Article from : Niraj Naik

Learning how to control your breath comes with endless benefits. Whether you are looking for ways to lower stress in your day-today life, practise mindfulness, or increase stamina as an athlete, breathwork can help. Breathwork is the term used to describe any intentional manipulation of your breathing pattern. Generally, breathwork calls you to focus significantly on your breathing and follows one of many guided exercises to produce the intended result. Breath-holding is a major part of almost all breathwork exercises.

WHY BREATH WORK?
Like all exercises, breathwork needs to be practised to be effective, and the more you do it, the better you become. Breathwork uses muscles that become stronger the longer you practise. Your body also must adjust to the change in the oxygen amount it receives and the carbon dioxide it releases. As you go further into your breathwork journey, your body can more easily engage the diaphragm and lungs. You will also notice an increased ability of breath control and longer breath-hold times. In addition to strengthening our diaphragm, lungs, and core muscles, consciously controlling our breathing patterns has been linked to increased relaxation levels and has even shown beneficial symptom reduction for those suffering from various mental or physical ailments, including anxiety, depression, PTSD, or chronic pain. Breathwork increases the amount of oxygen that enters our lungs, which then enters our bloodstream, where the cells take it to all the areas within our bodies. When oxygen or carbon dioxide is imbalanced, we can face medical problems.

Hypoxia
Hypoxia is the medical term for when our bodies are not getting enough oxygen to reach the tissues. While there are several reasons our tissues may be oxygen deprived, lack of oxygen from our breath is a common cause. Our body can experience severe problems if it goes for extended periods without adequate oxygen, including seizures, coma, or death. Generally, the brain, heart, and lungs are the most heavily affected.

Hypercapnia
Similar to how our bodies cannot function when they have too little oxygen, an abundance of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream can also cause serious health concerns. When the body has too much carbon dioxide, it experiences hypercapnia. An individual may develop hypercapnia for many reasons, including sleep apnea or other breathing disorders, poor liver function, kidney failure, or severe asthma attacks.

BENEFITS OF BREATH-HOLDING EXERCISES
Understanding the harmful effects of too much carbon dioxide or inadequate oxygen levels in our bloodstream puts the importance of breathwork at centre stage. Breathing deeply allows you to bring more oxygen into your body while exhaling fully removes carbon dioxide efficiently and effectively.

Breathwork involves many aspects, including breath-holding. Increasing your breath hold time can help in a variety of ways, including:
➢ Regenerate damaged brain tissue
➢ Improve mood
➢ Increase energy levels
➢ Lower inflammation within the body
➢ Help foster feelings of relaxation
➢ Lower anxiety and stress
➢ Improve the cardiovascular system
➢ Help relieve COPD symptoms and other diseases affecting the lungs

Almost all types of breathwork include breath holds. These sessions are becoming increasingly popular not only for yoga enthusiasts and athletes, but also for people of various professions and backgrounds. With yoga’s body-positive movement creating more accessible yoga classes, breathwork can be done by anyone and everyone, regardless of age, physical ability, or location. Many yoga and breathwork students today practise in online studios with remote instructors. The ease of accessing high quality sessions online makes your breathwork journey possible and sustainable. In addition, existing instructors can become certified breathwork facilitators to enhance their skills, attract more clients and improve their results.

WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM A BREATHWORK SESSION?
Breathwork really can be as simple as breathing. Generally, guided breathwork sessions will also have mantras, visualisations, and cues to help create an entire experience. Guided sessions also help those beginning to learn how to keep their thoughts from wandering during practice.
Some of the most simple breathwork techniques are the most effective. These also can become a part of our lives. We often take deep breaths during stress, tiredness, or irritation. Our bodies can learn to do breathwork reflexively the more we practise.
Breathwork is like all other types of exercise or workouts. It’s important to be ready and have the right equipment and mindset to get the most from your breathwork session.

WHAT TO WEAR DURING A BREATHWORK SESSION
During a breathwork session, the focus is meant to be entirely on your breath. Avoid itchy, ill-fitting, or otherwise uncomfortable clothes to prevent your mind from wandering to your outfit instead of your breath. You will also want to ensure that the clothes you choose allow enough stretch or give to expand your lungs and diaphragm completely. Take a few test breaths before you begin your session and feel for limitations. Generally, stretchy or elastic band pants or even a dress provide the most comfort.

WHAT EQUIPMENT DO I NEED FOR A BREATHWORK SESSION
Choosing the right equipment is entirely up to you. To practise breathwork, you need a place to sit comfortably and that’s about it!
Some people prefer to do their sessions seated on the floor. They may choose to sit on a yoga mat or meditation cushion. However, propping yourself up with any type of pillow works. Others do their breathwork sessions seated in chairs or on couches. As long as you can sit up straight and are comfortable, you have everything you need.
You can also place a glass or bottle of water within reach, especially as you begin your breathwork journey. Interfering with your body’s natural breathing pattern can sometimes cause you to become light headed or dizzy. If this happens to you, stay seated and breathe normally until the feeling passes.

CAN ANYONE PRACTISE BREATHWORK?
Breathwork is truly accessible because almost anyone can practise and benefit from it. Like all new workouts, checking with your doctor before beginning is important, especially if you have other medical conditions. Breathwork is generally safe and even recommended by some doctors to help with various ailments.

WHAT ARE SOME BREATHWORK TECHNIQUES?
While guided breathwork sessions will walk you through how to do each type of breathing exercise, knowing different breathwork techniques can help reduce anxiety and get you prepped for your class.

Deep Breathing
Deep breathing is perhaps the simplest breathwork technique. It’s a slight modification from a typical breathing pattern and focuses on exaggerating the natural breath cycle.

To begin, place one hand on your sternum in the centre of your chest. Your other hand will sit on your stomach. Breathe deeply through your nose. As you do, you will feel your belly expand. Once you’ve reached your lung capacity, exhale out your mouth slowly and with control until all the air has exited your lungs. Repeat this cycle three to five times for the full effect.

5 5 5 Breathing
Similar to deep breathing, the 5 5 5 technique requires you to count as you breathe. This technique is often used to help people calm down at the night’s end and prepare for sleep since the approach resembles counting sheep.

To do the 5 5 5 technique, breathe in deeply through your nose and count slowly to 5. Then, hold your breath for 5 seconds before exhaling out of your mouth for another 5 seconds. Repeat this cycle three to five times.

