This Wednesday: Seven tips on how simultaneously to boost your happiness and safeguard the environment.

Every Wednesday is Tip Day.
This Wednesday: Seven tips on how simultaneously to boost your happiness and safeguard the environment (in your own small way).

Monday was Blog Action Day, and bloggers across blogland posted about environmental issues. In honor of the occasion, I posted this week's tip early. Here they are in their proper time slot -- tips for the pursuit of happiness with a green twist:

1. Walk a mile instead of driving. Walking means you’re not adding gas fumes and rubber particles to the air, and at the same time, studies show, even a ten-minute walk lifts your mood and gives you a burst of energy.

2. Skip the bottled water. Fact is, there is no evidence that you need to drink eight glasses of water a day—this is a myth, folks! And you CERTAINLY don’t need a fresh plastic bottle each time you want some water!

3. Pause before you buy anything. Do you really need that gadget or gizmo? One study suggests that the average household could cut back on 40% of housework by cutting back on clutter, which almost certainly would boost your happiness considerably. And by not buying, you save resources that would be spend in production, transportation, and disposal.

4. Buy a gas-efficient car. Because of the hedonic treadmill, you quickly adapt to changed circumstances. Although you may fall in love with a gas-hog in the showroom, once you’ve had the car for a while, you’ll take it for granted—but stopping for gas is annoying every time.

5. Carpool. Unfortunately, a bad commute is something to which people never adjust; it’s a pain every single day. Studies show that we enjoy activities more when we do them with other people, so carpooling is better for your happiness as well as for the environment.

6. Pick up other people’s litter. Do good, feel good is a happiness truism that really is true. Act like a considerate citizen of the world, and you’ll boost your self-esteem.

7. Work in your garden. Research suggests that working with soil may boost mood by strengthening your immune system and flooding your brain with serotonin.

*
New to the Happiness Project? Consider subscribing to my RSS feed: Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or sign up to get email updates in the box at the top righthand corner.
If you're starting your own happiness project, please join the Happiness Project Group on Facebook to swap ideas. It's easy; it's free.

Comments

[adora]

May I also suggest decluttering. Our planet contains roughly the same amount of particles for billions of years. Hoarding any kind of resources will have an effect on the environment. Studies have also shown that 40% of housework can be eliminated when we get rid of clutter. Less dusting = happy.

[Gretchen Rubin]

Yes, I agree! See #3. We clearly read the same study!