Earlier this year, I made it my goal to be completely “off the grid” for Earth Day. Like most millennials, I am pretty addicted to my phone and other devices. I knew that this was not going to be easy. Earth Day was also on a Sunday, so it certainly was not easy to give up my phone during the weekend when that is basically the only day I have to spend with my friends. But, as luck would have it, a very close friend of mine is very (and I mean very) environmentally-conscious individual. I was saved from having to spend a very lonely weekend by myself!

A learning experience

When April 22nd rolled around, I was thinking I would be bored before noon, but the day ended up being AMAZING! This environmentally-friendly friend of mine knows a lot about preserving the planet. He taught me where to find the best recyclable products for decent prices and even taught me a bit on how to compost. For those of you who are not aware, this is the process of recycling organic materials which produces a soil conditioner. It was a messy process, but definitely a learning experience!

No distractions

After all the learning about the environment, I needed a bit of learning for my classes as well. Finals were creeping upon me and the absence of technology really helped me put things into focus. I felt so fulfilled after making a commitment to help preserve the planet that I did not even think about how many emails or texts I may have gotten or what was the latest statuses of my friends on Facebook.

I was completely in the zone with my studies. I was able to knock out three complete hours of the best studying I have ever done in my life! In contrast to some previous study sessions, I was able to retain much more than I have in the past.

This is all thanks to Earth Day shifting my perspective to the more important things in life. You don’t need to wait for Earth Day to make a change to help preserve the planet. There are many days earmarked throughout the year to bring attention to our need to increase sustainability. One coming up later this month is World Environmental Health Day. Let sustainability allow you to learn more about yourself and the individuals around you!