If 5 seconds feels too long for the breathhold, you can begin with 3 seconds and work your way up. This technique also works with other time periods as well. The more you practise, the longer you can hold your breath.

Lion’s Breath
Lion’s breath is often seen in yoga classes and is great at decreasing stress and anger. This technique can get loud, so it’s best to perform it at home.

To begin, take a deep breath through your nose until your lungs are filled. Instead of a normal, silent exhale, open your mouth as wide as you can and force the air from your lungs. You will make a roaring sound similar to that of a lion.

This technique also helps stretch and strengthen your jaw and neck muscles.

Final Notes
Breathwork isn’t just a trend or fad. It’s been an integral part of some cultures since ancient times. Now, it’s making its way around the world, increasing people’s focus, improving their mood, and helping those suffering from physical, mental and emotional ailments.

Imagine how breathwork can help you achieve better health. You can incorporate this with your current exercises for a more balanced fitness routine. Sometimes you do cardio and sweat out. Sometimes, you sit still and breathe. So start learning breathwork, gradually increase your breath-hold time and reap the benefits of a clearer mind and a stronger body.

Source from: https://earth.org/the-social-impact-of-renewable-energy-initiatives/

Renewable energy has experienced significant growth in the last decade, driven mainly by advancements in infrastructure for wind and solar power. This rise in renewables not only benefits the environment but also enhances the resilience of vulnerable power grids and supports economic development. Moreover, future renewable energy initiatives offer job opportunities that prioritize community well-being and provide workers with transferable skills for a sustainable labor market.

Renewable energy has been on the rise in recent years. In 2022, people produced over 8,000 terawatt hours of renewable energy. This represents a 198% increase in renewables since 2000 and it is largely due to improvements in renewable energy infrastructure, which have increased the use and efficiency of wind and solar power.

Initiatives to improve our energy efficiency and switch to renewables are not just good news for the planet; they also serve an important social function. When leveraged correctly, renewables improve the resilience of at-risk grids and support economic growth.

Future energy initiatives will create jobs without undermining the community’s health and well-being. This is key, as many traditional forms of energy extraction can hurt the local ecosystem while damaging the long-term health of miners and oil workers. Conversely, careers in renewable energy prepare workers for the future and give them transferable skills that will serve them well in the wider labor market.

Energy Equality
The past century has been dominated by issues surrounding energy inequality. Put simply, nations with reliable access to energy have prospered, while those that have not secured their energy future have had to endure the hardships associated with blackouts and inadequate access to electricity.

This is echoed by the data collected by the World Bank’s 2023 Energy Progress Report, which shows that countries with low gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, such as Burundi, Chad, and Niger, also have poor access to electricity.

Renewables can help address energy equality by facilitating the creation of decentralized energy systems. Decentralizing energy systems means that energy producers locate their facilities closer to the site where energy will be used and is typically associated with renewable sources.

This is ideal in nations with low electricity rates, which tend to have high sunlight hours and are perfect candidates for decentralized solar-powered energy grids. Employing this approach can lead to job creation and improve the health of the community, too.

You might also like: 3 Challenges to South Africa’s Clean Energy Transition

Job Creation
Detractors of renewable energy fear job losses will follow a switch to a more renewable grid. However, in reality, the rise of renewables will create new job opportunities and provide potentially exciting careers for thousands of people.

Examples of careers in renewable energy include:
**Solar Photovoltaic Installer: Qualified installers are needed to supply and fit the world’s solar panels. This job is crucial, as proper installation ensures that the panels are as effective as possible. BLS data reports that U.S. installers earn a salary of $45,230 per year and will experience a 22% jump in demand through 2032.  
**Wind Turbine Technician: Wind power has been on the rise in recent years. This has fueled the demand for technicians who can install, repair, and perform routine maintenance on the mechanical components of the tower. 
**Electrical Engineer: Electrical engineers are responsible for a wide range of tasks related to renewables, the grid, and home energy devices. They also earn an average of $103,320 and are in demand currently. 
**Data Scientist: The renewable energy grid relies on accurate data collection and analysis. Data scientists are, therefore, integral to the smooth functioning of renewable energy systems. These data scientists will be in even higher demand in the future as nations continue to commit to renewable energy sources. 
Renewables represent a huge industry that already employs millions of people. Demand for skilled workers in the renewable sector will only grow as more energy is sourced from wind, solar, and hydropower. This underlines the fact that renewables serve a vital social function by providing lucrative jobs with great salaries and transferable skills. 

Improved Health
Communities around the world are reliant on energy extraction for income. However, occupations like coal mining and oil rigging are notoriously bad for the health and well-being of workers and local communities. Miners often experience long-term illnesses related to breathing poor-quality air, and folks who live near oil refineries report respiratory problems.
Conversely, green energy solutions like solar and wind power do not detract from the health of the local community. Folks who work on wind turbines and solar panel fields do not risk their long-term well-being and are not exposed to harmful chemicals that are commonly associated with working on an oil platform, either.

That said, there are some occupational hazards associated with renewables. For example, those who work with biofuels must be properly protected against ethanol and alcohol. These substances are highly caustic and may result in chemical exposure. Similarly, folks who work in the fabrication of wind turbines must be protected during the buffing and sanding process. Inhalation of fine materials can cause respiratory issues and illness.

On balance, however, green energy production has a minimal impact on the well-being of workers and does not undermine the overall health of local communities. In fact, communities that live near solar stations and wind turbines may even see an uptick in health outcomes due to increased funding and spending in the area. This is good news for less economically developed nations that are open to renewables and wish to engage communities in renewable energy efforts. 
 

….until the point of crisis to look after ourselves? 
The ways to start nurturing your mental health today.

Article from : Petra Velzeboer

It seems to be the human condition and survival instinct is to avoid pain! And if the perceived pain of doing the work is greater than the pain of living how we are, we avoid it as long as possible. We all do it, we stay in that job, that toxic relationship, don’t communicate our needs or sacrifice our health all because the idea of changing it seems too overwhelming – better the devil we know and all. To do something different looks hard, risky and vulnerable so we avoid, we numb out and just keep putting one foot in front of the other – until life decides for us that something’s got to give. We experience burnout, anxiety, depression, physical illness or a number of life challenges. The conversation about change gets forced upon us – we get fired or made redundant, our partner leaves us or our health gives way – and suddenly, we sit up and take notice. Desperate, in pain, waking up to our loss, we begin to figure out if there is another way. For me, growing up in communes which turned into the darkness of a cult, my pain built over time and I hadn’t learned about healthy outlets, much less that it was ok to have needs and to express them. Self-care felt foreign and people-pleasing and making myself fit into what other people wanted me to be became the norm. When I finally left (forced by the birth of a child), I simply shape-shifted into a new situation. Middle class mother, smiles, polite – descending into alcohol addiction and depression, unable to acknowledge or understand the trauma that had built up over time. Eventually the cracks began to show and the pain of staying the same was greater than the pain of doing the work and seeing if things could change.

