Anxiety Crops up protecting nature as well!
Eco-anxiety is a common problem for people who love nature. They worry about being irresponsible if they leave trash behind, whether their actions will harm animals or plants, and even whether they might cause global warming.
If you suffer from eco-anxiety, then chances are you also struggle with other forms of anxiety. There is a high correlation between environmental concerns and different anxiety disorders.
What are the signs that you have ‘eco-anxiety?
- You feel guilty when you see trash or litter in the environment.
- You find yourself constantly trying to do more than your fair share for the
environment. - You obsess over the idea of causing harm to the environment.
- You often feel like an outsider in your community because you don’t fit in with
people who only care about themselves and not about the world around them. - You spend time alone thinking about how you could make a difference for the
environment. - Your feelings towards the environment change very quickly depending on what’s
happening in the news. - You’re worried about global warming.
- You think about the future of the planet all the time.
- You get angry at people who pollute the environment.
- You try to convince others to be more responsible.
- You want to live in a self-sufficient city where everything can be recycled.
- You feel compelled to recycle items that were previously thrown out.
- You’ve started recycling before you knew what it was really about.
- You feel anxious when you hear about someone else’s negative experience in the
environment. - You know that you should take better care of the environment, but you don’t know
what to do. - You feel like you’re missing something important by not caring enough about the
environment. - You hate going outside because you fear that you’ll hurt something.
- It takes a lot of effort to keep up with new environmental information.
- You feel like you’re doing too much, so you start cutting back on things you enjoy.
- You feel trapped in an unhappy relationship with the environment.
- You feel helpless when it comes to making changes in your life to improve the
environment. - You feel guilty about taking short showers instead of taking long, hot baths.
- You feel like you’re missing something important by not caring enough about the
environment. - You’re afraid of getting sick from eating organic food.
- You avoid certain foods because you believe they are bad for the environment.
- You feel guilty about using air conditioning.
- You feel guilty because you use plastic bags.
- You feel guilty about the amount of electricity used by lights and computers.
- You feel guilty for wasting water while brushing your teeth.
- You feel guilty for keeping your thermostat set higher during the summer months.
- You feel guilty for turning off lights after leaving a room.
- You feel guilty when you go shopping and waste money buying unnecessary
products. - You feel guilty when you buy clothes made from non-recyclable materials.
- You feel guilty when you throw away old newspapers.
- You feel guilty about using paper towels.
- You feel guilty about throwing garbage into the dumpster.
- You feel guilty about taking disposable plates and cups.
- You feel guilty about consuming meat.
- You feel guilty about driving to places that aren’t close to home.
- You feel guilty about using public transportation.
- You feel guilty about using plastics.
- You feel guilty about having pets.
- You feel guilty about using pesticides.
Are these symptoms typical?
Yes, most of the things that I listed above are perfectly normal. I’m sure that you’ve experienced some of these things before. Maybe you did it subconsciously. Now that you’re aware of it, perhaps you can stop it. The suggestions below will help you become less anxious about your environmental problems.
1) Get Organized
The first step is to organize your thoughts about the environment. This means writing down your ideas and fears. Write down everything that you think or say about the environment. Write down everything that occurs to you as you read articles online or watch television programs. When you write these notes, make sure that you include any emotions you may have.
2) Make A Plan Of Action
After you’ve written your thoughts and feelings down, you can begin thinking of possible solutions to your worries. Make a list of all the different things you could do to help the environment. Then choose one of them to work on next. Choose carefully. Don’t get overwhelmed with all the options that you have. Pick one option to tackle next.
3) Start Small
Start small. If you want to save energy, try turning off lights when you leave rooms. If you’re going to reduce pollution, turn off your car’s engine when you park it. Start with small changes in the environment. These changes won’t seem overwhelming at first.
4) Be Patient
Doing anything new takes time. It takes time to learn how to drive an automatic transmission vehicle, and it also takes time to develop skills for being environmentally responsible. So be patient. Keep practicing until you feel comfortable with whatever change you decide to make.
5) Reward Yourself For Your Efforts
It’s easy to forget what you’ve done once you stop doing it. To keep yourself motivated, give yourself rewards for making progress. For example, if you cut back on your driving, reward yourself with a nice dinner out. If you start recycling, reward yourself with a day off.
6) Ask For Help
Sometimes we need someone else to remind us of our efforts. So ask friends or family members for support, and they’ll know what you’re going through.
7) Find Out Who Else Is Doing What You Are Trying To Do
There’s no reason why you should have to reinvent the wheel. There are lots of people who already do what you want to do. Learn about their actions and use those as models for your plans.
8) Talk About Your Concerns
Once you understand what others are doing, you might feel more confident about your efforts. Talking about your concerns helps you realize that other people share your views.
9) Try To Change Others’ Minds
Sometimes you don’t have control over whether or not someone believes something. But you can influence the way they think by convincing them.
10) Take Time Off From Being An Environmentalist
We all need breaks sometimes. Remember to take breaks from trying to help the environment.
11) Think Positively
Your attitude affects your behavior. And positive thinking has been proven effective in changing behaviors.
12) Seek Professional Advice
If you still have questions about your eco-anxiety, seek professional advice.
13) Get Involved In The Community
You can help the environment by getting involved in your community. By volunteering for environmental charities, you can make a difference.
14) Give Back To Nature
Nature deserves respect. When you clean up litter around your house, you’re helping preserve character.
15) Live A Balanced Life
To live a balanced life, you need to balance your activities between personal interests and environmental issues.
Will living in a self-sufficient city help me overcome ‘Eco-Anxiety’?
Living in a self-sufficient city is probably the best thing you can do right now to improve your life. An autonomous town means that there will be less dependence on fossil fuels, and this makes the air cleaner since cars aren’t spewing gases into the atmosphere. Also, because there are fewer cars, there will be fewer traffic jams, and fewer traffic jams mean better air quality.
Conclusion
In today’s world, naturalists deal with this problem of ‘Eco-Anxiety.’ Remember that together we can tackle all the obstacles that crop up. Do not allow these things to affect you mentally and physically. Always try to remain fruitfully and practice sustainability. Have this thought that you are entirely contributing to society how much you can.