Eco friendly what. Eco-friendly brand: a marketing ploy or a real standard? Wear your clothes
Create an “eco-friendly” interior, plant live grass in the store, stick appropriate green labels on products, and you can call yourself an “eco-company”? No, this will not work, and consumers, especially young people, will quickly “bite through” a fake.
In the photo: Anna Balandina, owner of the visual merchandising agency VM Guru
More and more people and brands are realizing the scale of eco-problems. Therefore, they actively “grope for” ways to help nature or at least reduce their harmful influence on it.
This is how the concept of eco-friendly (environmentally friendly) appeared.
It is predicted that in 10 years, companies that do not have products marked “Eco” in their assortment will be in little demand. The reason is the consequences of the aggressive impact on the environment and the awareness of late millennials and representatives of generation Z. After all, it is they who will experience everything that they scare today: large-scale cataclysms and uncontrolled revelry of the elements. And for them, the activity of the manufacturer in relation to the reduction of harm to nature is the most important element for building trust in the brand.
Eco-friendly is not unprofitable, but even profitable. There are already people, brands who have made money solely on the "green business".
Why am I suddenly writing about this?
This year we are involved in a couple of global network restyling projects. Before developing one of the pre-concepts in the Eco style, we studied the competitive environment of the Customer's brand and understood the following:
Russian brands have heard and know about the success of Eco promotion strategies, but not everyone has realized that if you “declare” yourself as an eco-friendly brand, through POS communication, natural materials in decoration, a green logo that repeats the shapes of wildlife, etc., you do not have the right to remain an "empty" brand, a brand that has limited itself to branding. You are responsible for your application and your status. And if now it “rolls”, and eco-friendly design works, then sooner or later you will be caught in a lie, and buyers will turn away from you.
What kind of brand do you need to be to be proudly called Eco-friendly and broadcast it through your promotion strategies? Consider 5 brands that can be safely called the flagships of the global eco-movement. They clearly, purposefully broadcast their values and it is due to their honest position that they attract millions of consumers.
Top 5 brands of "Eco-heroes"
Stella McCartney
Finding a more eco-conscious fashion designer than Stella McCartney (daughter of the famous Beatle) is unlikely to succeed. She is considered the creator of the first eco-friendly brand in the field of high fashion. Throughout life, Stella is a vegetarian and preaches a healthy lifestyle, she never wears natural leather and fur.
“There is nothing fashionable about a dead animal,” she declares and completely refuses to use these materials in her collections.
Since the creation of his eponymous brand in 2001, the designer has increased the amount of organic cotton used every year and never uses strong dyes. Faux leather is made from the right combination of materials such as vegetal, recycled plastic and birkiflor.
Recently, the designer chose a real landfill in eastern Scotland as the location for her advertising campaign. In the photo, the models are not afraid to wallow in the mountains of garbage and lie on rusty cars.
Photographer Harley Weir
Patagonia
Patagonia- truly legendary brand, founded by Yvon Chouinard, mountaineering and climbing icon. In 1957, the American improved the special equipment for rock climbing. At first he used it himself, and then he began to sell it and created his own brand. Today the brand is one of the most successful in the segment of clothing and equipment for outdoor activities.
The basis for the development of clothing Patagonia two principles were adopted: the use of innovative technologies and environmentally friendly production.
Competing with Patagonia in terms of manufacturability is difficult: the number of patents attributable to the company is measured in double digits. And most of the patents are with an environmental bias!
In 1996, the brand abandoned the use of conventional (regular) cotton, and began to develop new high-tech fabrics, mainly based on polyester from recycled plastic bottles and old clothes.
Another know-how of the company is a special water-repellent Deluge technology, which is used to treat outerwear, thereby at least doubling its life.
Needless to say, jackets, parkas, cashmere are produced within the framework of sustainability and fair trade principles?
The life of Yvon Chouinard was the basis for the film 180º South, directed by Chris Malloy.
Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard on the cover of Fortune magazine. Source: Getty Images
TOMS
The founder of the brand, Blake Mykosky, while traveling, saw how many children in poor countries did not have shoes. Then he decided that he needed to create a company that would give shoes to a child from a poor family for every pair sold. This is how the one-to-one business model was born.
In 13 years, TOMS has donated over a billion pairs of shoes to 40 developing countries around the world. The brand's charitable programs include supplies of clean drinking water, ophthalmological services, and birth kits.
