Overcoming Eco-Guilt + Taking Small Steps for the Planet

The 50th Anniversary of Earth Day happened this week. And wasn’t it fitting that Mother Earth had a day of self-care all to herself this year? Humankind showed their gratitude by clearing out the beaches, trails, mountains and parks — and subsequently keeping litter, foot traffic and carbon emissions to a minimum. While we couldn’t celebrate the holiday with festivals, 5Ks and events, this may have actually been the happiest Earth Day yet.

To be completely transparent, I didn’t start to take environmental issues seriously until a few years ago, as I delved head-first into the sustainable clothing world. However, I have felt “eco-guilt” most of my life — although I hadn’t heard the term until recently.

What is eco-guilt, you ask? Essentially, eco-guilt is the feeling of inadequacy towards personal environmental efforts, where you feel like you aren’t doing enough to help the planet. That you should be doing more.

And if you’re a Gen Xer, millennial or Gen Zer, you might be feeling an extra dose of eco-guilt, having inherited the systemic issues set in place by those before us, while we live on to clean things up. But that’s a topic for another time!

Sure, eco-guilt has the potential to propel us towards action, but quite often, it causes tremendous discouragement and inevitably, inaction. It puts the weight of the “world” (somewhat literally) on our shoulders, as if we should be able to solve such massive issues single-handedly. Yet we all know that’s completely unrealistic and impossible.

Rather than giving up on our planet in defeat, I challenge us to tackle eco-guilt head on in order to move past it and work together towards a healthier, greener planet. And here are a few ways we can do that:

Celebrate Your Successes

If you’re reading this, it’s likely you care about the planet in some shape or form. Take a moment to celebrate the small change or changes you’ve already made for Mother Earth, such as recycling, composting, or even just avoiding straws or bottled water. It’s important to realize how far you’ve come in these areas, and give yourself a pat on the back for your efforts thus far.

Understand Your Limitations

It may sound depressing, but you are just one human in the midst of billions making their own decisions day in and day out. This doesn’t mean your impact doesn’t matter, but it does mean it’s not your fault that there are major systemic issues at play beyond your control. Understanding your limitations can significantly reduce guilt.

Choose Your Battles

Understand that you won’t ever be completely perfect in any area, and it’s okay to choose your battles. Situations will arise where you need to make compromises, and it won’t be the end of the world (no pun intended).

Focus on One Major Category

I don’t know about you, but I don’t imagine I will ever be fully living off the land, making my own bread and sewing my own clothes. That sounds cute and all, but it’s just not something I see in my future. Instead, I plan on choosing one major category to do well — and for me, that’s sustainable clothing. Shopping secondhand (and only buying what I need at the thrift store!) is something I feel passionate about — and is fun and relatively easy for me to do. Choose your category and excel at that, and then you can move onto the next one. Personally, I’m looking forward to learning more about composting and gardening!

Take Small Steps

No one transitions into a sustainable, eco-friendly home overnight. In fact, I would argue that a sudden pivot can actually be unsustainable. Immediately throwing away all plastic containers and bags, fast fashion pieces or other unapproved items is not the answer. Instead, slowly make small changes in your life, like using reusable bags at the grocery store (still haven’t mastered this myself because we use a grocery pickup system!), using glass soap dispensers and buying hand and body soap in bulk, or switching your light bulbs to LED bulbs. These small steps can compound on one another over time!

Join a Local Environmental Organization

Sometimes it’s motivating to be a part of something bigger than yourself and surround yourself with like-minded individuals. Plus, many environmental organizations are able to conquer larger local and global issues, and that’s exciting to be a part of. Join a local environmental organization so you can attend events and gain access to community resources and other information. Not to mention, there are plenty of opportunities to get your hands dirty through volunteer work.

Focus on Your Actions

It’s easy for people to point fingers in this eco-friendly world — and frankly, it’s why I hesitate to even be a part of a discussion about the earth and sustainability. Judgment and pretentiousness abound in this space. But I also think it’s important to bring a realistic, approachable perspective to the table — and to remind us all (including myself!) to stay focused on your actions instead of what everyone else is doing (or more accurately, not doing). While many have to take action for this to work, you are only truly responsible for your actions.

Every Day is Earth Day

Do you suffer from eco-guilt? If so, what advice do you have? I’m continually learning about this topic and would love to hear your input.

“The environment is where we all meet; where all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share.” — Lady Bird Johnson