mindfulness in the Dictionary of Sustainable Behaviors
How does inner awareness direct our outward impacts? I was asked to write a piece on the role of mindfulness in environmentally sustainable behavior, which turned out to be a fascinating investigation.
It is part of an ambitious book, "Vocabulary for Sustainable Consumption and Lifestyles – A Language for Our Common Future," organized by Sustainable Consumption Research and Action Initiative (SCORAI) and published on Routledge Books.
It's generously been made open access, and can also be purchased in paper. I invite you to read the my chapter (PDF link) and pursue the whole book and its 87 entries.
Researching mindfulness and sustainability was revealing and I was impressed by the volume of empirical science and deep thought that has been carried out. Below is a selection of the studies, reports, and programs I found – while much of it informed the piece, there are more good sources than I could have included in the text. If you work in the fields of mindfulness, mental health, sustainability, or really any kind of behavior change, I encourage you to browse the literature. The science definitely suggests meaningful connections, and there are a number of structured programs teaching mindful sustainability.
I invite reflections on the mindfulness/sustainability connection. This project also brought me closer to fundamental question of economics and the environment. Many of the contributors to the book represent a view that directly challenges dominant economic growth models.
Can sustainable economies be ever-growing? Can we be flourishing people if our role is as constant consumers? Should we put our hopes in tech-solutions or societal shifts? The clock is ticking.
Access the open digital book here
Purchase hardcopy here
And read the mindfulness chapter here
Academic Papers:
“Mindfulness as an antidote to conspicuous consumption: The mediating roles of self-esteem, self-concept clarity and normative influence” (Personality and Individual Differences, 2022)
“Meditating for the Planet: Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Sustainable Consumption Behaviors” (Journal: Environment and Behavior, 2019)
“Mindful consumption: Its conception, measurement, and implications” (Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 2023)
“Mindfulness in ethical consumption: the mediating roles of connectedness to nature and self-control” (International Marketing Review, 2021)
“Mindful consumption: Its conception, measurement, and implications” (Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 2023)
“Mindfulness and sustainable consumption: A systematic literature review of research approaches and findings” (Journal of Cleaner Production, 2017)
“Cultivating sustainability consciousness through mindfulness: An application of theory of mindful consumption” (Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 2023)
“Mindful Climate Action: Health and Environmental Co-Benefits from Mindfulness-Based Behavioral Training” (Sustainability, 2016)
“Mindfulness, pro-environmental behavior, and belief in climate change: The mediating role of social dominance” (Environment and Behavior, 2017)
“At the intersection of mind and climate change: Integrating inner dimensions of climate change into policymaking and practice” (Climate Change, 2022)
“Mindfulness increases the belief in climate change: The mediating role of connectedness with nature” (Environment and Behavior, 2017)
“Mindsets for sustainability: Exploring the link between mindfulness and sustainable climate adaptation” (Ecological Economics, 2018)
“Practice matters: Pro-environmental motivations and diet-related impact vary with meditation experience” (Frontiers in Psychology, 2020)
“Facets of mindfulness in stages of behavior change toward organic food consumption” (Mindfulness, 2020)
“The way forward in mindfulness and sustainability: A critical review and research agenda” (Journal of Cognitive Enhancement, 2020)
“Mindful eco-wellness: Steps toward personal and planetary health” (Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health, 2024)
“Does meditation training promote pro-environmental behavior? A cross-sectional comparison and a randomized controlled trial” (Journal of Environmental Psychology, 2022)
“The impact of mindful meditation in nature on self–nature interconnectedness” (Mindfulness, 2016)
“Cultivating connectedness: Effects of an app-based compassion meditation course on changes in global identity, nature connectedness, and pro-environmental behaviour” (Journal of Environmental Psychology, 2024)
“Mindfully green and healthy: An indirect path from mindfulness to ecological behavior” (Frontiers in Psychology, 2018)
“The effects of mindful learning on pro-environmental behavior: A self-expansion perspective” (Consciousness and Cognition, 2017)
“Building sustainability on deep values through mindfulness nurturing” (Ecological Economics, 2018)
“How does mindfulness affect pro-environmental behaviors? A qualitative analysis of the mechanisms of change in a sample of active practitioners” (Mindfulness, 2022)
“Mindfulness, connectedness to nature, personal ecological norm and pro-environmental behavior: A daily diary study” (Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology, 2022)
“Breath, love, walk? The impact of mindfulness interventions on climate policy support and environmental attitudes” (Sustainability, 2023)
“How does mindfulness relate to sustainable attitude and behavior? The role of possible mediators” (Current Psychology, 2024)
“Mindfulness and connectedness to nature: A meta-analytic investigation” (Personality and Individual Differences, 2018)
“Mindfulness: Its transformative potential for consumer, societal, and environmental well-being” (Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 2016)
Reports:
“The system within: Addressing the inner dimensions of sustainability and systems transformation” (Earth4All, Club of Rome, 2024)
“Reconnection: Meeting the Climate Crisis Inside Out” (The Mindfulness Initiative, 2022)
Courses:
Mindful Climate Action (MCA) (8-week online course from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health)
Inner Green Deal Journey (8-week online course from the Inner Green Deal group)
Programs:
The Conscious Food Systems Alliance (CoFSA) from the UNDP
