Last Monday morning, an email from Macy’s arrived in my inbox announcing, “BLACK FRIDAY EARLY ACCESS—HURRY, SHOP SPECIALS TODAY!” There was a clock with big red numbers ticking down, announcing “Only 12 hours, 26 minutes, 53 seconds left!” Soon more emails started pouring in from other retailers that got my adrenaline going as they urged me to shop, shop, shop before it’s too late for deals that are too good to pass up. Some were quite tempting!

But I’ve decided to sit this Black Friday out as a protest to consumerism—not because I have a history of being virtuous in this regard, but because I am long overdue to improve my shopping habits. As someone very concerned about climate change and the terrible degradation of our environment, I know I routinely buy too much stuff. Sitting on my dining room table right now are six packages I have yet to open. It’s become all too easy to purchase anything online in minutes, rather than being deterred by the effort it takes to shop in brick-and-mortar stores.

According to a Bloomberg article published last week, we’ve become a nation of shopaholics. “The U.S. economy is built on Americans’ endless appetite to buy lots and lots of stuff. Household consumption makes up about 67% of GDP… We’ve entered an age of overabundance. We consume much more than we used to and more than other countries. Consumption per capita grew about 65% from 1990 to 2015, compared with about 35% growth in Europe.” For example, our clothing purchases have increased five-fold since 1980, and the average garment is only worn seven times.

Retail purchases this November and December are predicted to grow between 7% to 10.5% over last year and to reach well over $800 billion, despite COVID supply chain shortages. No wonder experts are warning that we humans are rapidly causing our own mass extinction.

This is why I was happy to learn about a movement called Green Friday, which began in response to Black Friday’s frantic consumption. According to Green Friday UK, “The Green Friday movement is all about giving, and investing in things that really matter and make life fulfilling, worthwhile and even beautiful.” The following ideas to make Black Friday green were adapted from their website. I’m personally committed to doing everything on this list today, plus sorting through a few long-ignored overcrowded shelves in my closet:

1. Go outside, especially in nature. Have fun and see what you can discover. Science shows being outside lowers stress levels and is extremely good for our health.

2. Spend time with friends and family. Technology and consumerism can easily leave us and our loved ones feeling isolated or unfulfilled. This is the perfect time to meet up with your favorite people.

3. Do something nice for someone. It doesn’t have to be big or arduous, even smiling at a stranger can make a world of difference.

4. Support a charity, your local community, or any good cause. Whether it’s volunteering or sharing your skills with someone, giving time to something outside yourself is helpful and fulfilling.

5. Take time to create something. Learn to paint, try out a new recipe, play an instrument, or follow through on an innovation you’ve dreamed up. Take a step back from your routine and see what exciting new things you can come up with.

6. Get active. Take a walk, jog, enjoy a bike ride or try any new type of exercise like yoga, Pilates or tai chi. Moving our bodies is incredibly good for us on many levels.

7. Meditate. This is a great way to calm your central nervous system, reduce pain, and improve your mood, concentration, sleep, posture and outlook.

8. Disconnect to reconnect. Green Friday can serve as another reminder to disconnect from our TVs, phones, and other technology, and reconnect with all that makes us feel good and vibrantly engaged in our world.

All of this reminds me of a quote I saw the other day which said, “If you want to feel rich, just count up all the things you have that money can’t buy.”

Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday weekend, filled with joy, connection and peace.

Myra

Turning Black Friday Green