Of course the work is harder here. We’re desperate, repairing the damage we’ve done to ourselves often for years, while practising a new way of being. It’s a lot! Laying in my bed early one morning, I made a pact with myself to experiment with all the wellbeing tools people talked about and if they didn’t work I could take my life in just one year. I didn’t think it would work for me but I had run out of options, having convinced myself that my own kids would be better off without me if I just disappeared. What I learned in that year is that we can teach ourselves to be happy. That wellbeing and good mental health is a skill, and if consistently invested in, can help us move through life’s challenges with ease and confidence. So what does investing in our mental health and happiness look like? This isn’t just bubble-bath wellbeing (though there’s nothing wrong with those), it’s bigger than that. It’s about brave conversations, radical honesty and experimenting with what works for you. In a world of information overload so many of us even get overwhelmed with wellbeing tools – thinking we need to do all of them all of the time in order to be well, stressing ourselves out in the process. When I was first changing my life I would listen to a 3-minute guided meditation each day to simply help me emotionally regulate and manage normal life things without drinking or escaping my reality and where I had gotten myself to. Sometimes I would be walking and doing things while I
listened on headphones, sometimes I would hide in my room when life was getting too much for just those 3 minutes.

“Laying in my bed early one morning, I made a pact with myself to experiment with all the wellbeing tools people talked about and if they didn’t work I could take my life in just one year.”

What I learned over time was that while there were normal life challenges in front of me, my body had experienced a host of traumas that meant my nervous system was shot and my reactions were a build up of stress over time – this takes some releasing. Here are a few tips to consider when investing in your mental health in order to live a good life and prevent those crisis points:

YOGA
When I got divorced and changed my whole life for a second time, yoga connected me to my body. We think of yoga as aesthetic and healthy but not as releasing trauma, preventing burnout and re-connecting to ourselves. A simple yoga practice in your living room at the start or end of your day can be the perfect way to disconnect from the noise and listen to what your body needs. Prevention is all about pre-empting crisis by listening to the little things early on – aches, pains or anxieties are all information that we can work with. It can help us understand what we need as it can feel impossible to express those needs if we don’t know what they are in the first place. Yoga is a great way to learn to listen to your needs and sometimes release pent up emotion and stress.

BOUNDARIES
This is a big one and more of a lifelong learning process rather than a won-and-done tactic. In a world of distraction and competing demands, learning to reflect on and set healthy boundaries is crucial to investing in your mental health long term. A boundary protects the time, space and energy it takes to invest in your wellbeing and can actually have an additional impact of affecting those around you for good. If you’re anything like me, the temptation can be to people-please and make sure everyone else is always ok before investing in yourself – but a healthy boundary communicated with respect can actually help others too. By role-modelling behaviour and handling challenges with integrity you can actually form more meaningful connections than veering between the extremes of giving everything and then feeling resentful. Resentment is a real big clue that a healthier boundary needs to be thought about and communicated. Anxiety and depression are also clues that something needs to change in your environment or influences so learning to listen and take action is crucial to preventing those crash points that force us to wake up the hard way.

PRACTICE BRAVERY
Now this may seem silly as you’re not going into battle or doing an extreme sport but it is the skill that I would swear by the most. In order to change any habit, be radically honest with yourself and how you have played a part in getting yourself here, as well as take the action necessary to change things, you’re going to have to be brave. So often we focus on what we don’t want – that pesky anxiety, burnout or overwhelm – but we forget to focus on what good looks like and what we do want. Being brave is deeply personal. It’s whatever pushes you just that tiniest step outside of your comfort zone and gets you out of thinking about what you want and into actually doing the things necessary to create change and prevent those crash points. This could be as simple as talking to your Barista when they make you coffee, going into the office and actually talking to someone or speaking up in a meeting. It could be bigger things too like starting a yoga class, experimenting with meditation or having a brave conversation with a partner, boss or friend. This is the kind of habit stacking that can take you from isolation, shame and despair to the person you want to be. In fact, asking yourself who you want to be is a great first step as it uses positive psychology to help you see where you want to get to, not just what you want to avoid. This can change over time of course, but having an intention will give you information about what you need to work on now in order to get there – to know which bits are in your control and where you can focus your energy. So, Begin with You!

That’s the name of my new book that a lifetime of learning has enabled me to write. If you want to challenge the repeat cycle you find yourself in where you push yourself, crash and then recover – but just enough to push yourself, crash and recover again, then think about the part you play in that cycle and crucially, what you can do to not just move through the cycle quicker but completely rebrand what success means to you and the steps necessary to investing in yourself. With this new perspective investing in ourselves becomes about a lifetime of joy and the resilience necessary to handle life’s challenges rather than simply repairing our body and mind when it falls apart under the strain. Begin with you today!

Source from : https://earth.org/

15. Soil Degradation
Organic matter is a crucial component of soil as it allows it to absorb carbon from the atmosphere. Plants absorb CO2 from the air naturally and effectively through photosynthesis and part of this carbon is stored in the soil as soil organic carbon (SOC). Healthy soil has a minimum of 3-6% organic matter. However, almost everywhere in the world, the content is much lower than that.

According to the United Nations, about 40% of the planet’s soil is degraded. Soil degradation refers to the loss of organic matter, changes in its structural condition and/or decline in soil fertility and it is often the result of human activities, such as traditional farming practices including the use of toxic chemicals and pollutants. If business as usual continued through 2050, experts project additional degradation of an area almost the size of South America. But there is more to it. If we do not change our reckless practices and step up to preserve soil health, food security for billions of people around the world will be irreversibly compromised, with an estimated 40% less food expected to be produced in 20 years’ time despite the world’s population projected to reach 9.3 billion people.