In addition to charity, the brand "professes" the principles of eco-business. Shoes and packaging are made from environmentally friendly materials, which are then recycled.
Beyond Meat
Startup Beyond Meat conquered native America with vegetarian and vegan burgers. Instead of meat, they contain pea or soy protein, yeast, oils and plant fibers.
By 2019, the startup became one of the main suppliers of artificial meat for burgers in the US, conquered the Hong Kong market and entered the UK.
Even one of the main investors, Bill Gates, could not distinguish the company's products from real meat burgers. In addition to him, Beyond Meat was invested by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Obvious Corporation, Tyson Foods and others.
Lush Cosmetics
The brand of natural cosmetics, first of all, is popular due to the fact that all products are made by hand and are not tested on animals.
The company has reduced waste from packaging, and also introduced a fashion for solid shampoos (looks like a bar of soap). Discounts apply for customers who bring empty packaging for recycling. In addition, the success of the company encourages other brands to follow suit.
And these are just five of my personal favorites, and there are many more brands and personalities - eco-heroes! Elon Musk (Tesla & Solar City), Apple, Fridom of Animals, Reformation, Wirpo EcoEnergy, Seventh Generation, Food bio Pack, Veja, and many more.
The trend towards sustainability is developing dynamically, and brands that take this moment into account and honestly, sincerely implement it in their products, of course, get the strongest competitive advantage in communicating with a young audience, with those who will become mainstream consumers in a decade. So, I am sure that the list of interesting powerful eco-oriented companies will only expand!
owner of visual merchandising agency VM Guru
You can talk endlessly about the sad environmental situation in Russia and the world, but a person is so arranged (at least the vast majority) that until we see all the pain / sadness / disaster with our own eyes, until plastic bags flow from the tap, and fish in a nearby pond they will not float upside down until the air around turns into an impenetrable smog, and even weeds stop growing in the garden in the country house, we are unlikely to realize: "Something is going wrong!".
For everyone who wants to see how the world around us is immersed in plastic - welcome. But it's not about that.
Idea translators
Corporate culture is an organism that grows and adapts to modern realities. If a couple of years ago the work of CC and VC specialists was to tell about the latest awards to colleagues, organize a corporate party and give everyone presents for the new year, now companies understand that corporate culture is a translator of values.
Modern companies have picked up a wave of environmental initiatives. Because..
a) it is no longer possible to remain silent
b) large companies are opinion leaders and actively create and participate in eco-initiatives themselves.
Inspire and help
2. Implement (if you have not started it yet) some initiatives on your site;
3. You definitely can become a good example.
Eco friendly
Catch 5 simple eco-initiatives that you can broadcast and implement in your companies:
1. Save paper. In offices, this resource often leaks down the drain. One incorrectly typed word, a piece of paper crookedly placed when scanning - everything flies to the scrap. Stop! Recall that paper is trees that do not grow as fast as we throw away damaged sheets. Firstly. Write and print drafts on both sides. Secondly. Install a recycling bin in your office.
Example: separate collection of waste, including waste paper, is handled by EcoLine.
For inspiration! Once a quarter, less or more often, competitions can be organized between departments to collect waste paper.
2. Sort waste. If it's hard to start with a complete waste sorting, start small. For example, donate batteries to special containers, or better yet, install them in your office. The Boxy battery recycling service can help you with this.
3. Avoid disposable cups. You can drink coffee in the morning or fill up with water in a reusable mug or bottle. The New Year is coming - give your employees branded thermal mugs. A cool, stylish mug is always a pleasure to take with you and move around the office with a businesslike look. :)
4. Don't throw away your clothes. Install eco-boxes at work to collect clothes, shoes and accessories. From these containers, clothes are distributed in several directions: recycling, sale in thrift stores or donation to those in need. Installing a box can be a one-time or permanent action in your company. You can find out more about this at the Charity shop.
5. Plastic bag, I'll tell you "No!". Let's take the thermo mug idea for New Year's Eve (or any other holiday), pack it in a handy canvas bag, and start instilling a love for the useful - grocery shopping with a bag, not a bag.
