What else can I do?

Take care of yourself!

Acknowledging the state of the world can be confronting and ecoanxiety is a real thing. If the I Promise To Act process has raised any concerns for you, remember to talk with supportive family and like-minded friends, take care of yourself and connect with places and people that bring you joy, restore your spirits and remind you why this is so important.

The Australian Psychological Society provides some great resources designed to help people understand and cope with climate anxiety, as well as ideas for how to address it:
The Climate Change Empowerment Handbook
Coping with Climate Change Distress
Climate Change – What you can do

Maximise your chance of keeping your promise

Despite our best intentions there can still be a gap between what we say we will do and what we actually do. Addressing this gap is one of the key points of I Promise To Act – by making a public commitment we can help hold each other to account for those changes we want to achieve.

I Promise To Act will help by periodically reminding you of your promise. But there are other things you can do to help you keep your promise.

  1. Make your promise public by sharing it through your social media accounts.
  2. Share your promise with a friend who can check in on you from time-to-time to find out how it is going.

Resources for specific promises

I promise to join a local community environment group

Friends of Parks South Australia groups

Victorian Environment Friends Network groups

Other ideas and resources

We chose the promises for I Promise To Act because they are high impact and relatively straightforward for individuals. We aimed to provide an accessible selection of promises from which everyone could select at least one promise that works for them.

However, there are many ways in which you can Promise to Act for a better future. Here are some other ideas to inspire you to make your own promise.

– Activate your own action plan to combat climate change
Support local businesses and farmers affected by Australia’s recent bushfires
– Shop at your local farmer’s market
– Recycle more
– Purchase certified sustainable products where possible
– Embrace slow fashion
– Compost or worm farm your food waste
– Walk or ride your bike more, or fly less
– Eat less dairy
Support ecological restoration of bushfire affected areas
– Join local climate change advocacy groups
– Attend tree planting or weed control events

Project Drawdown provides a comprehensive list of solutions to the climate emergency, including very small and very large-scale actions.

Our World in Data might help you navigate the murky world of how to reduce the carbon footprint of your food.

We at I Promise to Act acknowledge the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we live and work.