People who do good for the climate sometimes feel better, too

People who do something good for the environment may make people feel better. Cycling, saving energy, or eating less meat can give people a sense of purpose, fulfillment, and connection.

Environmentally-friendly behavior and mental well-being can thus reinforce each other, according to researchers at the University of Groningen in a new theoretical framework. The relationship between environmentally-friendly behavior and mental well-being can go both ways, and different psychological processes can help to explain if those relationships are negative or positive.

The researchers identify eight possible pathways through which environmentally-friendly behavior and mental well-being can influence one another. Their premise is that this interaction can develop over time: sustainable behavior can enhance well-being, and that improved sense of well-being can in turn encourage people to act sustainably.

For example, cycling can make people feel good, while that positive feeling can in turn motivate people to ride their bikes more often. An environmentally-friendly lifestyle can also give people a sense of purpose, especially when their behavior aligns with their personal values and their connection to nature.

The researchers refer to this as a “virtuous cycle”: environmentally friendly behavior and well-being reinforce each other. At the same time, they emphasize that more research is needed to test these relationships. Much previous research was based on associations between variables, whereas longitudinal and experimental research is needed to better determine how this interaction evolves over time. 

The relationship between sustainable behaviour and mental well being can also be negative. For example, individuals taking an intercontinental flight may experience higher well-being by being able to meet with their families and relatives far away, and to maintain this positive feeling, they will keep taking such flights.

According to the researchers, understanding this interaction offers insights into the relationship between sustainable behavior and mental well-being. Positive feedback, social support, and circumstances that make sustainable behavior easy and meaningful can help in this regard.