Source from : https://earth.org/

14. Cobalt Mining
Cobalt is quickly becoming the defining example of the mineral conundrum at the heart of the renewable energy transition. As a key component of battery materials that power electric vehicles (EVs), cobalt is facing a sustained surge in demand as decarbonisation efforts progress. The world’s largest cobalt supplier is the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where it is estimated that up to a fifth of the production is produced through artisanal miners.

Cobalt mining, however, is associated with dangerous workers’ exploitation and other serious environmental and social issues. The environmental costs of cobalt mining activities are also substantial. Southern regions of the DRC are not only home to cobalt and copper, but also large amounts of uranium. In mining regions, scientists have made note of high radioactivity levels. In addition, mineral mining, similar to other industrial mining efforts, often produces pollution that leaches into neighbouring rivers and water sources. Dust from pulverised rock is known to cause breathing problems for local communities as well.

Source from : https://earth.org/

12. Fast Fashion and Textile Waste
The global demand for fashion and clothing has risen at an unprecedented rate that the fashion industry now accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions, becoming one of the biggest environmental problems of our time. Fashion alone produces more greenhouse gas emissions than both the aviation and shipping sectors combined, and nearly 20% of global wastewater, or around 93 billion cubic metres from textile dyeing, according to the UN Environment Programme.

What's more, the world at least generated an estimated 92 million tonnes of textiles waste every year and that number is expected to soar up to 134 million tonnes a year by 2030. Discarded clothing and textile waste, most of which is non-biodegradable, ends up in landfills, while microplastics from clothing materials such as polyester, nylon, polyamide, acrylic and other synthetic materials, is leeched into soil and nearby water sources. Monumental amounts of clothing textile are also dumped in less developed countries as seen with Chile’s Atacama, the driest desert in the world, where at least 39,000 tonnes of textile waste from other nations are left there to rot.

fast fashion waste
Of the 100 billion garments produced each year, 92 million tonnes end up in landfills.
This rapidly growing issue is only exacerbated by the ever-expanding fast fashion business model, in which companies relies on cheap and speedy production of low quality clothing to meet the latest and newest trends. While the United Nations Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action sees signatory fashion and textile companies to commit to achieving net zero emission by 2050, a majority of businesses around the world have yet to address their roles in climate change.

While these are some of the biggest environmental problems plaguing our planet, there are many more that have not been mentioned, including overfishing, urban sprawl, toxic superfund sites and land use changes. While there are many facets that need to be considered in formulating a response to the crisis, they must be coordinated, practical and far-reaching enough to make enough of a difference. 

Source from : https://earth.org/

13. Overfishing
Over three billion people around the world rely on fish as their primary source of protein. About 12% of the world relies upon fisheries in some form or another, with 90% of these being small-scale fishermen – think a small crew in a boat, not a ship, using small nets or even rods and reels and lures not too different from the kind you probably use. Of the 18.9 million fishermen in the world, 90% of them fall under the latter category.

Most people consume approximately twice as much food as they did 50 years ago and there are four times as many people on earth as there were at the close of the 1960s. This is one driver of the 30% of commercially fished waters being classified as being ‘overfished’. This means that the stock of available fishing waters is being depleted faster than it can be replaced.

Overfishing comes with detrimental effects on the environment, including increased algae in the water, destruction of fishing communities, ocean littering as well as extremely high rates of biodiversity loss.

As part of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 14), the UN and FAO are working towards maintaining the proportion of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels. This, however, requires much stricter regulations of the world’s oceans than the ones already in place. In July 2022, the WTO banned fishing subsidies to reduce global overfishing in a historic deal. Indeed, subsidies for fuel, fishing gear, and building new vessels, only incentivise overfishing and represent thus a huge problem. 

Source from: https://earth.org/

10. Agriculture 
Studies have shown that the global food system is responsible for up to one-third of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, of which 30% comes from livestock and fisheries. Crop production releases greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide through the use of fertilisers.

60% of the world’s agricultural area is dedicated to cattle ranching, although it only makes up 24% of global meat consumption.

Agriculture not only covers a vast amount of land, but it also consumes a vast amount of freshwater, another one of the biggest environmental problems on this list. While arable lands and grazing pastures cover one-third of Earth’s land surfaces, they consume three-quarters of the world’s limited freshwater resources.

Scientists and environmentalists have continuously warned that we need to rethink our current food system; switching to a more plant-based diet would dramatically reduce the carbon footprint of the conventional agriculture industry. 

Source from : https://earth.org/

11. Food and Water Insecurity
Rising temperatures and unsustainable farming practices have resulted in increasing water and food insecurity.

Globally, more than 68 billion tonnes of top-soil is eroded every year at a rate 100 times faster than it can naturally be replenished. Laden with biocides and fertiliser, the soil ends up in waterways where it contaminates drinking water and protected areas downstream.

Furthermore, exposed and lifeless soil is more vulnerable to wind and water erosion due to lack of root and mycelium systems that hold it together. A key contributor to soil erosion is over-tilling: although it increases productivity in the short-term by mixing in surface nutrients (e.g. fertiliser), tilling is physically destructive to the soil’s structure and in the long-term leads to soil compaction, loss of fertility and surface crust formation that worsens topsoil erosion.

With the global population expected to reach 9 billion people by mid-century, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) projects that global food demand may increase by 70% by 2050. Around the world, more than 820 million people do not get enough to eat.

The UN secretary-general António Guterres says, “Unless immediate action is taken, it is increasingly clear that there is an impending global food security emergency that could have long term impacts on hundreds of millions of adults and children.” He urged for countries to rethink their food systems and encouraged more sustainable farming practices.

In terms of water security, only 3% of the world’s water is freshwater, and two-thirds of that is tucked away in frozen glaciers or otherwise unavailable for our use. As a result, some 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to water, and a total of 2.7 billion find water scarce for at least one month of the year. By 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population may face water shortages. 

Source from: https://earth.org/

9. Ocean Acidification
Global temperature rise has not only affected the surface, but it is the main cause of ocean acidification. Our oceans absorb about 30% of carbon dioxide that is released into the Earth’s atmosphere. As higher concentrations of carbon emissions are released thanks to human activities such as burning fossil fuels as well as effects of global climate change such as increased rates of wildfires, so do the amount of carbon dioxide that is absorbed back into the sea.

The smallest change in the pH scale can have a significant impact on the acidity of the ocean. Ocean acidification has devastating impacts on marine ecosystems and species, its food webs, and provoke irreversible changes in habitat quality. Once pH levels reach too low, marine organisms such as oysters, their shells and skeleton could even start to dissolve.

