With the world slowly dying from pollution, climate change, over-harvesting, carbon emissions, deforestation, etc., we must take on the role of helping the environment regain its natural beauty and vigor. We can no longer stand in the sidelines and watch the world wither away. We owe it to our children and our children’s children to have a life surrounded by the beauty of nature. A suggestion that I always give is living a life of being eco-friendly.
So, you may be wondering what an eco-friendly life is. An eco-friendly life is a lifestyle that ensures that a person is living in a way that is not harmful to the environment. This is a way for us to live life fully without the repercussions of pollution and other environmental killers. Through this way of living, we are not just taking care of the environment, but also taking care of our physical health.
As important as it is to take care of our physical health, it is also important that we can take care of our mental health. This is, too, is very much achievable with an eco-friendly life, if not more. An eco-friendly lifestyle can have a dramatic effect on our mental health. Moreover, an eco-friendly life is known to reduce carbon emissions, which can help reduce our influence on nature’s death.
In a report conducted by Natural England, it has been noted that people who participate in nature-based activities have a lower risk of facing mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and stress. Another thing you can do is to join a community that also lead an eco-friendly life. This way, you are surrounded by like-minded people who understand the ways of green life. You will then have a support system that encourages you throughout your journey. This gives you a sense of belongingness and acceptance that humans naturally crave for. Being in a community like this gives you a chance to connect with people without anxiety on whether or not you will be accepted or understood.
Leading a green life may start with one, but this eventually will impact a change in more people. This will lead to more people leading a healthier life, and it gives us a feeling of fulfillment that trumps our feelings of not being enough. Having a chance to feel like you have made an accomplishment can affect your mental health. It moves you away from depression and anxiety, and it also gives you happiness that may not have come easy while experiencing mental health issues.
However, there is also something called eco-anxiety. This term was coined up around ten years ago when a group of scientists was worried that their research would cause a great deal of guilt on residents who would watch the environmental news coverage. People who experience this feel a heightened sense of anxiety that is caused by one single thing, environmental destruction.
Back in 2017, the American Psychiatric Association produced a lengthy report on the impacts of climate change on our human psyche. This report stated gradual, and yet long term changes in climate can also bring up a lot of different emotions from people such as anger, fear, exhaustion, and powerlessness. Eco-anxiety can, therefore, induce mental health issues such as stress and depression. It can strain social and community relationships, and it has even been linked to increased aggression, violence, and crime. This environmentally induced anxiety can eventually lead to a decline in physical health, and in some cases, it can lead to diseases.
We all have a role to play in this issue, and it is because of humans that the earth is now struggling to survive, which is why it is also up to us to create ways to protect and preserve what is left of our environment. We are all responsible to future generations who will no longer experience the kind of life that we do with nature. There will always be a way for us to help the world as we know it, and it is only through the actions that we can save our home.
There may be many triggers for mental health issues. Still, environmental degradation is on the trigger that can wipe out the entire human race, and we must start making advances in protecting our planet. This is not just about protecting the earth, but it is also you helping yourself live a life that is healthier and happier. Living an eco-life is more than just reducing, reusing, and recycling. It is also about changing your life to become a source of inspiration for the whole community. The change will start with one so, be that change.