Happiness is green

The Planet is our largest home, and protecting and honoring it is essential for the well-being of ourselves and all living beings. To build a sustainable future, it is essential to have a reflection on the impact of our daily actions on the health of the Earth. New scientific research shows how small acts to protect it also influence our well-being, in a dynamic where mind and environment flourish and win together. Happiness? It can also be cultivated by becoming more green. And this is an important message to convey to our young people.

The Joy of Helping the Planet

A study from Baylor University proposes the thesis that the best key to promoting pro-environmental behaviors, beneficial for the Planet and our overall health, is happiness itself. In other words, it is not the sense of duty or sacrifice that serves as the most efficient motivator, but rather the pleasure of adopting small green solutions, which can also make us happier and more satisfied.

The study emphasizes that awareness of climate change is widespread, but sustainable behaviors are still too limited. It suggests that these behaviors are not primarily encouraged by a sense of sacrifice or the burden of protecting the environment, which could instead trigger negative and discouraging biases. Rather, the key to protecting the environment lies in the joy itself and the passion that comes from taking care of it in everyday life. This would more effectively promote eco-resilience, fostering self-awareness and protective actions for our well-being and for the Planet. The message we are called to spread through words and example, especially to children and adolescents facing significant mental health challenges, is that science shows environmentally respectful lifestyles make us happier.

Green Pleasure and Fun

Michael Prinzing, author of the research, conducted two studies on the topic. In the first, he analyzed the behaviors and well-being of 181 people from 14 countries over ten days, using an experience sampling method. Participants were asked several times a day via smartphone surveys whether they had engaged in sustainable behavior in the past hour and how they felt psychologically at that moment. This type of research captures a detailed sample of small actions and emotions throughout the day, providing rich and detailed results. These showed that engaging in pro-environmental behaviors in daily activities increased participants’ happiness and sense of meaning in life.

The second study involved 500 students in a randomized experiment. One group was asked to engage in pro-environmental behaviors the following day. A second group was instructed to do fun activities. A third control group received no instructions. Analysis of perceived happiness after the experiment revealed, as expected, that fun activities were associated with higher happiness compared to the control group. However, the surprising finding was that engaging in pro-environmental behaviors also increased happiness, with an impact comparable to fun activities. This is excellent news, both for the environment and for all of us, including adolescents, who should be encouraged to experience the wonder of natural interdependence and invest in shared, green activities for their own well-being.

Movement, Food, Emotions, and Relationships

Prinzing suggests that green behaviors probably make us happier because they help satisfy fundamental psychological needs. These include the need for social connectionConnection: the human need that precedes all technology Conn... More, which can be nurtured through typical pro-environmental actions, such as carpooling or sharing items with friends instead of buying new ones.

Doing good for the Planet also greatly benefits our physical and mental healthAccording to the World Health Organization, mental health ca... More, by choosing more seasonal, local foods that provide healthy nutritionLife does not take breaks: in every living being, bodily fun... More, or by walking and cycling more. Engaging in small daily green activities helps our emotional balance and also contributes to . It helps us dream big with renewed hope, embracing our entire Earth with joyful courage. It makes us feel like an integral and essential part of a growing and evolving community, aiming to safeguard and protect the Planet, while valuing positive interdependence. Taking care of our Earth is like taking care of our home: cleaning it, keeping it orderly, combining efficiency and beauty. It is a path to health that reflects and resonates within our psyche, promoting inner order and balance.

Protecting the environment contributes to envisioning and building the best possible future for ourselves and our loved ones, developing environmental and emotional intelligenceThe first definition of Emotional Intelligence as such was p... More. You can practice envisioning and enhancing emotional intelligence, personally or with your family, together with Fondazione Patrizio Paoletti, using the free EduKit “Learning to Dream with the Heart”. This way, we become ever more faithful stewards of the Planet.