However, one of the biggest environmental problems from ocean acidification is coral bleaching and subsequent coral reef loss. This is a phenomenon that occurs when rising ocean temperatures disrupt the symbiotic relationship between the reefs and algae that lives within it, driving away the algae and causing coral reefs to lose their natural vibrant colours. Some scientists have estimated coral reefs are at risk of being completely wiped by 2050. Higher acidity in the ocean would obstruct coral reef systems’ ability to rebuild their exoskeletons and recover from these coral bleaching events.

Some studies have also found that ocean acidification can be linked as one of the effects of plastic pollution in the ocean. The accumulating bacteria and microorganisms derived from plastic garbage dumped in the ocean to damage marine ecosystems and contribute towards coral bleaching.

Source from: https://earth.org/

8. Melting Ice Caps and Sea Level Rise
The climate crisis is warming the Arctic more than twice as fast as anywhere else on the planet. Today, sea levels are rising more than twice as quickly as they did for most of the 20th century as a result of increasing temperatures on Earth. Seas are now rising an average of 3.2 mm per year globally and they will continue to grow up to about 0.7 metres by the end of this century. In the Arctic, the Greenland Ice Sheet poses the greatest risk for sea levels because melting land ice is the main cause of rising sea levels.

Representing arguably the biggest of the environmental problems, this is made all the more concerning considering that last year’s summer triggered the loss of 60 billion tons of ice from Greenland, enough to raise global sea levels by 2.2mm in just two months. According to satellite data, the Greenland ice sheet lost a record amount of ice in 2019: an average of a million tons per minute throughout the year, one of the biggest environmental problems that has cascading effects. If the entire Greenland ice sheet melts, sea level would rise by six metres.

Meanwhile, the Antarctic continent contributes about 1 millimetre per year to sea level rise, which is one-third of the annual global increase. According to 2023 data, the continent has lost approximately 7.5 trillion tons of ice since 1997. Additionally, the last fully intact ice shelf in Canada in the Arctic recently collapsed, having lost about 80 square kilometres – or 40% – of its area over a two-day period in late July, according to the Canadian Ice Service.

Over 100,000 images taken from space allowed scientists to create a comprehensive record of the state of Antarctica’s ice shelves. Credit: 66 North/Unsplash
Antarctica has lost approximately 7.5 trillion tons of ice since 1997
Sea level rise will have a devastating impact on those living in coastal regions: according to research and advocacy group Climate Central, sea level rise this century could flood coastal areas that are now home to 340 million to 480 million people, forcing them to migrate to safer areas and contributing to overpopulation and strain of resources in the areas they migrate to. Bangkok (Thailand), Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), Manila (Philippines), and Dubai (United Arab Emirates) are among the cities most at risk of sea level rise and flooding.

Source from: https://earth.org/

7. Air Pollution 
One of the biggest environmental problems today is outdoor air pollution.Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that an estimated 4.2 to 7 million people die from air pollution worldwide every year and that nine out of 10 people breathe air that contains high levels of pollutants. In Africa, 258,000 people died as a result of outdoor air pollution in 2017, up from 164,000 in 1990, according to UNICEF. Causes of air pollution mostly comes from industrial sources and motor vehicles, as well as emissions from burning biomass and poor air quality due to dust storms.

According to a 2023 study, air pollution in South Asia – one of the most polluted areas in the world – cuts life expectancy by about 5 years. The study blames a series of factors, including a lack of adequate infrastructure and funding for the high levels of pollution in some countries. Most countries in Asia and Africa, which together contribute about 92.7% of life years lost globally due to air pollution, lack key air quality standards needed to develop adequate policies. Moreover, just 6.8% and 3.7% of governments in the two continents, respectively, provide their citizens with fully open-air quality data.

In Europe, a recent report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) showed that more than half a million people living in the European Union died from health issues directly linked to toxic pollutants exposure in 2021.

Source from: https://earth.org/

6. Deforestation
Every hour, forests the size of 300 football fields are cut down. By the year 2030, the planet might have only 10% of its forests; if deforestation isn’t stopped, they could all be gone in less than 100 years.

The three countries experiencing the highest levels of deforestation are Brazil, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Indonesia. The Amazon, the world’s largest rainforest – spanning 6.9 million square kilometres (2.72 million square miles) and covering around 40% of the South American continent – is also one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems and is home to about three million species of plants and animals. Despite efforts to protect forest land, legal deforestation is still rampant, and about one-third of global tropical deforestation occurs in Brazil’s Amazon forest, amounting to 1.5 million hectares each year.

The world has been chopping down 10 million hectares of trees every year to make space to grow crops and livestock, and to produce materials such as paper.
Agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation, another one of the biggest environmental problems appearing on this list. Land is cleared to raise livestock or to plant other crops that are sold, such as sugar cane and palm oil. Besides for carbon sequestration, forests help to prevent soil erosion, because the tree roots bind the soil and prevent it from washing away, which also prevents landslides. 

Source from : https://earth.org/

5. Plastic Pollution
In 1950, the world produced more than 2 million tons of plastic per year. By 2015, this annual production swelled to 419 million tons and exacerbating plastic waste in the environment.

plastic packaging waste; plastic pollution; beverage single-use plastic bottles in landfill. Photo: PxHere
The world generates 300 million tonnes of plastic waste on average each year.
A report by science journal, Nature, determined that currently, roughly 14 million tons of plastic make their way into the oceans every year, harming wildlife habitats and the animals that live in them. The research found that if no action is taken, the plastic crisis will grow to 29 million metric tons per year by 2040. If we include microplastics into this, the cumulative amount of plastic in the ocean could reach 600 million tons by 2040.

Shockingly, National Geographic found that 91% of all plastic that has ever been made is not recycled, representing not only one of the biggest environmental problems of our lifetime, but another massive market failure. Considering that plastic takes 400 years to decompose, it will be many generations until it ceases to exist. There’s no telling what the irreversible effects of plastic pollution will have on the environment in the long run. 

Source from : https://earth.org/

4. Biodiversity Loss
The past 50 years have seen a rapid growth of human consumption, population, global trade and urbanisation, resulting in humanity using more of the Earth’s resources than it can replenish naturally. 

