Five Green Ways to Feel Instantly Happier
Written by Dennis Liu, Four Green Steps
Living in fast-paced urban settings, it is common that many people suffer from lack of happiness. Too much stress, too little relaxation, and too little communication can all contribute to a mixture of unpleasant feelings. Nobody wants to feel bad, but it is sometimes not our choice because the demands of living in urban cities are too high. Here are some green tips maybe you have never considered, and could potentially help you to refresh both your life and the environment:
Devote your life more toward the community. Get involved with the local events so that you can support your community. The community, in return, gives you more happiness by hosting events linking you with other local people. Humans get happiness from supports and socialization. Being actively involved in local events instead of watching TV or using computers at home is a far healthier, greener approach to get happiness.
Buy local produce can be a green habit to obtain more happiness. As international trade is blooming, you can buy foods produced in other cities or even as far as other countries for cheaper prices. This is not so environmentally friendly, as mass production uses more chemicals that harm our planet, while international transportation adds even more green house gas to our atmosphere. Buying from local producers gives them the support that they need and encourages them to produce more. This will ultimately benefit the environment. At the same time, you can be happier by meeting more local people.
Live closer to where you regularly go. Places like school, workplaces, and frequently visited parks are ideal choices to settle your family. You can, then, use all the time you saved from travelling less distance to do things that you like. Spend some time with your family, shopping, or just catch up on some sleep. More leisure time means more happiness. And our Mother Earth will certainly be even happier to have one less person driving to work or school. Even if you still drive to workplaces, you can save on some gas since you live closer. Whether you still drive or not, you will emit less green house gas either way.
Adopt man powers to replace gas burning machines whenever possible. Why use a car when you can bike to the place you want to go? It saves you the gas money and it gives you a healthier body. This green way of transportation will not only feed the environment less green house gas, it will decrease your chance of developing obesity too. So take that bike out or directly walk to your destination, and also say no to elevators!
Visit forests and parks frequently, especially if you have children. By going to an area filled with trees and plants, you can bond with nature and achieve a relaxed feeling. Many philosophers and thinkers meditate themselves by walking along rivers and through forests. Bring your kids to these green places to raise their awareness about plants. It is an easy way to teach them the important consciousness about the environment. They can learn many things about plants by just observing them, and the whole family can have some fun!