The main thing is to start
According to research, in any business the most difficult thing is to start, but as soon as you take the first step towards the implementation of a particular task, everything will go, go, fly. Well, and most importantly - at the first stage, discard the obsessive, stereotypical and absolutely wrong thought from yourself: "What can I do alone? Nothing will change!" Remember, everything big starts small. In a company, it is doubly pleasant to implement such initiatives; a chain effect and word of mouth are turned on.
Be eco-friendly and pleasantly contagious in your ideas! ;)
Eco-friendly (eco-friendly) means "safe for the environment." The term refers to goods and services that cause reduced, minimal, or no harm to ecosystems and the environment. Let's try to figure out what eco-friendly thinking is and what is its benefit to society.
What is the benefit of eco-friendly thinking?
Since we live in a world of high technology and mass consumption, it seems that it is simply impossible to live eco-friendly. However, it's actually quite easy. The main thing is to start with yourself, and not wait for someone to do it first. The idea of eco-friendly arose when the number of problems related to the environment increased several times. Previously, global warming was written only in books, but now it is one of the problems that threatens our planet. The main principles of the eco-friendly idea are to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere and the prudent use of natural resources. Eco-friendly allows you to do something useful for yourself and for the planet, and also gives you the opportunity to save money.
An eco-friendly lifestyle is the observance of such simple rules:
- use only natural products;
- if possible, walk or ride in environmentally friendly vehicles (bicycle, scooter, electric skateboard, etc.);
- unplug appliances from sockets;
- recycle plastic or glass containers;
- for shopping, use eco-bags or paper bags;
- reduce the use of paper;
- forget about plastic;
- use energy-saving light bulbs;
- take part in volunteer environmental events.
What products are eco-friendly?
Eco goods are goods that do not harm people and nature, the use and use of which implies an eco-friendly lifestyle. Eco-products can be divided into the following groups:
- goods with a natural composition;
- goods that are safe for health and do not pollute the environment;
- products with one environmental benefit.
The last group means goods, the production of which complied with some important environmental requirement. Similar eco-labels are found on household appliances, hygiene and cleaning products, as well as paper products.
Eco-friendly are building and finishing materials, furniture, textiles, children's products and much more.
As we can see, a sustainable lifestyle does not require much effort, but the result is good for the planet. Eco-style involves a planetary-conscious lifestyle from the moment a person wakes up to the moment he goes to bed.
Of course, it is very difficult to start living green in one day. You should gradually move to this way of life, regardless of whether others follow your example or not. An eco-friendly lifestyle will help preserve the environment, as well as improve and facilitate the life of a person, while maintaining his health.
You can't just point the finger at factories and blame them for all the environmental problems - everything works together. The more consciously we approach recycling issues, the faster we will reduce our impact on nature, and the first step in improving the environment can be to change your own habits.
1. Understand the problem
Understanding the problem is the first step to solving it. Check out TED videos on environmental change. Once you understand the scale, you will understand that it's not only about how corporations work, but also about what you buy or how you throw away garbage.
2. Use reusable bottles
Bottled water is incredibly wasteful: 80% of it is not recycled, and due to the production process, it takes three liters of water just to produce one.
Glass bottles hold water much longer than regular plastic bottles, not to mention they can look pretty cute. You can invest in a reusable coffee thermos - any major chain like Starbucks will happily pour coffee into your own dishes.
3. Go to secondhand stores
Stock and second hand stores are not just for vintage lovers. The next time you're looking for a new shirt or summer dress, go to your local store and look for a new piece of clothing there. Not only will it cost you less, it's also much more environmentally friendly - think of it like recycling your clothes.
4. Limit your shower
Limit the amount of time you spend in the shower. Not only is this good for the health of the planet, but it will also help reduce your hot water bill. Turn off the tap when you brush your teeth, or clean your dishes instead of rinsing before putting them in the dishwasher.
5. Learn the labels
You can start reading labels to see if the item is sustainable enough and recyclable. For example, opt for tampons that are 100% organic cotton or toilet paper with a biodegradable core.
6. Wear your clothes
People are throwing away clothes and accessories at an alarming rate: according to US environmentalists, 26 pounds of textiles end up in their landfills. Of course, you can do more for this situation by donating or recycling your clothes. But this does not address the main problem - we buy unreasonably many clothes.
Conscious consumption means knowing when something really needs to be donated, and when it can be repaired and continued to be worn.
7. Start cycling
If you have several tasks that you must complete over the weekend in different parts of the city, take a bike or go for a walk. You can use a special rental service or choose .
