing the casual ‘WFH’ look, we can get away with not washing our hair as much, and when we do, we can opt for shorter showers! Yay!

Organize a neighborhood clean-up. Feeling cooped up and want to get your kids out of the house? Put on that mask and gloves and spend 20 minutes cleaning up your block! You’ll be amazed at how much you pick up!

Plant wildflowers or a tree! Lots of people are using this extra time to start a garden (I know I jumped on the bandwagon). Consider planting a tree if you have space or introduce some wildflowers to your garden to help save the bees!