A 2020 WWF report found that the population sizes of mammals, fish, birds, reptiles and amphibians have experienced a decline of an average of 68% between 1970 and 2016. The report attributes this biodiversity loss to a variety of factors, but mainly land-use change, particularly the conversion of habitats, like forests, grasslands and mangroves, into agricultural systems. Animals such as pangolins, sharks and seahorses are significantly affected by the illegal wildlife trade, and pangolins are critically endangered because of it. 

More broadly, a recent analysis has found that the sixth mass extinction of wildlife on Earth is accelerating. More than 500 species of land animals are on the brink of extinction and are likely to be lost within 20 years; the same number were lost over the whole of the last century. The scientists say that without the human destruction of nature, this rate of loss would have taken thousands of years. 

In Antarctica, climate change-triggered melting of sea ice is taking a heavy toll on emperor penguins and could wipe out entire populations by as early as 2100, according to 2023 research.

Source from : https://earth.org/

3. Food Waste

A third of the food intended for human consumption – around 1.3 billion tons – is wasted or lost. This is enough to feed 3 billion people. Food waste and loss account for approximately one-quarter of greenhouse gas emissions annually; if it was a country, food waste would be the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, behind China and the US. 

Our World in Data Food waste and loss occurs at different stages in developing and developed countries; in developing countries, 40% of food waste occurs at the post-harvest and processing levels, while in developed countries, 40% of food waste occurs at the retail and consumer levels. 

At the retail level, a shocking amount of food is wasted because of aesthetic reasons; in fact, in the US, more than 50% of all produce thrown away in the US is done so because it is deemed to be “too ugly” to be sold to consumers- this amounts to about 60 million tons of fruits and vegetables. This leads to food insecurity, another one of the biggest environmental problems on the list.

Source from : https://earth.org/

2. Poor Governance
According to economists like Nicholas Stern, the climate crisis is a result of multiple market failures.
Economists and environmentalists have urged policymakers for years to increase the price of activities that emit greenhouse gases (one of our biggest environmental problems), the lack of which constitutes the largest market failure, for example through carbon taxes, which will stimulate innovations in low-carbon technologies.

To cut emissions quickly and effectively enough, governments must not only massively increase funding for green innovation to bring down the costs of low-carbon energy sources, but they also need to adopt a range of other policies that address each of the other market failures. 

A national carbon tax is currently implemented in 27 countries around the world, including various countries in the EU, Canada, Singapore, Japan, Ukraine and Argentina. However, according to the 2019 OECD Tax Energy Use report, current tax structures are not adequately aligned with the pollution profile of energy sources. For example, the OECD suggests that carbon taxes are not harsh enough on coal production, although it has proved to be effective for the electricity industry. A carbon tax has been effectively implemented in Sweden; the carbon tax is U$127 per tonne and has reduced emissions by 25% since 1995, while its economy has expanded 75% in the same time period. 

Further, organisations such as the United Nations are not fit to deal with the climate crisis: it was assembled to prevent another world war and is not fit for purpose. Anyway, members of the UN are not mandated to comply with any suggestions or recommendations made by the organisation. For example, the Paris Agreement, a historic deal within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), says that countries need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly so that global temperature rise is below 2C by 2100, and ideally under 1.5C. But signing on to it is voluntary, and there are no real repercussions for non-compliance. Further, the issue of equity remains a contentious issue whereby developing countries are allowed to emit more in order to develop to the point where they can develop technologies to emit less, and it allows some countries, such as China, to exploit this.

Source from : https://earth.org/

1. Global Warming From Fossil Fuels
2023 was the hottest year on record, with global average temperatures at 1.46C above pre-industrial levels and 0.13C higher than the eleven-month average for 2016, currently the warmest calendar year on record. The year was marked by six record-breaking months and two record-breaking seasons.

What’s more, carbon dioxide (CO2) levels have never been so high. After being consistently around 280 parts per million (ppm) for almost 6,000 years of human civilisation, CO2 levels in the atmosphere are now well above 420 ppm, more than double what they were before the onset of the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator Rick Spinrad, the steady annual increase is a “direct result of human activity,” mainly from the burning of fossil fuels for transportation and electricity generation but also from cement manufacturing, deforestation, and agriculture.

This is undoubtedly one of the biggest environmental problems of our lifetime: as greenhouse gas emissions blanket the Earth, they trap the sun’s heat, leading to global warming.

Global Monitoring Laboratory Increased emissions of greenhouse gases have led to a rapid and steady increase in global temperatures, which in turn is causing catastrophic events all over the world – from Australia and the US experiencing some of the most devastating bushfire seasons ever recorded, locusts swarming across parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia, decimating crops, and a heatwave in Antarctica that saw temperatures rise above 20C for the first time. Scientists are constantly warning that the planet has crossed a series of tipping points that could have catastrophic consequences, such as advancing permafrost melt in Arctic regions, the Greenland ice sheet melting at an unprecedented rate, accelerating sixth mass extinction, and increasing deforestation in the Amazon rainforest, just to name a few.

The climate crisis is causing tropical storms and other weather events such as hurricanes, heatwaves and flooding to be more intense and frequent than seen before. However, even if all greenhouse gas emissions were halted immediately, global temperatures would continue to rise in the coming years. That is why it is absolutely imperative that we start now to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, invest in renewable energy sources, and phase our fossil fuels as fast as possible.

Source from : https://earth.org/explainer-what-is-blue-carbon/

Did you know that our oceans play a vital role in the fight against climate change? As carbon storage takes an increasingly important role in climate change mitigation, the term blue carbon has been gaining prominence. But what exactly is it and what role does it play in the context of climate change?

What Is Blue Carbon?
Blue carbon refers to carbon captured by marine ecosystems. It is well known that carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the most important greenhouse gasses (GHGs) and a main contributor to climate change. As the primary GHG emitted through human activities, reducing the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is paramount to slowing down climate change. While the most sustainable way to do this is by reducing our effective CO2 emissions, carbon storage plays an important role in removing the CO2 that has already been released into the atmosphere. 

Carbon storage, also referred to as carbon sequestration, describes the process by which carbon is removed from the atmosphere and stored in a so-called carbon pool. While this process can be imitated or enhanced through technology, it occurs in nature all the time – for example in our oceans and the coastal vegetation surrounding them. 

How it Works
Forests and trees are the most widely known natural carbon sinks, and so far, efforts to promote natural carbon sequestration have largely focussed on them. It is only recently that interest in blue carbon and its potential for climate change mitigation and adaptation has increased. 