8. Buy a canvas bag
Modern companies welcome ecological solutions and support the environmental protection system by creating special canvas bags. Refuse to use bags, and when you go shopping, take only it - by the way, it does not take up much space in your bag and can even fit in a clutch.
9. Use tissue paper
Stop using disposable handkerchiefs or rolls of cleaning wipes, and switch to rayon or cotton towels. Not only will you save on the amount of waste you produce, but also using cloth napkins can help save you money.
An easy way to reduce your carbon footprint is to buy locally grown produce. In fact, by buying vegetables or milk from outside companies, you support local dairies and farms and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, you can grow food in your own window, such as fresh herbs or some varieties of tomatoes, and share them with your friends.
12. Find out where to donate batteries
Subscribe to thematic communities to learn about the collection and processing of hazardous substances. Unfortunately, there are only a few factories in Russia that recycle batteries, so collection points open once a month. Set reminders on your calendar and get useful awareness bonuses from collection companies.
Life outside of nature, among high-rise buildings, cars, factories and "wax" fruits has become commonplace for each of us. The subway, the noise, the smell of gasoline, cardboard cups of coffee, sticky and spoiled fruits and vegetables from the corner store - and what else to do, because quality mangoes cost a fortune!
Unfortunately, man's striving for a "civilized" life was in fact the most terrible embodiment of his laziness. I did not want to wash, clean, cook, grow. But I wanted to warm up in the microwave (life-threatening exposure), eat plastic appliances (they do not decompose), wear ready-made inexpensive clothes (synthetics that cause allergies) and move quickly (environmental pollution, greenhouse effect from car gases). The list goes on.
A consumer society, full of disconnection from nature, and an attempt to fill this void with various strange, unnatural entertainments - alcohol, attractions, gambling, illegal intimacy ... that's where we are now. Even art has become for us an object of use, enjoyment of perversion, having ceased to sing of the beauty of Nature and the creation of the Universe, as it has been for millennia. Now the focus of our attention is everyday life, adventure, fictional characters and "self-expression" - because we no longer have the opportunity to draw strength and inspiration from nature, because we have focused on the beauty of technocracy, an artificial, perverted City, on the celebration of the Ego of man, instead of inspiration on aspiration to the Ideal and Purity.
Understanding all this, we are already taking the first step towards change. The next step is not moving to an eco-village and living alone on a mountain with a fruit dryer and a cellar full of pickles. It is necessary to take into account the principle "Time, place, circumstances". Therefore, the second step will be the application in your life of the "15 Principles of Ethical and Ecological Life", consistent with the rhythms of the city. Then - who knows, maybe you will settle in a house near Tver, as my close friend plans, install eco-batteries on your roof, think over compost and year-round greenhouses. But now, I repeat, do not frighten yourself with the complexity of the path. The ocean is made of tiny drops - so be it by practicing even some of the recommendations below, listening to the rhythms of nature and adhering to the principle of "minimum violence".
"Live according to the original needs of the body,
laws of nature and the universe"
Give your body a rest
This, of course, applies to massages, spas, saunas, hair masks for women and just home body care. However, detox is equally important to us. Spending a couple of days on freshly squeezed juices, smoothies or salads at least once a month will help your stomach and intestines take a break from constant digestion, cleanse themselves of excess toxins and food debris. I can say from my experience of fasting once a month and detoxing twice a month - it helps to get rid of headaches, feeling of heaviness, fatigue, excess weight, many diseases. It is best to detox and fast on Ekadashi (11 and 26 lunar days), on the full moon and new moon.
Add movement to your life
Man is made to move. Our lymphatic system, designed specifically to cleanse the body of toxins, cannot function properly if we do not move much - and all the load goes to the liver. Dancing, yoga, swimming, even just walking and walking in the park, city or coast will significantly improve the internal state.
Choose what is closer to you - calm stretches and breathing in Sukshma Vyama or Kundalini yoga or dynamic practices of Ashtanga yoga. Or maybe you love water? Swim, walk along the water's edge, do some smooth dancing... Find what's right for you.
Listen to yourself on the path to harmony within
Listen to yourself, feel, know how to pay attention to your feelings in time. So you will understand which habits and addictions are destroying you, and which ones are developing. For example, drinking water with lemon in the morning is a little unpleasant at first, but it makes you feel great all day. And rolling a cigarette on the way to work is a favorite ritual for many years, but then you smell of it all day long, and your wife worries about lung cancer and her unborn children ...
