How do I deal with my eco-anxiety?

Eco-anxiety is real and usually strikes you when you’re trying to make the world a better place. What can you do when it hits?

If you’re into sustainable living, there’s a huge chance you’ve suffered from eco-anxiety at least one. I sure have a couple of times. Like any sort of anxiety, it doesn’t go away overnight. It never goes away. Ever! You just need to know how to manage and roll with it.

Despite having my sustainable lifestyle sort of figured out and the tools to manage my anxiety, every now and then my eco-anxiety hits. Especially when I unconsciously compare myself to other people.

Before I get started on how I deal with my eco-anxiety these days, let me tell you how it all started.

My first eco-anxiety episode

Funny thing. My first eco-anxiety episode happened when I was about to embark on my eco-friendly journey. Not because I was afraid of how it would impact my lifestyle, but because I thought I would fail at it.

At that time I was reading Bea Johnson’s book, considered a referent in the field. The more I read, the more overwhelmed I felt. I just couldn’t picture myself putting all those things into practice while keeping my current lifestyle: working over 8 hours per day, followed by a long commute. 

Somehow I felt that I needed to quit my job and turn my life around, to save the planet. Fortunately, after that initial shock, I decided to put just a couple of swaps into practice and see how I adjusted.

How do I handle my eco-anxiety?

Being aware of my limitations

No matter how much I want to save the world, I need to be aware of my limitations. Whether we’re talking about time, money, skills, and geographical location.

I know that buying in bulk and package free items is best for the environment, but if I don’t have a zero waste store anywhere near me… I need to come up with a Plan B that works for me. Like buying bigger packages (if it’s a long-lasting product) or shop at my neighborhood stores. Which allows me to support the local economy and buying food while walking.

Another thing that happens to me quite often is seeing some interesting eco-friendly product whose price is prohibitive for me or that had to be shipped from the other side of the world. In these situations, I end up looking for an alternative that is easy to find locally and that has a similar effect.

Being consistent rather than perfect

Instead of driving myself crazy trying to be the perfect sustainable enthusiast, I prefer to stick to a handful of eco-friendly practices and do these on a daily basis.

Like taking reusable bags when I go grocery shopping, using recycled bin bags, opting for reusable cotton rounds instead of disposable ones, purchasing environmental-friendly items, or even making my own laundry detergent. 

I am aware that trying to do it all perfectly, will only make my anxiety spike. Just like when I was trying to reduce my plastic usage and suddenly saw plastics everywhere. And this is not healthy. Not for you, nor for those around you.

I believe that our mission as sustainable living enthusiasts is to inspire others to do some swaps to help the environment, no matter how small these are, instead of making them feel bad for not being on the same level as you are.

Staying away from sustainable living groups

It’s perfectly normal to look up for peers and support when you’re getting started on something new, whether it’s a new hobby, moving abroad, or becoming more eco-friendly.

While, at first, I was able to find support and inspiration on these. Nowadays, I find nothing but judgment and criticism. Suddenly, we are all big experts on sustainable living and we are doing everything better than our next-door neighbor. 

I am not saying that some people actually know what they’re talking about, but given the divergent messages on the same topic… some things mustn’t be exactly like that.

Even though I’ve been spending less and less time on social media these days, because of how negative it can be for my mental health (and finances), pretty much every single time I read the comments on one of these posts, I can’t avoid feeling mad about people’s attitudes.

As I’ve said before, it’s about being an advocate and inspiring others. Not making them feel miserable while trying something new for the first time.

Accepting that greenwashing is everywhere

Being sustainable is trendy these days. Suddenly, every company cares and their products are now more sustainable than ever. After working with brands for over a decade, I am not saying that some of these are committed to changing their practices and becoming more eco-conscious. 

However, it’s hard for me to buy from a brand that says “we care” while they’re paying meager salaries to the ones who made those clothes.

So, when I have the time, I try to do some research on that new product and get some further info if it’s actually sustainable.

Choosing long-lasting over eco-friendly when needed

The other day a friend of mine asked me: “what can I do if all the eco-friendly swimsuits I find are around 100 euros and definitely not my size?”

My answer was “invest in something with quality and that you can wear for years if the material is not as eco-friendly as you’d like”.

By buying a long-lasting and timeless piece, she won’t have to buy a new swimsuit every year. Which means saving money and the environment at the same time.

Even though I have a couple of sustainable fashion pieces in my closet, I can’t tell these aren’t the majority. Either because of financial reasons, usability or style. So, nowadays, I prefer to invest in higher quality pieces that I absolutely love and that I wear over and over again (for years).