MINDFULNESS & SUSTAINABILITY

This year DANSIC worked with the concepts Mindfulness and Sustainability. Two very big buzzwords, that are being used out there but not necessarily together or in connection with each other. The DANSIC20 team discussed what they meant to us, and how we could contribute towards them - both as individuals and as a tribe of people that care about the topic. How our current behavior can lead to a positive impact on ourselves and the world? Can individuals create a better and more sustainable world by changing their mindset? Does it really matter what one individual does?

The link between them

The connection between Mindfulness and Sustainability was created and put into action after discovering the article Mindfulness and Sustainability by Ericson, Kjønstad, and Barstad, which among other things highlights that promoting mindfulness could be construed as a policy that contributes both to sustainability and to greater well-being. The article argues that materialism is ruling our society, but people do not need as much as they consume, so by being more aware of themselves and focus on their well-being, the present, unnecessary objects will lose importance. As a result of being mindful the individuals will be more sustainable. We widened the approach of the article, from not only focusing on consumption but also including general behavioral change and food consumption.

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Why we wanted to work on them

As young people whose future is at risk due to the climate crisis as a result of a non- sustainable way of living, the DANSIC20 Team decided to focus on behavioral change of individuals. This behavioral change should link mindfulness and sustainability together as these are, as mentioned above two massive buzzwords in society but not yet connected as much as they could be to each other. We wanted our participants to realize the importance of their own well-being through being more mindful as well as the impact these can have on the environment through their actions.