How to manage eco-anxiety, with Serena Lee Chua

If you’re anything like us and many of our members, you want to try your best to live a sustainable lifestyle. But sometimes the world of sustainability feels a bit like a minefield. And the pressure of trying to do what’s right can take its toll on us mentally.

If you don’t know, there’s a term for what some folk might be feeling in this situation: eco-anxiety.

So what do you do when you can’t be as green as you want to be? How do you cope with the guilt of letting your sustainable morals slip? And is there a way to combat eco-anxiety once and for all?

Well our guest blogger this week, Serena Lee Chua (@serenaleechua), might have an answer for you.

“Plant-based, low waste, slow living.” That’s the motto that wellness and sustainability influencer, Serena, lives by. But, to paraphrase Kermit the Frog: it ain’t always easy being green.

In this week’s blog, Serena shares her experience with eco-anxiety and how she came to terms with it. And she reveals her manifesto for a green, guilt-free mindset.

Managing eco-anxiety

Hi, I’m Serena Lee. And I’m here to tell you all about my sustainable lifestyle journey.

I’ve tried my best to have a lower impact on the planet for a decade or so now. But pre-motherhood, I found it way easier to educate myself and be active in the climate emergency space. I had more time to listen, watch, and read. I gave talks, took part in panels, and attended protests.

And now? Two children, a pandemic, and half a house renovation later, I often find myself dipping into a state of eco-anxiety; feeling ashamed by everything I should be, but don’t have time to do.

I want to fight for systemic change, but I haven’t slept a full night since June 2019 (I remember the exact date because it was such a blessing). I make individual changes, but am currently living on a building site, often opting for paper cups because we only have one tap, two floors up, and the crockery gets covered in a layer of dust every day.

I feel overwhelmed by the reality that I’m just one person. Am I really making any difference?

It’s taken years to craft my own manifesto for living sustainably in a way that also supports my mental health. But now that I feel like I’ve finally struck the right balance, I’d love to share it with you.

A manifesto for a green, guilt-free lifestyle

Repeat after me:

• I commit to doing my best for the planet, with the knowledge that I have, and the circumstances I am in today
• My best will vary from one day to the next. I am keen to learn, and my knowledge will increase. As my circumstances fluctuate, so will my “best”.
• When I go to bed each night, only I, myself, truly know whether I have done my best, with the knowledge and circumstances I have today.
• I will not blame myself for my past actions that were based on a lack of knowledge.
• *As for past actions wherein I knowingly didn’t do my best, I will allow the guilt that I feel to inspire me to do better in future, starting now. Because there is no Planet B.
• I cannot pour from an empty cup, and I understand that rest is essential. Doing my best begins with looking after myself.
• To be the most efficient vessel for environmental activism, I must first focus on my own mental health.
• I must treat myself as softly and with as much love as I treat Mother Nature, because I am her and she is me. We are one, and we are a force for positive change.

What does this mean in practice?

My green, guilt-free manifesto means not beating myself up every time I’m not perfect, but equally, not making excuses for myself.

Only we can judge our own energy, our own ability, our own intentions. Listen to your conscience and act accordingly. This approach can work for any situation in life.

For example, if you feel deep down that you can muster the energy to write to your MP about an issue that riles you up, do it! If you’re buying a new phone, but worried about the environmental impact, make a simple switch by choosing a refurbished phone (which can be up to 80% greener).

But then again, if the best your energy level can allow for right now is to just share the work of an activist you follow, then acknowledge that that’s still something.

If you spend time on social media, be sure to follow a whole range of eco influencers. From those who take the government to court (go, Mikaela Loach!) to those who give useful advice on how to make plastic-free swaps in your home.

For me, the key to building a greener mindset is to never stop listening and learning.

The best thing I have done for my eco-anxiety is realise my own limitations and find a happy medium. Not burning myself out, but also not getting complacent.

Doing my best doesn’t mean being the best. It’s not a competition. Everyone wins when we each do the best we can.

Hear more from Serena

If you like what you’ve read today, then be sure to follow Serena on her journey living sustainable lifestyle and through motherhood.

Also be sure to keep your eyes on the giffgaff Instagram (@giffgaffmobile) for more tips and advice about mental health and sustainability. Or join the conversation and share your own tips in the giffgaff Community forum thread.

And, don’t forget, we have regular content on the giffgaff blog. Where we share tips and guides to living sustainably, as well as for your wellbeing.