The beginning of every year starts with resolutions. The resolutions of losing weight, improving sleeping habits, working towards the goal, and whatnot. But as the world has witnessed the pandemic, the new resolution to the list is working and improving mental health. Among the most common mental health issues experienced by the world in the last few years, eco-anxiety has become prominent.
A new year is a perfect time to take a resolution of eco-anxiety by living a sustainable life. It will benefit your mental health and will also profit the planet. Let’s understand a little more about eco-anxiety, and talk about the tips that will help you live a sustainable life with zero eco-anxiety.
What is Eco-Anxiety?
Eco-anxiety is the term used for people who worry, fear, or panic about climate change. Those worries affect individuals’ daily lives, and they feel guilty about the environmental change. For example, if you have difficulty sleeping or are unable to focus on work due to climate change, then you are suffering from eco-anxiety.
Eco-anxiety may also be associated with one or more specific environmental disasters. For example, after a tsunami, people may be constantly afraid of another tsunami, and their lives may be constantly in chaos. Eco-anxiety is a fight against climate change.
Symptoms of Eco-Anxiety
There are a few symptoms that can help you identify whether you or someone around you is suffering from eco-anxiety or not.
-
Feeling guilt related to your carbon footprint.
-
Feeling stressed after experiencing the effects of climate change.
-
Grief over the loss of the natural environment or wildlife populations.
-
Obsessive thoughts about the climate.
-
Anger or frustration, towards the people who are not concerned about climate change.
Where does it come from?
Mother Earth is our first home. Without the earth, we wouldn’t exist. It is natural to have a certain attachment to nature. But being anxious is not good for health and nature either. For several reasons, one can get eco-anxiety. We have listed a few of them.
Experience
Hearing about the disaster or the effects of climate change is one thing, but experiencing it is quite another. Facing tough times such as hurricanes, tsunamis, wildfires that lead to the loss of loved ones' lives is the vital cause of eco-anxiety.
Your Impact
Feelings of guilt and shame about your impact on the environment can be paired with feelings of helplessness driven by ticking time to bring about change. You can take a few steps to reduce your digital carbon footprint and pollution, but you will not be able to solve the climate change problem on your own.
The News
You can not stay away from the news. The increasing media reports are a sign of environmental awareness, but they do not always inspire motivation. Sometimes the news articles lead to stress, shock, and grief.
Tips to Help You Live a Sustainable Life with Zero Eco-Anxiety on Budget
-
There are always limits to living sustainability in every country, and those are ruled by the government and the industries. Once you understand the framework of sustainability limits in your country, you can begin to make changes. You will know the changes you cannot make due to the limitations in the country.
-
To live a sustainable life, it is not important to make big sacrifices. Make small changes and look for the things you can do without in your daily life to fight against climate change.
-
Educate yourself about the products you are using. Make sure they are eco-friendly and don’t lead you into a falsehood.
-
Be sure about the things you want to purchase. Also, purchase sustainable products on sale. These sales reduce the cost of sustainable products, and further help to live a sustainable life on a budget.
-
While online shopping, opt to have your packages arrive together. This not only reduces the amount of packaging used but also reduces the carbon footprint of your purchase.
-
You can use tools like The Good Trade, Ecosia, and the Ecological Footprint Calculator. These resources will help you calculate your carbon footprint and rate your sustainable practices.
Conclusion
You cannot change the world alone, but you can change the world inside you. Emotional imbalance related to climate change seems like serious damage to many people’s mental health.
One of the easiest things you can do for yourself is to try to live a sustainable life. Sustainable development will not only help you to overcome your eco-anxiety, but it will also benefit the planet. Try these easy tips in your daily life to live a sustainable and mentally healthy year.
We at OpenGrowth, are committed to keeping you updated with the best content on the latest trendy topics from any major field. Also, both your feedback and suggestions are valuable to us. So, do share them in the comment section below.