While research is still ongoing, blue carbon is assumed to play a pivotal role in global carbon storage. At this point, findings suggest that marine ecosystems can remove even more carbon from the atmosphere than “green” terrestrial forests. Coastal vegetated ecosystems in particular have been described to make a “disproportionately large contribution […] to global carbon sequestration.”

So, how do these ecosystems contribute to carbon removal? In terms of vegetation, coastal marshes, mangrove forests and seaweed, both on the coast and underwater, are powerful carbon sinks. They store the captured CO2 in their soil and sediments, where it can be stored for thousands of years. Despite their much smaller size, they do this at a much faster rate than the planet’s forests. Seagrass, for example, while covering only approximately 0.1% of the ocean floor, is estimated to hold about 10 to 18% of oceanic carbon. 

The greatest amount of carbon is stored by the water itself, which is referred to as “deep sea carbon.” It is estimated that the ocean is able to concentrate 50 times more carbon than the atmosphere; in fact, some scientists consider the deep sea and its water column the largest carbon sink on earth. Nevertheless, researchers fear that climate change and the ensuing acidification of the ocean will diminish the sea’s potential to sequester carbon.

Blue Carbon and Climate Change
So far, several approaches have been proposed to harness the potential of blue carbon. These include “ocean afforestation” – i.e. the purposeful expansion of natural seaweed beds, possibly into the open ocean. Another idea consists of simply sinking vast amounts of seagrass in the ocean. However, as researchers point out, we still know little about the effects of such measures. Not only does the dynamic nature of the marine environment make it much more difficult than above ground to determine effectiveness but untried measures could also result in unintended social and environmental consequences.

Another possible method to promote blue carbon and counteract biodiversity loss is to include coastal vegetation into the carbon market through the buying and selling of carbon offsets. This would create an incentive for ecosystem restoration and conservation.

A main obstacle and concern when it comes to blue carbon, however, is the rate at which the marine ecosystems in question are disappearing. According to estimates, 2-7% of them are being lost each year, which means they are diminishing faster than the world’s rainforests. This not only means that less carbon is being sequestered but also that the formerly stored carbon is being released in the atmosphere, where it contributes to global warming. Environmental protection is thus a necessary prerequisite to benefiting from the power of blue carbon.

Beyond Climate Change
The simultaneous potential and threat of blue carbon highlights the fact that climate change and biodiversity loss are highly interconnected, and not the separate issues as which they are often treated. This is also true for climate change adaptation, for which coastal vegetation is a critical asset. 

Mangroves, for instance, which are disappearing at an even faster rate than other kinds of coastal vegetation, play a vital role in coastal protection. Extreme weather events like tsunamis and storms, which are set to occur with increasing frequency as climate change progresses, act as a powerful barrier. In the past 50 years, human activities such as agriculture and aquaculture, urban development, and harvesting have decimated the number of mangrove forests by more than a quarter. This threatens biodiversity and simultaneously represents a disadvantage in climate change mitigation and adaptation, thereby endangering animals, plants and humans equally.

The concept of blue carbon serves as a reminder of our interconnectedness with the environment, and of the importance of environmental protection in the fight against climate change.

Source from: https://www.wellbeing.com.au/mind-spirit/do-you-have-a-problem-with-procrastination.html
- by Jessica Lee

We all procrastinate at times. Procrastination is a frustrating and self-defeating behaviour, but why do we do it? You may have come to believe that procrastination is a sign of personal weakness, laziness, time management issues or a motivation problem. However, the root of procrastination appears to be something else entirely. Psychologist and procrastination researcher, Dr Timothy Pychyl says that you procrastinate in response to uncomfortable emotions, such as worry, anxiety, self-doubt, shame or fear. He says procrastination is a way to avoid those feelings and is therefore regarded as a “mood repairer” and a coping mechanism.

On her Potential Psychology Podcast episode about procrastination, psychologist Ellen Jackson says, “We know that procrastination is not necessarily about not managing our time well, but about not managing or regulating our behaviour well. We know we’re not avoiding a task; we’re avoiding a feeling.” When you understand that procrastination is a coping strategy rather than a personal weakness, it changes everything. You can approach procrastination with greater self-awareness, become a better problem-solver, and most importantly, develop more self-compassion.

I know this shift in mindset has had a huge impact on my life. When I was writing my book, I noticed I didn’t have much trouble writing the first draft. Once the first draft was done, however, I hit a brick wall of resistance. At first I thought I was tired, or maybe unmotivated or being lazy. But that didn’t feel right to me either. On the whole I was very motivated and passionate about my book project. I’d regularly get up earlier than my family for a few hours of uninterrupted writing time; I’d write on the weekends and find little pockets of time to jot down ideas. So why was I finding it hard to get started again?

Once I understood that procrastination was a mood repairer and a coping strategy, I got curious about what difficult emotion was behind my procrastination. I realised I was afraid to reread my draft and begin the editing process, because that meant coming face to face with my crappy first draft. I wanted my draft to be amazing and I knew it wouldn’t be. I didn’t want to face that fact, so I procrastinated.

Once I realised fear and self-doubt were driving my struggle to re-engage with my book, I dealt with those feelings, rather than berating myself for my apparent “lack” of discipline and motivation. I met myself with more self-compassion and was able to reframe my self-talk, saying things like, “No one’s first draft is ever great,” “It will get better as you keep working on it” and “This is the messy middle part of writing, trust the process.” This shift in self-talk helped me feel calmer and more confident and I was able to re-engage with my book and keep my momentum going.

Moving past harsh self-criticism
Unfortunately, when you believe procrastination is a sign of personal weakness, you can end up being very hard on yourself, which can keep you stuck. Jackson says, “So often so many of us get stuck in a loop of procrastination because when we do it, we get angry and frustrated and we’re very mean to ourselves. We allow that inner voice to tell us that we’re hopeless, that we’re being bad when we procrastinate, that our procrastination is some kind of ugly character flaw and that we somehow should be punished for our behaviour.”

Speaking to yourself in this harsh way can also be damaging to your sense of self over time. I’ve worked with many clients who’ve allowed their struggle with procrastination to define who they are. They say things to me like, “I never finish things,” “I’m a chronic procrastinator,” “I’m just not disciplined enough” or “I’m just so lazy sometimes.” So how can you stop personalising your experience of procrastination? Jackson says, “The most fascinating antidote to procrastination is self-compassion.”

