6 ways to make the world a better place without spending a lot of effort
Miscellaneous / / April 17, 2023
You can help yourself, others and even the planet.
1. Show concern for others
Being kinder to friends, relatives, colleagues, people on the street is the simplest, but quite effective way to make the world a better place. Respond to requests and offer help gracefully when you see that someone is not coping. It is important not to overdo it with the latter: if a person says that he does not need support, then it is better not to insist on it.
You also don’t need to be a good-natured person to the detriment of yourself: do as much as your moral and physical strength allows you. If they are not there, just stop at smiles and compliments. Even small things like this can make the day of those around you a little more pleasant. By the way, this is good for you too. Any act of kindness able energize and reduce stress levels a little.
2. Volunteer
You can help orphanages, take care of animals in shelters, support lonely old people, participate in organizing urban and healthy lifestyle events, cultural and sports competitions. There are options with one-time assistance and initiatives that require permanent employment. Current promotions by region are collected, for example, on the platform "
Dobro.ru».If you want more ambitious results, try starting your own volunteer project. It will not work here without resources, but it is quite possible to find money for implementation. Try to announce the initiative on social networks and invite like-minded people to unite. Or look for specialized events. For example, adult volunteers can talk about their idea and compete for grants as part of the award "#WE ARE TOGETHER", and schoolchildren - at the competition"Kindness does not go on vacation». The latter has just started a new season. Volunteers between the ages of 8 and 17 who are involved in projects that help animals, the elderly, children, migrants or the voluntary movement in general. The authors of the best initiatives will receive grants of up to 300,000 rubles.
3. Arrange subbotniks
If you notice that your favorite park is littered with bottles, cigarette butts and candy wrappers, try fixing it. Arm yourself with gloves, rakes, garbage bags and go on a cleanup day. To make things move faster and more fun, call your friends or advertise on social networks. Perhaps you will find like-minded people. In the latter case need to be agreed in advance with the city administration: notify about your idea and agree on the place and time of cleaning. By the way, you can ask the municipality to provide inventory and help with the removal garbage. If you don’t feel like organizing yourself, look for city promotions on the Internet.
Instead of a subbotnik, you can go to plogging — jogging, combined with the cleaning of small debris. Such an activity will make the city cleaner, and you will help pump your brain and lift your spirits.
4. Look for eco-alternatives to familiar things
Every year in Russia in landfills settle down tens of millions of tons of waste. You cannot solve such a problem alone, but you can make your contribution. It is enough just to get rid of some household habits. For example, stop taking a plastic straw in a cafe or putting a lone apple or cucumber in a plastic bag in a store.
Some eco-alternatives are not free, but they are still useful. Let's say a simple shopper costs about 10-15 packages from supermarket, but you will be using it for several years. With their own reusable tumblr, many coffee shops can actually get discounts on drinks. A couple of months of morning coffee with you, and the cost of the mug will be beaten off. By the way, the usual takeaway paper cups are actually not nature's friends. They consist of paper and a polyethylene film that protects the container from destruction: convert such a "layer cake" is very difficult.
5. Sort your trash
Set up boxes for plastic, glass, tin, cardboard and paper at home. When they are full, take them to the collection point. The map allows you to quickly find a garbage collection point near you Recyclemap. Through the filter system, you can choose which specific type of recyclables you want to hand over and view all the specialized organizations in the city. But first, take a closer look at the garbage yard in the yard: there is a chance that there is already a box there, for example, for plastic bottles.
If you are not yet ready for a full sorting, start by collecting batteries. Throwing them away with household waste is dangerous for health: decomposing in landfills, they release toxic substances into soil and groundwater. At the same time, in many shopping malls and hypermarkets there are boxes for receiving batteries: to dispose of them correctly, you just need to take them with you for shopping.
6. Give away unwanted things
Dismantle the blockage in your closet and think about what you need and what you have not used for a long time. Perhaps items from the second category are vital for someone. Clothes and shoes in good condition can be donated to public or charitable organizations. The funds will donate items to people in need, low-income families or lonely old people. Another option is to look in the city for thrift stores or containers to collect clothes. Things will be sorted there, given to the needy or sold - the proceeds will go to charity or internal expenses. Similar organizations exist in many Russian cities. For example, in Chelyabinsk, such work is done by "wobbler", In Nizhniy Novgorod - "do-gooders", and in Irkutsk -"Tuesday».
An alternative way is to arrange a giveaway through your social networks or go to a swap party. You don’t have to stop at just clothes: books you read, boring decor, board games played a million times - share everything that can be useful to others.
Read also🧐
- How to be kinder to yourself and others
- 10 habits to give up for the sake of the environment
- Broken windows theory: can graffiti on walls and garbage provoke people to crime