The Surprising Choices That Make You Happier and Help the Planet | Elizabeth Dunn & Jiaying Zhao

In this episode, Elizabeth Dunn and Jiaying Zhao discuss the surprising choices that can make you happier and help the planet at the same time. Drawing on research in happiness, behavior change, and climate science, they challenge the idea that climate action has to mean guilt, sacrifice, or giving up everything you enjoy. They explain how to find the “sweet spot” where choices that reduce carbon emissions also improve well-being, whether that means rethinking what you eat, buy, or how you travel. They also reveal why some of the actions we focus on most may have less impact than we think, how our everyday choices influence the people around us, and why choosing one meaningful change you actually enjoy may be far more powerful than trying to change everything at once. Their new book is Leave the Lights On: How Joyful Decisions Can Save Our Species A Weekly Bite of Wisdom: Want to go deeper with the ideas we explore on The One You Feed? Every Wednesday, Eric shares a short, practical email that turns insights about mental health, relationships, purpose, habits, and personal growth into simple practices you can use right away. You’ll also receive our Weekend Podcast Playlist featuring a recap of the week’s episodes. It’s free, takes about a minute to read, and is enjoyed by thousands of readers each week. Sign up at oneyoufeed.net/newsletter. Key Takeaways: Why joy can motivate lasting change better than guilt or fear How individual actions and systemic change work together Why our everyday choices can influence the people around us Which food choices have the biggest impact without requiring an all-or-nothing approach Why reusing and buying less can matter more than recycling How to rethink travel to get more happiness from fewer emissions Why choosing one meaningful change may be the best place to start For full show notes, ⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠! ⁠⁠How a Little Becomes a Lot: The Art of Small Changes for a More Meaningful Life⁠⁠ is available now! Order your copy today! If you enjoyed this conversation with Liz and Jiaying, check out these other episodes: How Small Choices Create Lasting Change (Eric on The Jordan Harbinger Show) This episode is sponsored by: Quince:⁠ Refresh your wardrobe with Quince by going to ⁠Quince.com/feed⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too. ZocDoc – Taking care of your health just got easier – start here with Zocdoc Shopify – The commerce platform that helps you build, grow, and manage your business all in one place. Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/feed. ⁠Pebl⁠⁠ – an AI-powered platform that helps companies hire and manage global teams in 185+ countries. Get a free estimate at ⁠⁠hipebl.ai⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Tiny Health⁠⁠⁠‘s at-home gut health test provides science-backed insights into your microbiome, along with personalized recommendations to help you improve your digestion, energy, and overall well-being. Get $50 off your first test kit at⁠⁠⁠ tinyhealth.com/FEED⁠⁠⁠ ButcherBox: Make dinnertime easier with ButcherBox, delivering high-quality 100% grass-fed beef, organic chicken, wild-caught seafood, and more, right to your door. Get $20 off your first box, plus your choice of free ground beef for life or free chicken thighs or top sirloins for a year, with free shipping always. Visit ButcherBox.com/FEED to claim your offer. Talkiatry⁠⁠⁠ connects you with licensed psychiatrists for personalized, evidence-based mental health care, all online and covered by most major insurance plans. To get matched with an in-network psychiatrist in just a few minutes, visit ⁠⁠⁠Talkiatry.com/FEED.⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices