You can make a difference!

The problem

Climate catastrophe, environmental protection, sustainability, zero waste, minimalism. All of these terms can be overwhelming. Everything seems cutting edge and super urgent. “We don’t have any time left”, “When will something finally change?”, “The future generations are lost” – these are all sentences that are often used in connection with the topics just mentioned. Almost everyone who grapples with these issues, even slightly, will at some point ask themselves what they can do and how they can make a difference. 

If you talk to other people about topics such as a meatless diet or environmental protection, you will quickly hear the statement: “It won't change anything in the world if I suddenly stop eating meat / do without straws / travel by plane less / …” . And because too many people think like that, we live in the world we live in. I can understand the approach behind the idea. After all, in our society we often get the feeling that an individual is insignificant. The world seems huge and these problems should be solved by “powerful” people like politicians. 

What's behind it...

...but is actually fear. It's easier for me to ignore or deny difficult situations or problems because then I don't have to deal with them anymore. When it comes to ignoring personal problems, it catches up with us at some point. A tax return, an argument, an illness – after all, these things cannot be swept under the carpet forever.

However, when it comes to sustainability issues, I see two difficulties. On the one hand, the effects of the problems seem to lie extremely far into the future. As a result, we don’t recognize the urgency of the problem and subconsciously think: “I can take care of that later.” The second difficulty I see is that you don't immediately have the feeling of being personally affected. We are doing so well (at least in this part of the world) that we can't even imagine that things might no longer be that way at some point. Water, a balanced climate or food are fundamental things for us that are almost always available - they are simply there. The idea that there could be food shortages or more extreme weather conditions seems so absurd that we immediately erase these images from our minds. 

I think that you can learn something from our grandparents when it comes to this. Many of them experienced the war – and its consequences. The circumstances were of course different and they may not have had as much influence on the situations as we do now. But often sustainable behavior, an appreciative approach to material and non-material things and an attitude towards waste are things that we can learn from them or help us question ourselves.
By the way, you can find here some sustainability tips that we can learn from older generations.

Back to the point

The point is that the impact will certainly come and that we are and will be personally affected. That's why it's all the sadder how many still turn a blind eye or feel like they alone can't make a difference. 

What can I do?

Now let’s get to how you can make a difference. 

The problem with cognitive dissonance

In my opinion, one of the best things you can do is be a positive role model for others. However, it is better not to behave in an intrusive or proselytizing manner, as this can quickly backfire. If I accuse someone of being wasteful or polluting the environment, they immediately go on the defensive. Because in this moment the other person's ego is hurt - the person realizes that I am actually "right" with what I say, but doesn't want to admit it to themselves - because then he or she would be a "bad person". A cognitive dissonance arises in the head of the person being addressed: the behavior contradicts what one knows is actually right. 

This feels uncomfortable and people have various options to resolve this cognitive dissonance. Either he changes his behavior (and brings a reusable coffee cup with him on the next coffee date, for example) or he changes his thoughts (and thinks things like “This one more plastic cup doesn’t make a difference”). In such cases, changing your thoughts is often easier than changing your own behavior. After all, this requires time, effort and discipline. And at this point we're back to denying problems. People deny that one straw/plastic cup/whatever makes a difference in the world. So he or she doesn't have to adjust his or her behavior at first. The other person, in the example me, is then reacted defensively - because you don't want to question your own behavior.

Do your thing!

Long story short – just do your thing. This will rub off on others quicker than you think. Just by paying more attention to what I buy or how it is packaged, by refusing plastic packaging or straws if possible, or by telling people that I have made an environmentally friendly cleaning product myself or bought my clothes second hand, this can also change change the attitudes of those around me. Because this time they don't feel attacked, but inspired. You think: “If she can do it, then I can do it too.” Or: “It doesn’t seem to be that difficult.” 

So you don't have to become the perfect zero-wastler or the next Greta Thunberg (although of course there's nothing wrong with that  ). A lot can change just by being a positive role model for other people. So you can probably make a difference – a really big one! This makes you a #sustainabilityinfluencer. Okay, maybe that's not a title you necessarily aspire to. But the environment will thank you. And the excuse “I can’t change anything anyway” is history from today onwards. 

None of us are perfect. The path to a sustainable, waste-free and environmentally friendly life is not always easy and requires perseverance. But if you do what YOU can, then you will make a very positive contribution to a better world. Get started and see how your environment changes too. Sometimes people just need someone to show them how it's done. And that person can be you. Isn't that enough?

If you liked this and would like to learn more about healthy eating, mindfulness or sustainability, check out many other exciting blog articles on these topics here .