Sustainability Guilt Got You? Read This!

Coping with feelings of guilt when it comes to sustainability is VERY common.

Guilt - a feeling that we all experience often but wish we didn’t have to deal with it. Life would be easier without having to live with guilt.

Although it’s not that great to experience this emotion, I can’t help but to feel grateful for it. Because it helps me find what is truly important and meaningful. It’s a direct line of communication with my conscious in a way. It lets me know what my heart and soul stand for. It also inspires me (indirectly) to do better and to want to be better.

When I started to feel guilty whenever I would buy something that came in plastic, I knew it was time to listen. I wish that I can say that I have always been in tune with nature, taking care of the planet, and sustainability. But the truth is that feeling guilty over NOT doing it, is what brought me to this beautiful journey. 

Too Much Guilt

I always say that love is the most powerful force and best motivator. But guilt was my wake-up call. And it’s the emotion that made me take the first step.

Having said that, a constant and strong feeling of guilt can be quite demotivating and even lead to overwhelm and paralysis. The last thing that we want is to be so filled with guilt that we can’t even make a move and give up. Especially in such important topics like sustainability, where it requires us to show up for the planet every single day.

Like in everything in life, there needs to be a balance. Balance between guilt inspiring you to be better and when it needs to be gently hushed to leave room for other emotions. Like that little inner fire and warrior inside of you. The one that shows up for “battle” even in the most terrifying and difficult moments. We’ve all felt that force at some point. And we must make room for this inner warrior to shine and do its thing. 

So guilt must step aside.

Hushing The Guilty Voices

Whenever I feel like I am not where I wanted to be in my sustainability journey, and find myself feeling unbearably guilty, I do 2 things:

Ask “what can I learn from this?”.

Whether it’s because I forgot my reusable bags at home or had to throw away a tomato that went bad. We are not perfect and there will always be room for improvement. But the fact that you care and that you are doing the very best you can every day, is all that matters. Failures and mistakes make for the best lessons.

Focus on what I’m doing right.

It’s always important to celebrate and honor your wins. Whenever I get the good old guilt knocking obnoxiously on my door, I focus on how far I’ve come on my journey already. And it makes all the difference in the world! Because it inspires me to keep going.

So next time that you start to feel like you are failing not only when it comes to sustainability, but in anything, quiet those negative voices by shifting your energy. Guilt has served its purpose already. It allowed you to wake up to what’s really important for you. Now it’s time to let your inner warrior (and love) shine and do its thing.

Written by:
Raisa, The Nutrinut