If you are an eagle freak then you might know what it is like when one experiences eco-anxiety. “Eco-anxiety” refers to persistent worries about environmental damage caused by certain human activity or climate change and so on. It refers to a feeling of helplessness post learning about climate change. We often come across some nerve-wracking news articles on climatic incidents which generate a certain amount of anxiety. Being aware of the environmental crisis is essential but, it usually associates with anxiety, feeling helpless, or feeling sad.

“As a maker, I feel overwhelmed too after learning about the environmental effects caused by the fashion industry. Sometimes, the anxiousness takes a toll when I see news articles on climate change and its adverse effects on the future. It creates a sort of panic. I even start to question the need for manufacturing garments and many associating things as we are doubling down on products that already exist. Making a product with purpose seems very difficult at times when I think of the effects caused by human actions on earth.”

“So, after being in such a situation I slowly developed some coping techniques that helped me reduce my eco-anxiety. I would be sharing some of my go-to tips when it comes to coping with such emotions.”

• Acknowledging both sides of the coins-

“The first step in solving a problem is to recognise that it exists.”

– Zig Ziglar

Instead of getting overwhelmed by the information, we must see the pros and cons of our actions. From a maker’s point of view, we measure our steps anticipate the consequences while we do our design process and manufacture our products. Purpose behind every product becomes our action step to tackle our emotions.

Sustainability is a process and it can be achieved when we become more decisive about our product range and the way we manufacture it.
We can subtract actions that cause adverse effects on the environment.

We try to procure and make our products from our own city, this helps us reduce our carbon footprint. Procuring and manufacturing locally has been instrumental as we follow the path of ethical practices.

• Finding new approaches- Having a perspective helps to reduce anxiety. Observing other people’s work and getting inspired has helped in a way to sail through rough waters. There are many inspiring stories that become like a survival guide to other people. Local businesses with different ideas, narrating unique stories to achieve sustainable lifestyle can fetch us the motivation to generate ideas.
• Associate> Collaborate> Educate- As makers we educate ourselves by joining hands with local craftsmen and learn from them. Traditional methods often help us understand how to become more conscious with the design process. Association with such intellects can feed our brains with ideas and we feel that things can be in control. We don’t feel lost or overwhelmed with what is happening in our surroundings. So, associating with local craftsmen, collaborating with them and educating ourselves and others is one of the action plan that helped to deal with eco-anxiety.

• Know your reach- When we know our capability we can achieve our goals and feel less anxious. It grounds us when we accept that many things are out of our control so the next time when we come across “Only 12 years to limit climate change catastrophe” we would not panic and continue with our small contributions to achieve our little goals.
• Contribute in your way- When we start small we can develop our lifestyle. Narrating your story, making changes, acting over-worrying is the actual solution! We can stay authentic to ourselves and see the change which we wish to see!

We believe strongly that in the world of too much information, we should try to find ways to cope with our emotions. We should have a solution-inclined mindset instead of alarming someone’s anxiety. We hope you find this blog helpful. We hope you find solutions to cope with the current times in your own way. Let us know your thoughts on your own coping mechanism so we can learn from each other.

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