Celebrating growth
Part of being kinder to yourself is realising that often when you step out of your comfort zone you will come up against procrastination. When you take on big challenges and say Yes to new opportunities, you’ll inevitably find yourself out of your comfort zone, and this means you’ll probably come up against difficult emotions like fear, self-doubt, uncertainty, anxiety and overwhelm. As you experience these tricky feelings, you’re more likely to procrastinate as a coping strategy.

When you realise procrastination is a normal human response to challenging and stressful situations, you can expect it, notice it and move through it with more self-kindness and less harsh self-criticism. Instead of seeing procrastination as a sign of weakness, you can see it as a sign you’re doing things that are stretching you. In these moments you can try grounding yourself with affirming statements like, “I’m struggling because I’m challenging myself,” “I’m having trouble because I’ve never done this before” and “I can be brave and do hard things.”

Becoming a better problem-solver
When you realise your emotions are driving your procrastination, you also get better at pinpointing the real problem you’re struggling with and you become a better problem-solver. When you just assume you’re being “lazy” you never get to the heart of your experience. As Pychyl explains, “If we know our emotions, we can deal with them, as opposed to avoiding them and the tasks that provoke these emotions in us.”

For example, if you know you’re procrastinating because you feel overwhelmed, you can break down your tasks into smaller steps. If you know you’re procrastinating because you’re exhausted, you can take more breaks, go for a walk, get started on the easier parts first and aim to get an early night. If you realise you’re procrastinating because you feel self-doubt, you can work on your mindset and create positive affirmations to refocus your mind.

Procrastination and perfectionism
The fear of not being good enough and not living up to your own high expectations can be enough to keep you from getting started. Jackson says, “Sometimes we procrastinate because we have become so overwhelmed about having to complete a whole huge time-consuming task, or we’re worried about not doing it well or perfectly, and so we avoid making a start at all.”

If you’re procrastinating because of perfectionism, give yourself permission to start small, improve as you go and create momentum one small step at a time. Jackson says, “When we give ourselves permission to just take ‘a first sloppy step’ then we’ve made a start and the funny thing about motivation is that it often doesn’t come before we start a task. It comes when we start a task. So, getting started, even with just a first sloppy step, gets the ball rolling.”

Interestingly, when you avoid something, it can make the situation worse. In Rewire Your Brain, neuroscientist Dr John Arden explains, “A paradox occurs when you avoid what you fear, because your fear then grows.” Arden continues, “Challenging the paradox involves doing away with avoidance and replacing it with exposure.” When you take small steps forward and embrace the “first sloppy step” you begin to break down your avoidance and you change how your brain is firing and wiring.

Embracing positive procrastination
While procrastination is mostly an unhelpful behaviour, I’ve found it can be useful if used intentionally. I call it positive procrastination. It involves consciously choosing to have a few important projects going at once, allowing you to move between them when you hit resistance. Having two projects going can make an unappealing task seem far more desirable, and you can use this to your advantage.

For example, when I was writing my book, I also needed to do my tax. Normally I procrastinate on my tax because I don’t enjoy doing it. However, I decided to use my tax as a positive procrastination tool on the days I hit resistance with my writing. On those days, engaging with my tax seemed far more interesting and I enjoyed the break from writing. Over the years I’ve successfully played one task off another to embrace positive procrastination. Using procrastination is this way can help you flow with your emotions and get more done in the process.

There are many reasons you might face difficult feelings when approaching a task. Here are five key drivers of procrastination.

1).Overwhelm: You feel the task is too big to start.
2).Lack of desire: You don’t want to do the task because it’s boring or pointless.
3).Underskilled: You don’t have the skills to do the task.
4).Self-doubt: You feel anxious, scared or lacking in confidence about the task.
5).Tiredness: You’re tired, feeling burnt-out or don’t have the headspace to do the task.

Strategies to move through procrastination
1 .Be kind to yourself
Understanding that procrastination is a mood repairer and a coping mechanism means you can cut yourself some slack. Shift your perspective and replace negative self-talk with more supportive self-talk. As Pychyl says, “As we struggle throughout the day with our procrastination, when we recognize that we are caught up in thinking, ruminating, worrying, and trying to plan our escape instead of engaging in our intended task, we can acknowledge this without judgment and simply begin again. We just get started again.”

2. Identify the feeling
What feelings are you avoiding? Do you feel anxious, fearful, bored, annoyed? When you can name your feelings, they often lose their control over you. Jackson says, “It can be helpful to make a list of the tasks that you tend to procrastinate over the most and your feelings about those tasks and to look for patterns.” And as Pychyl says, “It’s emotional intelligence that is key to breaking bad habits like procrastination, or just making a better life for ourselves.”

Once you know the feeling you can start to solve it. If you feel tired, maybe you need more sleep; if you feel underskilled you could sign up for a training course; if you’re time-pressed, you could delegate or refine the scope of your work; or if the task is boring, you could make it more fun or set up a reward to inspire you.

3.Set a timer and start small
Getting started is often the hardest part. Start small. Set a timer for 10 minutes and get started. I call this the 10 Minute Kickstarter Method because it helps to lower resistance to starting, and it kickstarts your momentum to break through the inaction of procrastination. Once you get started, you’ll often feel more confident and motivated to keep going.

4. Break it down
If you’re procrastinating because the task or project is too big, break it down into small steps. Keep breaking tasks down until you no longer feel any resistance or fear when you think about getting started. As you tick off smaller tasks you will also activate your brain’s reward system and get a hit of dopamine, one of your feel-good and motivating hormones, which will help you on your way.

5 .Creation over perfection
Unless you have the courage to get started, your ideas will stay in your head, your projects stay unfinished and your dreams unrealised. For a long time, I didn’t create things because I was waiting for the perfect time and to feel 100 per cent ready. That was until I realised you can’t improve something that doesn’t exist. If I wanted something to be great, I had to get started. I also had to be willing to sit with the discomfort of something not being great at the start, but trusting the process of “becoming”. Take the pressure off. Give yourself permission to be less than perfect and to improve over time.

6 .Energy management
If you’re procrastinating a lot, it might be a message from your body that it needs more rest. Prioritise rest, sleep and self-care to ensure you have enough in your tank to work on your tasks and projects. Once you have re-energised, you will likely find it easier to get started and keep your momentum going.