Living a sustainable lifestyle during the pandemic

“Gardening keeps us busy and is mentally therapeutic,” said Dhez Javier of Kiara’s Garden. (Contributed Photo)

These days, you either bake, do gardening, plant small crops, read the growing pile of new unread books, or learn how to crochet.

With the lockdowns and quarantines, people have been forced to stay put and slow down but that hasn’t stopped many from being productive and it may have pushed many to go the extra mile to pick up new habits and skills.

Many have become green thumbs, while others realize they have so much junk at home and go the other way by decluttering—keeping what is important and doing away with what’s not. Still others learn to manage their own trash and switch to a sustainable lifestyle that makes for a good foundation for environmental wellness.

Dhez Javier, who owns Kiara’s Garden in Koblerville, has seen an influx of customers buying outdoor and indoor plants in the last few months, particularly when curfews were still in place and people had limited time to go out. “One thing that we can all agree on is that COVID-19 and its downstream impact on our lives has everyone stressed out and anxious. Gardening distracts the mind from the causes of stress and provides something else to focus on. During the pandemic, we have to stay home most of the time but it doesn’t mean that you have to stay indoors. We can go outside and do gardening,” she said

“Being surrounded by plants is good visually,” said Ella Songsong. (Contributed Photo)

Javier said that working with the soil and the bounty of nature is enriching and connects people to nature. “Aside from giving us something to do, it is mentally therapeutic. …Scientists have published findings that working with soil is beneficial to one’s health and happiness. Soil bacterium, mycobacterium vaccae, are microscopic bacteria that enters your system when you touch the soil. They generate serotonin and dopamine, which are both chemicals that produce a feeling of happiness,” she added.

Ella Songsong of Garapan got into collecting ornamental plants three months ago. “I have been working from home since June and it came to a point when I said to myself, ‘Something is missing in my space.’ I thought maybe I just need color so I decided to bring in a plant that has been sitting in my garage. It looked nice and I thought, ‘What If I add some more?’ A few weeks later, my computer and I were surrounded by succulents, tropical plants, and ferns that I had repotted,” she said.

“Being surrounded by plants is good visually and the feeling that they are healthy gives me happiness because I used my own hands to grow them. When my eyes are tired or I just need to relax after a long Zoom meeting, I look around me and see lots of green and an instant feeling of relaxation kicks in,” she said.

Jen Cortez of Capital Hill was furloughed in April and she was doing fine at home in the months when she was out of work, until one day, she felt her room was getting tight. “I woke up one day and looked around my room and thought, ‘Why does my room feel small and tight?’ Clothes were sticking out of my cabinet, several shoes and zoris were behind the door, and a pile of laundry was waiting on the couch,” she said.

“Recycling is not expensive. These trash bins cost $20 apiece. That’s $60 and a worthwhile expense for the environment,” said Matt Castro. (Contributed Photo)

“I realized I needed to declutter and regain my space, so I did that in one day from morning until about 5pm. I threw many things that I don’t use anymore or did not know I had. I have clothes and shoes that I was able to donate and finally got to use my couch, not for piling laundry but really for sitting. I’m back at work and I still keep a decluttered space and I keep my things organized,” she added.

Working on things in his garage every Saturday, Matt Castro of San Vicente regularly sees a garbage truck pick up their trash from the bin. “At around 1:30pm to 2pm the garbage truck is sure to come. They did not stop or falter even during the strictest lockdown we’ve had on island and these men work hard, going around the island to collect garbage. This made me think, ‘How can I make it easier for these guys and still keep our surroundings clean?’” he said.

“Recycling was what entered my mind. So I bought trash containers and labeled each one with cans, plastic, and bottles. Now we have trash that goes to the bin that the garbage truck collects and trash from the containers that I bring to Lower Base. It is not a lot and I wish I picked up this habit a long time ago. This is good for the community and especially for the environment,” he added.