It's time to slow down and green up for International Downshifting Week
CUTTING up your credit card may not be your idea of a liberating experience. Nevertheless, all over the world this week, people will be taking the scissors to this ubiquitous piece of plastic to mark International Downshifting Week - a campaign which seeks to encourage people to "slow down and green up".
Now in its fourth year, the campaign originated in the UK and has since spread as far as Australia and New Zealand, generating a growing movement of people who want to start living more sustainably by introducing small changes into their everyday lives.
The founder of Downshifting Week, British writer and broadcaster Tracey Smith, explains that downshifting - which literally means slowing down a gear - is not necessarily about making sudden, dramatic changes, but rather about achieving a better work-life balance through small adjustments, such as cutting back on your spending and getting out of the "credit trap".
"So many people are caught up in the rat race and, whether they realise it or not, are weighed down by the enormous pressures of consumerism," says Smith. "People get to the point where they have all these things -- two cars, a big house, the latest technology - and yet wonder why they're still not happy."
One couple who experienced first-hand the pressures of modern living and decided to downshift are Leitrim-based Rebecca and Dan Hillman. Six years ago, the couple left their busy nine-to-five jobs in Plymouth in Britain and moved back to Ireland with their two children, opting for a more relaxed way of life in the picturesque surroundings of south Co Leitrim.
Since then, the Hillmans have fully embraced the sustainable lifestyle, growing their own food and fuel and raising animals; they even run courses showing people how they can live more sustainably.
"It can be difficult at first learning to live with less, but the benefits are immeasurable," says Rebecca Hillman. "For example, we get to eat fantastic food which is grown only a few steps from our door, spend more time together as a family and have an easier conscience knowing that our impact on the environment is minimised."
Since their big downshift, the Hillman family don't have any hankering for their old urban lifestyle and, in fact, describe country life as being quite colourful.
"Leitrim is actually quite a cosmopolitan place to live, with people from lots of different countries around the world living here and we have a strong, vibrant community," says Hillman.
"Sometimes people ask us if we feel isolated living in the countryside, but you can actually feel a lot more lonely and cut off when you're living in the city."
While opting for a sustainable lifestyle like the Hillman's may seem like a dramatic departure for some, Smith highlights that a growing number of people are looking for a slower pace of life and better work-life balance.
"It's interesting to observe how there's this growing resistance against the constant pressure to consume. More and more people around the world are realising that this way of life isn't for them," she says.
Smith's own idea for Downshifting Week grew out of the increasing number of letters she had been receiving from people asking her how they could live more sustainably and enjoy a better quality of life.
To mark Downshifting Week, a non-profit campaign which began on Saturday and continues until Friday, 25th April, participants throughout the world are organising events in celebration of sustainable living, including clothes-swapping parties, food events where people bring along homemade, locally produced goods, and not forgetting the ceremonial cutting-up of the credit card - a personal celebration of people's efforts to become debt free.
"We're encouraging everyone throughout the world to take part by making a few small changes this week: for example, try cutting back on buying things you don't need or decide that you're not going to do that extra hour of overtime so that you can spend more time with your family," Smith recommends.
"The secret is to start small by 'dipping your toe in' and if you like the results, maybe consider introducing more radical changes, such as changing your job so that you can work closer to home or pursuing your talents as a new career."
Ultimately, it's about slowing down a bit and tipping your work-life balance in favour of "life", while at the same time becoming more environmentally aware, explains Smith.
"My advice to everyone this week is to take the time to explore what it is you really want out of life - don't just do something because everybody else is doing it. And, most importantly, start by positively embracing living with less."
10 tips for shifting down a gear in your life
1. Analyse your time and spending budgets to see if
you can find ways to reduce your spending and increase time out for
yourself.
2. Make a list of your weekly purchases and eliminate three
non-essential items from the list.
3. Cut up your credit card and free yourself from the "credit
trap".
4. Donate a bag of clothes, toys or useful items to a charity
shop or refuge centre.
5. Plant a vegetable or fruit in your garden; if you don't
have a garden, cultivate your own edible plants, such as lettuce,
cherry tomatoes and fresh basil, in pots on your windowsill.
6. Cook a meal this week using seasonal, local and organic
ingredients.
7. Buy second-hand instead of new - by supporting local
charity shops you save money, as well as doing your bit for a
worthy cause.
8. Turn off the television tonight and spend time with your
family or partner getting some fresh air, playing games and
talking.
9. Make your own cards for birthdays and special events.
10. Book a half-day off work to spend extra time with someone
you love.
• For more information on Downshifting Week,
visit
www.downshiftingweek.com
• Details on Rebecca and Dan Hillman's courses can be
found on
http://sallygardens.typepad.com/