07903853136 You may very well scoff at the suggestion that recycling boosts mental health, pointing to the numerous occasions where recycling your rubbish has led to some very colourful language. However, whilst I would agree that recycling can sometimes be a pain, I would like to argue that recycling can boost mental health in a variety of ways – many of which we simply fail to attribute to recycling and living a greener lifestyle in general.
Before we jump into the three ways in which recycling boosts your mental health, let’s first clarify what exactly we mean by the term recycling. It refers to the process of converting waste into new materials and objects. However, recycling is often used as an umbrella term for the self-explanatory concepts of reducing, reusing, and recycling. All of these help us reduce our carbon footprints and boost our mental health. Now that we have a good understanding of the term, let’s jump straight into the ways that recycling boosts our moods.
The three ways in which recycling boosts your mental health:
It gives you a sense of purpose
When we recycle and take part in other activities which benefit the environment, it gives us a sense of being part of something much larger than ourselves, a sense of responsibility for the planet which we depend on for our livelihood. This gives us something to be passionate about and can provide us with a sense of giving back. This also comes with the benefit of feeling incredibly fufiilled by the work you have done; knowing that you are doing your part for future generations. In a world where people often lack a sense of purpose which in turn leads to confidence and self-esteem issues, recycling and helping the environment have the potential to help boost people’s mental health.
Boosts mindfulness and makes you more self-aware
People who recycle will often reuse the waste in the form of compost for example and may also begin to reduce their waste production by practicing minimalism. As they begin to, they will become mindful of what they consume, how they consume it, and what the effect is on the environment. This doesn’t mean that you should go off-grid, become a vegetarian, and use no electricity – It can be as simple as recycling all of your waste where possible and like mentioned above, reusing food scraps for compost or revamping old furniture instead of throwing it away. It’s all about being mindful of what you’re doing. This new-found self-awareness can make people feel calm and once again, can give you a sense of fulfilment knowing that you are reducing your carbon footprint.
Reduces stress – a better living/working environment
There are two main ways in which recycling can help reduce stress: by making your living/working environment clutter free and also from a physical side, it can be a great source of serotonin and dopamine. Let’s tackle the first one. Most people will feel uneasy being in a cluttered room whether it be because it feels messy, they can’t find anything, or because they feel overwhelmed by stacks of documents everywhere. There’s a sense of calmness that comes with having a nicely organised and presentable living or working environment. While it’s not exactly a cure for every source of anxiety out there, it’s definitely a great start. The latter point takes us back to the previous arguments about recycling making us feel fulfilled and providing a sense of purpose. These emotions as well as the physical effort that is often exerted when recycling (of course, depending on what is being recycled) result in the brain realisng the ‘feel-good chemicals’ – serotonin and dopamine. These are the main contributors to a good mood and feeling stress-free.
Summary
See? I told you not to scoff at the idea – recycling and living a greener lifestyle really does have the potential to boost your mood and improve your mental health. While it’s not going to work for everyone, there is the possibility that it may help you out if you feel that you have no purpose. An added benefit is that it’s not only good for your mental health but it’s also good for your health, your family, and much more. So go ahead and declutter those storage rooms or gardens and begin to feel the effects.