About the blog

Sophie started Sustainably Lazy after having her first premature baby and was later diagnosed autistic at 31. She realised there was not a green living blog that represented her and the struggles she faced as an individual.

Sophie wants sustainable living to be accessible to everyone and encourages people to focus on what they can do rather than what doesn’t work for their families.

Her long honest captions on Instagram remind us all that there is no place for perfection in this movement and this has grown into a friendly, inclusive community.

Sophie helps people reduce their waste and change their mindset by providing beginner’s guides and information on a range of topics.

Being neurodivergent makes Sophie excellent at research. Her goal is to help parents make informed decisions about the brands they support and the products they buy by saving them money.

Having seen the effects of climate change first-hand while volunteering with a WASH charity in Africa, Sustainably Lazy takes a holistic approach to sustainability and prioritises human rights in her work.

About the creator

My name is Sophie Craik (she/her). I’m 34 and live on the South East coast of England with my neurodiverse family. I identify as PDA (demand avoidant autism) and am awaiting assessment for ADHD.

Because I struggle to communicate in a typical way, I find it hard to work with brands and post consistently. I might write 3 posts in one week and then nothing for a month. I understand this is not how I’m “supposed” to blog, but this is my corner of the internet and I do what works for me.

As a highly sensitive person who has struggled with my mental health my whole life, I am all about laid-back ethical living with a big dollop of empathy and honesty. I’m trying to be the best I’m able to be, and if I can help others along the way that’s a bonus.

I have a degree in contemporary dance and went into theatre production after university, before impulsively quitting my job to go to Africa where I was trained in international development and the Global Goals.

After that, I spent 4 years working in natural health where I was trained on ingredients and clean beauty.

I’ve been passionate about creative writing since I was a child; I created my first website at 15 to share my poetry and I’m also writing a novel.

I struggle to live happily in the way a neurotypical person would so I'm creating an eco-conscious lifestyle in a way that works for me and my blog (which is now my main job) has given me the freedom to do just that.

I appreciate everyone who has supported me on my journey!

Sustainability Experience

My eye-opening experience with the International Citizen Service in Tanzania helped me understand the importance of human rights in sustainable development. ICS is a UK government-funded programme that turns young people into active citizens through volunteering in some of the poorest countries in the world.

In 2015, I lived in a rural homestay with no technology, plumbing or electricity after receiving training on international development and sustainable development goals (now called the Global Goals). The purpose was to help us, the volunteers, integrate into the community whilst experiencing what life was like without our basic needs met.

Our team conducted a water and sanitation campaign based on the individual needs of the village and in partnership with local NGOs.

It was an unbelievably challenging experience that really opened my eyes to the injustice and inequality in the world.

I like to say that I learnt more from the villagers than they learnt from me! They had no toilets, no clean water, no appliances, just natural resources, pots and spades. They welcomed us with kindness from the minute we arrived in the Tanzanian village and showed us the benefits of a slow, connected way of life.

My relationship with consumerism and capitalism really changed after this and I’ve continued to educate myself on a variety of social justice and environmental issues ever since.