Emotions and the environment
I thought, as per usual, I would just dive right in with a pretty serious topic for my first forum. Emotions and the environment.
I guess the reason for this is that every time I talk with people about living more sustainably so many emotions come up. Good and bad. And when someone is asking your advice on what shampoo to use, or what your take is on nuclear power stations, it’s hard to pause the conversation and take a detour along a more personal route.
I rarely get the opportunity, or have the time, to ask what they feel about it all, why they look so tense or what I can do to help?
I think guilt can be a huge emotion that we all struggle with. We feel guilty that we aren’t doing enough. Then we also feel guilty about the things we are doing, and buying, that we know are damaging to the environment. Admitting to this guilt is also hard because we feel ashamed.
So often we want to spend our time on immediately productive activity or change when the real long lasting change and productivity comes from hunkering down into our feelings. If we can get out of a spiral of guilt and shame (even powerlessness - that is a massive one when it comes to us and the environment) then we can focus. We can breathe. And our intentions can find life and fulfillment without fear and anxiety.
Our emotions around the environment are hard enough without piling on how we feel about how we feel!
Now, I’m not saying we all have to do this or that we must wallow in the hard stuff. It takes a certain level of capacity to deal with our emotions and there have been many times over the last few years where I have not been able to go there. And that’s ok. No extra pressure.
If you do have capacity great. We can do this in drips and drabs. Or take some time out and get deep real fast.
Some of us are better with navigating our emotions than others. Some have better experience and / or tools. Start with what you know and can do.
Here are some questions that may help you to process. Do these alone, with a friend or gather some people to do it together.
What inspires you to care for the environment?
What do you find difficult about your sustainability journey? How does that make you feel?
What do you enjoy about your sustainability journey? How does that make you feel?
What ways can we be kind to ourselves and others to come out of our guilt and shame spiral?