Does “going green” actually do any good? Yes, and it does even more good than you might think. Not only can you make an impact on the environment and your community, but adopting environmentally conscious habits can even improve your happiness.

But before we can get into how a reduce-reuse-recycle mentality can improve your mood, let’s talk about how we can help the environment by going green.

What Going Green Does for the Environment

It’s no secret that “green” habits, like recycling, reducing water usage, and saving energy, do wonders for the environment. For example, every time you use a reusable water bottle instead of a disposable one, you’re taking a bottle out of the landfill and the ocean. 

Here are a few other ideas on how to reduce, reuse, and recycle in your everyday life:

  • Thrift for clothes: Fast fashion wrecks the environment, pumping out loads of carbon emissions and putting tons of microplastics into the earth. By thrifting for your clothes or even making them yourself, you can avoid the folly of fast fashion.
  • Repair and/or scrapping items: Resist the urge to buy something new to replace something broken or old. Fixing items can help you save money and reduce your consumeristic habits. Or, if the thing really is broken, find a way to repurpose it and keep it out of the landfill.
  • Compost food waste: Don’t just throw away your wilting fruit or vegetable scraps—throw them into a composter and create nutrient-rich mulch for your garden.
  • Self-produce: Whether it means making home-cooked meals more often or making your own soaps from scratch, self-producing helps you support sustainability for your everyday items.
  • Save water: Taking shorter showers, turning off the water while you brush your teeth, and using water restrictors can help reduce your consumption of water, a resource that is increasingly hard to come by. 
  • Save energy: In 2020, it was estimated that 62.3 percent of all energy used in the U.S. was wasted. Simple energy-saving habits, like turning off the lights when you leave a room or just using natural light, can help ensure your energy is always used efficiently. You can also enroll in energy plans that bolster sustainable solutions.

How a Green Mindset Makes Us Happier

To many, going green can seem like a dull and stressful lifestyle that offers very little payout. They might see the laundry list of items they need to buy and habits they need to change in order to live a fully green lifestyle and think, “well, that’s just a headache waiting to happen.”

But what may seem like a burden to some can actually be a mood booster. Here are five ways going green can make you happier.

1. You’re More Conscious of Your Health

Going green usually means making home-cooked meals and seeking out healthier foods and habits. You’ll generally be more conscious of what you put into your body, which means less processed and fast foods (because let’s face it, none of us really know what’s in a Filet-O-Fish). You may also get experimental with the foods you do eat, which can deliver more varied nutrients into your everyday diet.

Additionally, as you look for eco-friendly alternatives to your favorite soaps, shampoos, and other wares, you’ll start to use products made from natural ingredients. This helps free your body of unwanted chemicals, which can offer added benefits—like clearing up and healing your skin. 

2. You Buy Less Stuff

Green habits pull people away from regular consumeristic behaviors, like buying new products just because they’re on sale. While you won’t necessarily be a minimalist, you will be more likely to avoid buying things you don’t need.

When you aren’t always buying a bunch of things that you don’t need, you can enjoy a living space that is less cluttered and spend your money on better food and nights out with friends.

3. You’re More Connected with Nature

Thinking green puts your focus more towards mother nature, which may inspire you to spend more time outdoors and think about how your actions affect your surroundings. Popularly known as nature therapy, studies have shown that being outside can actually help you destress and relax so you feel happier throughout the day. 

4. You’ll Get Your Creative Juices Flowing

Sometimes, going green is a lot like puzzle-solving; there isn’t always an obvious solution for how you can recycle or repurpose things around your house. So, you’ll often have to get creative. You may even pick up new skills, like sewing or even welding, to make the most out of your upcycling projects.

5. Your Actions Develop Deeper Meaning

We all want to have a purpose—it’s what motivates us to improve and makes us feel more accomplished in our actions. Going green helps you find that purpose since you know that your efforts are helping towards the greater effort of a healthier, happier, and more sustainable world. What greater purpose is there than saving our planet?

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Make a Green Energy Plan Today

Ready to make larger strides towards greener habits? A great place to start is to switch to an energy service that supports sustainable energy resources, like Spring Power & Gas. 

Our Ecogold Loyalty Program ensures your energy is coming from renewable sources like wind and solar power while also helping you gain rewards for supporting a healthy planet.

It’s time to save our planet. Contact Spring Power & Gas today to discuss your plan for renewable energy.