When I hit the age of 21, I had a list of things that I wanted to accomplish by the time I am 30. Fast forward eight years ahead, I now have exactly one year before I hit the big three-oh, and I’ve come to realise that there are just some things that I won’t be accomplishing by then – and that’s totally fine.

Plastic is highly versatile, lightweight, flexible, strong and relatively inexpensive; and these are the qualities that have led us to our overconsumption of this material. It can seem a daunting task to eliminate our plastic use, seeing how a quick stroll down the supermarket aisle will see that most packaging is made out of plastic.

Kindness starts with the self. It is only when we can truly be kind to ourselves, that we can extend kindness into the world for others.

Here are five ways to start practicing self-kindness:

“Mindfulness starts to get really interesting when we can start to integrate it into everyday life. Remember, mindfulness means to be present, in the moment. And if you can do it sitting on a chair, then why not while out shopping, drinking a cup of tea, eating your food, holding the baby, working at the computer or having a chat with a friend?