Tag: emotionalwellbeing

The Courage to Live Your Values

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Sheep in a barn looking toward camera
Photo by Trinity Kubassek on Pexels.com

When I went vegan, I discovered surprising inner shifts that accompanied this journey, including a greater sense of peace, freedom, meaning, fulfillment, and authenticity. Being vegan aligned me with core values I had always held: compassion and kindness, wanting to lessen suffering, and caring for animals and our natural world.

The peace and freedom that I found through living my vegan values is shared by many other vegans. When I surveyed and interviewed vegans for my book, The Vegan Transformation: A Journey to Heal Yourself and the World, I asked how veganism has contributed to their emotional well-being. The most common response was: “Being true to my inner convictions and values.”

Survey respondents expressed that through living a vegan lifestyle, they felt aligned with core values, morals, and ethics that mattered deeply to them, such as kindness, compassion for animals, healthy living, and caring for the planet. This led to a cascade of positive outcomes, including greater peace, confidence, integrity, satisfaction, and purpose, as reflected in these survey responses:

  • “[I feel] greater internal peace and sense of harmony arising from living in a manner that more fully aligns with my values of compassion and respect for all.”
  • “I adore that my life is making the least impact possible in a world where we are faced with constant decisions. I find peace that my lifestyle is positive for the animals, the environment, and my health.”
  • “Knowing that I am living according to my values. I feel like I found something that connected a lot of dots for me. . .and a lot of causes that were always near to my heart.”
  • “There is a weight off my shoulders to be no longer involved in animal cruelty—although I didn’t know that weight was on my shoulders until it lifted.”
  • “There is an incredible sense of confidence and inner peace knowing that you are living in line with your true values. I have never felt so healthy and true to myself. This feels like I am my authentic self for the first time in my life.”

What are values and why do they matter?

Our core values are basic and fundamental beliefs that guide our attitudes and choices. They serve as a moral compass, helping us discern what is important to us and how to act accordingly. They describe the personal qualities we choose to embody and the kind of person we want to be. They guide how we treat ourselves and others, and show us how to be authentic, so that we act in ways that reflect what really matters to us.

Knowing what your values are, what you believe, and what matters to you can help to make decisions that are best for you. We tend to be healthier psychologically when our thoughts, feelings, and goals are in alignment with our values. Living in alignment with our values can lead to greater fulfillment, self-worth, and sense of purpose.

Yet, many of us haven’t taken the time to reflect on or define our core values, much less determine if we are living in alignment with them. And it can take courage to follow our values when they require us to stand up to peer pressure or societal “norms” and expectations.

In my many years as a psychologist, I have found that being out of touch (and out of sync) with our values is a major contributor to the emotional malaise and existential distress that many of us face.

Cognitive dissonance

When we act in ways that do not match our values, and we become aware of this inner inconsistency, we may experience what is called cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance is the mental discomfort that comes from holding two or more conflicting beliefs, attitudes, or values, or behaving in ways that are not in sync with our personal values. This misalignment between our beliefs and behaviors can contribute to an inner conflict that is uncomfortable or downright distressing.

The tension and stress of cognitive dissonance is heightened depending on the level of disparity between our beliefs and actions, and how much the conflicting beliefs or values matter to us. It can be especially distressing when we are out of alignment with values that are central to our moral compass or our identity. When we act against our core principles, we may feel shame or guilt, or inwardly question our “goodness” or integrity.

The discomfort of cognitive dissonance usually leads to one of the following choices: We change our behaviors so that they better match our values, or we alter our perceptions to lessen the inner conflict and associated discomfort. This can occur through changing our values, so that they match our behaviors, or perhaps more commonly, through shifting our perceptions to obscure any contradictions between our values and behaviors.

The cognitive dissonance of eating meat

Most of us have compassion for animals and hate to see cruelty, suffering, or neglect. We adore our companion animals, may enjoy watching birds and wildlife, and are deeply distressed when we see an injured or suffering animal.

However, we are conditioned from a young age to view farmed animals who are raised for meat differently from other animals, even though they too are sentient beings. We turn a blind eye, looking away from the inhumane living conditions, the cruel practices that are routine in animal agriculture, and the violence of the slaughter process. (I won’t go into those details here, but to learn more, I recommend reading Food Revolution by John Robbins or Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer, or others listed on my resource list.)

