Net Positive Substitutions
One thing we can do to increase our impact for animals is to improve our overall health and productive habits. When we become healthier, more capable people, we can utilize that high-impact energy for our work for animals as well.
In my own life, I'm currently exploring the idea of "net positive substitutions": identifying some habits or defaults that I'm not satisfied with, and switching them for something a bit better.
One example for me is having a nonfiction book that I pick up and read a couple pages of during "in between" times when I might be tempted to scroll the news or reddit instead. (Multiple positive benefits to that switch!) Another is drinking herbal tea or juice instead of pounding coffee at all times of day.
The research shows that it's often easier to substitute your old habits with new ones, rather than trying to eliminate habits without a replacement. In the article Nine Things Successful People Do Differently by Heidi Grant, habit #9 is "Focus on what you will do, not what you won’t do." She writes, "Plan how you will replace bad habits with good ones, rather than focusing only on the bad habits themselves... If you want to change your ways, ask yourself, What will I do instead?"
So the question for you is: What's one net positive substitution you could make in your life that would make you a healthier, more productive person, and that could in turn improve your advocacy for animals?