Just like that, having heard about the dangers or benefits of some rituals or innovations, it will be difficult to sincerely rebuild and follow the new rhythm of life. But it is by trying, listening to yourself, even keeping a self-observation diary, that you can build your life as productively, comfortably and happily as possible.
Sort out your cosmetic bag, check the shelves in the bathroom
There is no doubt that about 90% of all the care and makeup products that we use contain alcohol, non-natural dyes, artificial oil, or even tested on poor animals ... Follow the 70/30 principle to begin with, when most cosmetics are natural and homemade (trust me, most creams and scrubs need no more than 3 ingredients).
It is difficult to immediately give up your favorite mascara and a comfortable, ideally hard lip pencil of a dubious composition. Do not rush yourself - let everything happen gradually.
Limit your intake of unnatural and toxic foods
Try as much as possible to avoid preservatives, E-Necks, palm oil, margarine, sugar, various Snickers ice cream, as well as fermented products - wine, any alcohol, blue cheese, mushrooms. I myself know how difficult it is to give up your favorite chocolate in the morning, when you already limit yourself in almost everything. Therefore, do everything consciously, according to your feelings.
Any important decision must be made by both the mind and the heart, otherwise it is just a game, which means a constant internal struggle. Approach the process thoughtfully: in order to give up a bad habit, you need to find a worthy taste replacement, get rid of harmful products in the house, find support among friends or relatives, start preparing healthy and tasty desserts at home, or order proven ones in 4fresh, iherb or any other store healthy foods. Develop a plan, get inspired, find like-minded people. You are doing this for yourself and your well-being, no one is forcing or forcing you - realizing this very thought, it is easy enough to abandon the harmful and destructive in your life.
Follow the rhythms of nature
The main recommendations are to get up according to the rhythm of the sun and go to bed according to the rhythms of the moon. The sun nourishes us if we get up before 6 am solar time, and the moon nourishes us if we go to bed before 10 pm. The sun gives faith in oneself, confidence in the future, faith in the Creator and the Universe, strength of mind, new opportunities for growth and development. The moon gives calmness, peace, beauty, youth, freshness, creativity and the ability to believe in a man. As soon as I began to live according to the lunar and solar rhythms, almost all anxieties and worries disappeared from my life, as if some higher forces began to support me. I stopped worrying about the future, I began to look much better, my productivity increased several times.
"Live without hurting anyone"
Don't harm the planet
Minimize the consumption of plastic cups, bags, even straws for cocktails. If you can, bring your own cup or thermos when you take coffee with you. Don't buy water - better refill your own bottle of water. Instead of buying a plastic bag from the store, bring your own shopping bag or purse. When you buy food, try not to take plastic bags - it's better to bring your own bags and jars and they will put everything in there for you.
If possible, do not use bags for garbage, but use your own bin. When you throw it away, just throw it in the trash and, when you bring it home, rinse it. So you save on garbage bags, and do not pollute the environment with excess plastic. Also try to choose clothes, dishes and bags marked recycle or organic, that is, recyclable and decomposing.
For inspiration, check out these ZERO WASTE related blogs:
Refuse the products of violence and murder
These are meat, fish and eggs. There is a lot of controversy about the fact that a person is an animal and we have fangs and some specific size of the intestine ... But no one rushes at chickens and pigs with bare teeth, like a predator! We instruct others, strangers to us, to kill them, then we boil or stew, season, and only then, when it looks more like a shapeless piece of food, do we eat. But on raw fruits, vegetables, herbs and roots, a person can “attack” with ease. Everything is pretty simple. No lion can tame a Chihuahua to be raised, fed and loved. But man, yes. We even have cartoons starring animals. I don’t think you would risk including a series of “Smeshariki” on your child, and then take him to a slaughterhouse and show how a pig is slaughtered, saying: “Look, this is Nyusha, we will eat it today.”
The same goes for industrial milk, where poor animals, stuffed with antibiotics and hormones, live their lives only to be sucked out of their milk. Do not wear leather or suede clothing. Ditch animal flesh and only buy dairy products from trusted, clean farmers, where cows receive proper care, care and living conditions. This will be an important contribution both to your body and to the environment: more than 80% of greenhouse gases are produced due to animal farms, and 1 kg of meat uses as many resources (water, electricity, land, food, space) as 100 kg vegetables and fruits. There is something to think about.
