Mindfulness and pro-environmental behaviour go hand in hand. Being aware of your impact and feeling a connection with nature allows you to take a global view of sustainability.
Mindfulness unlocks the happiness deep in you and reduces your dependence on material consumption. Let us explore how you can reduce the environmental impact caused by consumerism starting today.
Mindfulness Is the Bridge to Becoming One With Nature
Recent studies have identified a correlation between mindfulness and same-day connectedness with nature, as well as an ongoing improvement in well-being and pro-environmental behaviour.
Awareness of our impact on Mother Nature fosters empathy, compassion, and other pro-environmental values. Being fully present helps us engage with our environment by actively participating in our community.
By helping others to connect with nature, we nurture a more profound sense of care and responsibility regarding biodiversity loss, climate change, and overexploitation.
The connectedness with nature encourages people to spend time in nature and fosters a virtuous cycle of well-being and environmental advocacy.
Aside from advocacy, taking short walks and interacting with nature has been associated with reduced stress levels and improved mental health and social well-being.
Mindfulness Promotes Intrinsic Values & Reduces Consumption
Today's consumer-driven society constantly pushes us to buy more at the expense of our well-being and quality time with our loved ones. This chase of inanimate objects leads us down a path of unfulfilling consumption.
Slowing down and becoming conscious of things in your life that truly matter is the cornerstone of mindfulness. You will no longer feel the need to reach out to materialistic possessions.
A sense of intrinsic value will get you off the "hedonic treadmill," a path where a consumer constantly chases after short-lived materialistic happiness. After the initial excitement passes, the consumer returns to the chase.
You will escape the hedonic treadmill by recalibrating your focus toward intrinsic values that matter.
Pursuing happiness from within promotes well-being by setting you on a path to find long-term fulfilment from non-materialistic experiences. It also leads to more sustainable purchasing patterns.
By focusing on minimalism, you will start to understand the real value of your possessions, making you more inclined to participate in the circular economy — reduce, reuse, recycle.
Mindful Meditation & Eco-Friendly Behaviour
A scientific article suggests that mindfulness meditation is a potential strategy to develop our society's ecological awareness.
By acknowledging our PEB actions, no matter how little, we feel a greater sense of well-being and a connection to the environment.
It is essential to be aware of how your day-to-day actions impact the environment. You can then analyse your patterns and create less ecological waste.
Ask yourself the following questions during your mindfulness meditation:
How does my everyday life impact nature?
What changes can I make to reduce my carbon footprint?
How can I embrace a circular economy of life?
Being conscious of every step you take and slowly adapting pro-environmental behaviour may inspire others to do the same, amplifying your efforts.
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