Mental wellness, sustainability, and community are interconnected concepts that need to be explored further as we approach the 2030s. If you are based in your local town, use the car less, cycle and recycle more, if you work from a shared office in the local community, buy sourdough from the town baker, if you breathe fresh air and have easy access to the outdoors and freedom, all of these things are inextricably linked to our mental wellbeing. Environmental factors such as climate change, air pollution, and natural disasters can have a negative impact on mental health. At the same time, community-driven sustainability initiatives can provide a sense of purpose, social support, and a feeling of connectedness that is essential for mental wellbeing.
Here are 7 approaches to transform your mental health in the community and overcome isolation whilst protecting the environment and ensuring the future of our planet.
- Connect to nature: Spending time in nature can benefit both mental health and sustainability efforts by fostering a sense of connectedness and appreciation for the natural world. Use walking poles to improve posture and balance, improve joint pain and improve your mood and confidence. They can be bought for anything from £14 to hundreds of pounds (if you happen to be trekking in the Himalayas). I started to use Nordic walking poles when I lived in Norway years ago and I haven’t looked back. 20% more exercise, using the upper body muscles whilst you walk is a no-brainer for me.
- Have a sense of purpose: Community-driven sustainability initiatives can provide a sense of purpose and fulfilment, which can positively impact mental health. Fear and anxiety about the future of the planet and the impact of climate change can take a toll on mental health. Climate anxiety is a real threat to mental wellness in young people in 2023. And the loss of biodiversity and damage to the environment can cause feelings of grief and despair especially in the young, affecting mental health. Channelling feelings of helplessness into environmental campaigns can reboot a depressed system, renewing motivation and reclaiming a sense of control. This is such a fun enterprise and you meet really good, fun people.
- Actively encourage social support: stresses in daily life and particularly during the tough periods of one’s life we all face periodically can negatively impact wellbeing leading to anxiety and depression and added to this a host of other stressors like air pollution, climate change, pandemics and natural disasters can also negatively impact our health and well-being. Actively engaging in support groups and carrying out activities in your locality with others creates a sense of community and social interconnectedness, which is essential for mental health.
- Fight for environmental justice: Environmental inequalities and injustices can disproportionately affect marginalized communities, leading to mental health disparities. Learn more about this area by setting up or joining focus groups.
- Be conscious of the downsides of consumerism and materialism: Overconsumption and the pursuit of material possessions can negatively impact both mental health and sustainability efforts.
- Make active transportation a priority: biking or walking can improve physical and mental health. Use the stairs instead of the lift, park a mile away from the office and keep your trainers on standby in the car, if you’re working remotely build a 20 minute walk, twice a day, into your schedule. 2 miles a day is perfect and you will soon feel the benefits of being outdoors and see the benefits in your fitness. Use Nordic poles!!
- Fight for more green spaces in cities: Creating and maintaining green spaces in urban areas can benefit both mental health and sustainability efforts by providing opportunities for recreation and promoting biodiversity.
As we approach the 2030s, by spending more time in nature engaging in ecotherapy, setting up support groups in our local community, participating in conservation projects and campaigning for a better future, we can cultivate deeper connections to each other and to the planet that sustains us whilst simultaneously improving our mental wellbeing. It’s time to equate our mental health with the wellness of the people around us and the health of the environment in order to build a more sustainable future and become psychologically more resilient in the process.