“Make your home as environmentally friendly as possible,
pure and natural"
Add some greenery
Let there be at least a few plants in your house - they produce pure oxygen, refresh, purify the atmosphere in the house. Some plants even take away bad energy. For example, orchids. Grow vegetables and herbs at home, on your balcony, windowsill, or in your home greenhouse.
Don't waste extra electricity
Unplug what you are not using. For example, a laptop for the night, a heater and underfloor heating if you do not really need them. It is better not to use an electric kettle, or at least heat exactly as much water in it as you need at the moment. Electricity is basically burned coal, the vapor of which affects the environment, destroys the ozone layer.
Separate trash
Separate trash if possible. In big cities there are bins for separate waste and points for receiving cardboard / plastic / glass for recycling. You can even get some money for this - the only question is how to store glass and paper in order to take them to the collection point once a week.
Opt for natural home care products
Replace chemical home care products with natural or even homemade ones as much as possible. Almost all air fresheners, for example, contain alcohol - and this is harmful to the skin, provokes allergies, feeds mold and has a very negative effect on the energy background of the house. Later, I will talk about homemade home care products.
"Prioritize Right"
Help organic businesses, eco-initiatives, farmers
If you have a choice - to go to the farmers' market for fresh products or go to Auchan near the house, it's better to go to the market. The food is better and fresher there, and besides, you will support this private farming initiative, which means you will contribute to the development and popularization of buying natural products from your hands. Farmers treat their plants with far less chemicals, don't ship semi-ripe fruit from South Africa, and generally don't wax apples.
If you have a choice - to buy clothes in a small store specializing in natural fabrics and an eco-friendly approach, or to arrange shopping in a huge mall full of synthetics, then choose the first. It is also very cool to sew to order from a good fabric or learn to do it yourself.
Remember that the new is the well-forgotten old
It also saves a lot of money and resources by buying dishes and clothes in second-hand stores, as well as at flea markets. It's a lot of fun, like going on a treasure hunt, and it also makes it look more unique. Almost all the wooden and aluminum utensils that my husband and I have at home are from such flea markets, as well as all outerwear, pants and some shoes. Of course, it is better to wash it several times and cleanse it of the subtle energy of the previous owner before you wear it. On Avito and similar resources you can find beautiful antique chairs, velvet sofas and many interesting books. Why buy new and pollute the world with unnecessary things, objects, equipment, if you can use what has already been done, while saving ten times more money?
Practice Charity
You can sell clothes, things and equipment that you don't need. Or you can give it to an orphanage or a charity second-hand store.
I remember when I worked in an orphanage, on Saturdays they brought gifts from philanthropists - the children pounced on the boxes and took apart toys, chocolates, clothes for themselves. Seeing this at least once, you would definitely give things and toys to the orphanage every month.
The same goes for financial donations. There are many foundations, temples and organizations that exist on donations - by helping them, you not only make the world a little better, but also improve karma and piety. If it's important to you. Of course, you need to be careful - you should not give money to a drunken man, lying around, as is usually the case, at the entrance to the temple. By sacrificing for alcohol, meat, any violence, you make the world worse - and accordingly worsen your karma. Better feed a homeless person vegetarian food, buy him nuts and fruits.
You can set aside two hours a week and volunteer at an orphanage, a nursing home, or help non-profit organizations in some way. Help them with what you can do - administration, teaching children, design, photography. Some programs allow you to go abroad and teach children English, art, and engage in art therapy with them. For example, a resource such as WWOOF helps to start cooperation with organizations in other countries.
By making the lives of other people a little better, we benefit the world and nature, which means we not only consume the resources around us, but also give something in return. Of course, if you have problematic relationships with loved ones, with self-acceptance, with your own sense of harmony and happiness, if you cannot solve basic problems and try to justify yourself or escape from reality with the help of volunteering, as more than half of the volunteers do (in my experience ), you better focus on the essentials. First, become happy and create a trusting, sincere atmosphere in communication and life with your family and with yourself. And only then it is possible to help other, “foreign” people. Only by being an absolutely realized, self-sufficient and fulfilled personality, one can sincerely begin to give one's love, care and help. Just like that and not vice versa.