We can all avert the climate crisis and save the world – we just have to overcome our inner couch potato. Find out how to do this and why we humans find change so difficult.
In principle, it's quite simple: if we want to avert the climate crisis, we need to join forces and become part of the change together. And basically, we know how we should live in order to protect our climate. Yet we fail to put it into practice every day. Change is actually pretty hard for us humans. What's more: we don't like it.
That's because our brain is wired to protect us. It wants us to use as little energy as possible. This is the case when our days follow the same pattern over and over again. Change is therefore bad. Our inner couch potato is supposed to protect us from it. It only settles down when we fall back into old patterns and reject any kind of change.
But why is our inner couch potato so often successful?
Or, to put it another way: why do we humans find change so difficult? There are four reasons for this:
Change is uncomfortable.
Whether we want to eat less meat or do more sport: we often tackle our resolutions with great motivation – and yet quickly lose interest. Just like a pendulum that swings widely at first and gradually comes to a standstill, our resolutions also lose momentum over time.
The fear of the unknown.
We want to change something, but end up leaving it as it is. The reason: we simply can't imagine what comes next. This often applies to people in unhappy relationships. Because they don't know what life without their partner would look like, they don't change anything about their situation.
The consequences of our actions are too far away.
Climate disasters are becoming more frequent and are happening on our doorstep. Nevertheless, it all feels far away, since the consequences of climate change don't directly threaten our lives. So instead of taking action, we play down the events.
The social environment.
If we feel that those around us aren't doing anything, we don't either. Instead, we tell ourselves that we can't achieve anything on our own anyway.
Our inner couch potato knows which levers to pull to stop us from changing anything. However, there are some tricks we can use to outwit it:
1. Find your personal motivation.
Telling smokers that smoking is unhealthy won't make them give up their habit. But if a smoker becomes a father, for example, he may have a stronger reason to take care of his health and quit smoking. Find your personal motivation too, and ask yourself: why do I want this change in the world?
2. Start now.
Our inner couch potato doesn't like surprises. Send it packing by starting to change something right now. For example, go to your fridge and set it to 7 degrees. That's cold enough to keep food fresh and saves energy. A small step that lets you change something immediately.
3. Start with small steps.
Anyone who sets out to run a marathon has to put one foot in front of the other. The same applies to climate action. Nobody expects you to give up meat or sell your car overnight. Instead, start with one car-free day a week or sample the range of meatless alternatives. Gradual change is easier.
4. Set yourself a measurable goal.
People who want to lose weight and define exactly how many kilos they want to lose by when have been shown to be more successful. That's because our brain needs anchor points in order to make progress. So set yourself measurable goals. For example, resolve to cycle any distance under ten kilometres in the next seven days instead of taking the car.
5. Celebrate your successes.
We humans achieve a lot, but rarely reward ourselves for it. Be proud of yourself and reward yourself for what you've already achieved.
6. Find allies.
Change is more likely to succeed when we work together with others. So get the people around you involved. Want to eat healthier? Ask your team colleagues if they want to join in and agree, for example, to eat vegetarian together one day a week.
With these steps – applied one after the other – nothing stands in the way of change. Give it a try and don't be discouraged if you don't manage all six steps right away. The courage to change is like a muscle we can train. What's exhausting at first becomes easier and easier over time. And every step you take is better than no step at all.
So don't make it unnecessarily hard for yourself. Start your climate journey where it comes most easily to you and is most fun. Don't like giving up meat? Then start, for example, with the topic of food waste and make sure you don't throw away any food in your household.
The topic of climate action doesn't have to be abstract and overwhelming. Make it easy to get started, take one step at a time, and let's become climate heroes together!
Let's tackle it together!
If you're now motivated to prove your inner couch potato wrong and tackle climate action together with us, then join the Glacier Climate Academy!
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