Every time ... Sweep before you Vacuum

If you sweep first you will then vacuum less. The benefits of implementing this tip are manifold:

Economic/Practical

• save money on vacuum bags, especially if you have furry animals around the house
  
• be more likely to notice and retrieve small items that have fallen to the floor

Health

• burn more calories
  
• subject your household members' nervous systems to less mechanical noise pollution

Green

• less bags used, therefore less energy and raw materials used to manufacture vacuum bags
  
• less energy used and pollution produced by shipping vacuum bags to stores
  
• less frequent (possibly carbon-burning) trips to the store to get vacuum bags
  
• less electricity burned due to reduced vacuuming time
  
• less waste produced because less bags in the waste stream
  
• your vacuum will last longer, saving additional materials, energy and waste

Mental and Emotional Health

• rhythmic activity is beneficial and therapeutic
  
• sweeping (like many other household "chores") can be enjoyed as an interlude that lends itself well to calm planning, letting suppressed thoughts and emotions surface, meditation or free-wheeling thought

Metaphysical *

• the act of sweeping one's path in front of one physically aids in keeping one's path through life clean and clear on the astral plane, which is something only you can do for yourself and which one gets better at with practice **

* look for a post some day soon on my decision to include metaphysical observations, learning and personal experience and theory in this blog

** I was lucky to have a dream once in which I was crossing a plane of light, on foot, deliberately and patiently and meditatively sweeping just in front of myself before taking the next step. This 5-second dream was actually a huge vision for me.