Anxiety in a warming world: We live in a hyper-consumerist society that makes ethical living exhausting

We live in a hyper-consumerist society that promotes fast fashion, and it is literally everywhere — from shops to social media. Avoiding temptation feels almost impossible.

Every time I stumble upon a cute top or the latest beauty sensation, my mind floods with everything I know about the damage behind it: Child labour in mica mining and garment factories, meagre wages, toxic chemicals, endless plastic. What should be a simple choice turns into overthinking, and that often leads to decision paralysis. I freeze, afraid of making the “wrong” choice.

Even small acts of consumption carry weight. When I eat packaged snacks, guilt follows immediately. I start wondering where the wrapper will end up — recycled, burnt, or buried in a landfill. That thought quickly snowballs into a replay of all the plastic I have ever consumed. The guilt and self-blame linger, ruining my mood and affecting my mental health.

Trying to do better is not easy either. Greener choices often cost more. I buy organic, biodegradable sanitary pads instead of regular ones, even though they are far more expensive. When I gently tell someone not to dump waste on the roadside and to hand it to a waste collector instead, I am often met with resistance. Why should we pay ₹50 when everyone else throws it outside? These moments turn into heated arguments — with strangers, sometimes even family.

All of this demands time, emotional energy and patience, with very little reward. I already struggle with mental health, and climate-related stress only adds to the load. The constant overthinking, the confrontations, the pressure to live sustainably — it all makes everyday life heavier.

Then there are the notifications. Beep beep. Myntra announces a sale. My heart says no, my thumb scrolls anyway. Social media follows with hauls, unboxings and influencer lives selling lifestyles more than products. If you do not keep up, you risk feeling invisible. Impulse buying begins to feel like a way to belong.

Psychologically, this creates moral exhaustion and a guilt loop: overthink, freeze, consume anyway, then try to soothe the conscience with small green acts. It becomes a private anxiety caused by a public system designed to make us want more.

Self-control alone can’t help this anxiety. Environmental sustainability must go hand in hand with emotional sustainability. Sometimes, when the craving for chips hits, it is okay to pause the mental gymnastics — to consume responsibly, and in moderation, without punishing oneself.

Bhuvneshwari Dugat is pursuing MA Development at Azim Premji University, Bengaluru.

This article follows the theme of Anxiety in a warming world, a special edition of Down To Earth published January 1-15, 2026, featuring exclusive interviews with Dia Mirza, Kalki Koechlin, Kiran Rao, Nila Madhab Panda, Sajana Sajeevan, Tsewang Chuskit, Manish Mehrotra and others, as well as columns by scientists, activists and journalists.