I used to think I wasn’t doing enough. Every Earth Day, my feed would be filled with people living zero-waste lives, growing their food, or biking everywhere. In the meantime, I was partnering with plastic bags while trying to remember to take my reusable tote to the market. But already I felt like I had failed before I started.

That’s what I call green guilt, the expectation to be perfectly sustainable in a world that does not make it easy. And if you felt it as well, I want to tell you this: it is ok to start small.

Because sustainability is not about perfection, it’s about intention.

For me, it meant saving my veggie scraps to make broth, switching from plastic to paper, and choosing local produce whenever I could. In my time away, I learned how to transform the wilting kale in my refrigerator into chips instead of throwing it away. And yes, it also looked like forgetting my tote and still giving myself grace.

The reality is, many of us didn’t grow up with access to sustainable practices. Many of us, especially in underserved communities, are living in food deserts, underfunded neighborhoods, and limited grocery options. So we have to redefine what sustainability looks like for us, because it’s not about purchasing the latest eco-product, but instead making what we already have go a little farther.

This Earth Day, I am reminding myself that small choices count. That progress isn’t linear (which is very important for women with PCOS to know). And that showing up for the planet doesn’t mean that we have to show up perfectly. Every small change we make, whether it’s composting, supporting local farmers, or being more conscious about what we consume, is a seed of change. 

To celebrate Earth Day, I am excited to announce a special blog series, “Greener Days: My Earth Week Journal.” And every day this week, I’ll be writing up easy shifts, reflections, recipes, and habits that can help us all live more mindfully and sustainably, from my table to the community.

“We don’t have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.” – Howard Zinn