What sparks joy and inspires you? Is it taking a deep breath in a forest, laughing with friends, or dancing to your favorite music? When we consider how to prepare for climate change, we often focus on physical infrastructure, like flood-resistant buildings or emergency shelters, but overlook the mental health impacts of climate change. By taking time to recognize joyful experiences in our lives, we can gain a more balanced perspective and avoid getting sucked into doomsday scenarios. For this reason, I am co-creating an online map that provides a brief description and location of joyful experiences on and around campus. Inspired by Food Systems New England’s Mapping Joy in the Food System project, our University of Michigan joy map will provide proof of positivity and promote future joyful experiences. I began to understand the importance of reflecting on joy when I suddenly found myself in need of emergency housing.
A Story of Resilience
About a year ago, a malfunctioning oven in a Kerrytown house I was renting caused a kitchen fire. I lost nearly everything I owned, but thankfully, all my roommates and I were safe. My trumpet and piano also survived the fire. Although the house was left uninhabitable, we were lucky to be able to crash at a friend’s place. Despite the chaos and stress following the fire, we found ourselves laughing and enjoying each other’s company. During this time, I reflected on the friends who supported us, meditated, and made time to play trumpet and compose music. By intentionally focusing on these sources of joy, I was able to remain resilient through the tumultuous aftermath of the fire.
While the fire wasn’t caused by climate change, similar situations of climate-induced displacement will become more and more frequent as extreme weather events become more common. Taking time to recognize the things we love in our lives is crucial in adapting to the changing climate.
What Resilience Means to Me
After the fire, I began to understand that climate resilience encompasses much more than emergency preparedness. Climate resilience is defined as the ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from the effects of climate change and this includes emotional resilience. Intentionally recognizing the things that bring us joy can provide stability and clarity through the chaos. As the great jazz saxophone player Wayne Shorter says, “play music the way you want the world to be”. A broader definition of resilience incorporates Wayne’s wise words. Climate resilience involves envisioning a dream future where we prioritize joy.
A Call to Action
Please take part in our first ever U-M Joy Map by submitting your experience! Share the form with your friends too! As the Climate Resilience Intern in Student Life Sustainability, I will be working on this project for the remainder of the year. We would love to hear about your experiences and spread joy with others.
Adam is an intern with Student Life Sustainability at the University of Michigan.