Environmental concern remains one of the most pressing issues of society today. How to affect environmental attitudes and behaviors is of paramount importance. Researchers have begun to explore the individual factors that might be related to pro-environmental attitudes. A team from the UK explored how self-compassion and wellbeing are related to views on global warming.
This study recruited nearly 500 emerging adults, defined as those aged 18-22, to participate in an online survey in which attitudes, beliefs, and environmental intentions were measured alongside self-compassion and well-being. The environmental questionnaire explored issues related to global warming and humankind’s affect on the environment. Self-compassion was measured with consideration to one’s tendency to feel a sense of mindfulness, common humanity, and kindness.
Study results showed that when individuals had more positive attitudes, beliefs, and intention toward the environment, they correspondingly had higher reported levels of self-compassion and wellbeing. The results even suggest that this relationship might be reciprocal in nature, although further experimentation would be necessary to test this fully. This study highlights how self-compassion and well-being might be fundamental to increasing people’s pro-environmental behaviors. Future interventions that target self-compassion might directly enhance people’s attitudes toward caring for the environment.