How do we make sense of this disconnect between our concern for the well-being of animals—and the reality that billions of them are bred, raised, and slaughtered each year for human consumption, in ways that would horrify the average person if we looked more closely? This inner conflict between our caring for animals and yet eating a diet that contributes to the suffering and death of many animals has been called The Meat Paradox, a term first coined by Dr. Steve Loughnan and colleagues.

The contributing factors to this disconnect are complex, including our social conditioning that normalizes eating animal products; the invisibility of factory farming and slaughterhouses; agribusiness advertising and lobbying; family and social traditions centering around certain foods; our food habits and cravings; and our psychological tendencies to compartmentalize and to dissociate from disturbing information. (To learn more about the social psychology behind these factors, I recommend Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows by Dr. Melanie Joy.)

Benefits of aligning with vegan values

For many vegans, there is an awakening that leads them to shift to a vegan lifestyle, whether it is something they learned through a program or article, a personal health crisis, or an unexpected experience that opened their eyes. (I share about my vegan awakening in this article). For some people that shift happens overnight. For others, it’s a lengthier process that emerges over time. Whether the change was immediate or took time to unfold, my research participants found that aligning with their values through a vegan lifestyle brought a cascade of positive inner changes, such as greater peace, confidence, integrity, freedom, fulfillment, meaning, and harmony.

If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian.

– Paul McCartney

Aligning our daily actions with our core values – in terms of how we treat ourselves, others, and the world around us – is emotionally and spiritually healing.

Below are a few reflection exercises to help you explore your values – and to move toward greater alignment.

Journal questions to reflect on:

  • What matters most to you? What do you want in life, for yourself and others?
  • Consider past experiences when you were being most true to yourself. What values were represented in those experiences?
  • Consider past experiences when you were very upset about something. What values were being impacted?
  • What kind of person do you aspire to be? What qualities do you want to be known for?
  • Consider traits of people you highly respect. What values do they demonstrate?
  • Check out a core values list. Which values are most important to you? Then, narrow your list down to the top 3-5 values.

How do your purchasing and food choices reflect your values?

Most of us are unaware of the connections between our values and what we consume, because we rarely see the process by which our food or other items are produced. To learn more about the ethical and environmental impact of your purchases, review guides offered by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Humane World for Animals (formerly Humane Society), or Environmental Working Group (EWG). Set an action plan based on what you discover.

Consider the definition of veganism below. How does this definition of veganism fit with YOUR core values? What is one step you can take toward greater alignment?

Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans, and the environment. In dietary terms, it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.

– The Vegan Society

Exploring our values, and aligning our behaviors with them, is an ongoing process. Continuing to check in with our values, and refine our choices to be even more aligned, can help us to create a healthy, fulfilling, and authentic life. When we cultivate the courage to honor vegan values – making compassionate choices that cause the least harm possible for sentient beings and for our planet – it creates positive ripples for our own mind-heart-spirit wellness – and spreads a little more hope, healing, and kindness in our world.

This article was adapted from my book, The Vegan Transformation: A Journey to Heal Yourself and the World (chapter Two, “The Courage to Live Your Values”).

Author holding book

Angela Crawford, Ph.D. is a psychologist and author of The Vegan Transformation: A Journey to Heal Yourself and the World (Lantern Publishing & Media, 2025), which was launched on April 22, 2025, Earth Day. 

Dr. Crawford is certified as a MSVA Master Vegan Lifestyle Coach and Educator, licensed PCRM Food for Life instructor, and Transformational Coach. A speaker and teacher about the psychological benefits of veganism, she is passionate about the power of personal transformation to create a more fulfilling and purposeful life, and a kinder, healthier world.

Emotional Self-Care for Vegans through the Holidays

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Photo by Paulette Wooten on Unsplash

While holidays are often a beautiful time of celebration and connection, they can also be rife with family expectations, unhealthy dynamics, and old emotional baggage. These “normal” holiday challenges can be intensified and magnified for those of us living a vegan lifestyle. We may feel like we are walking a delicate tightrope, surrounded by family gatherings, foods, and traditions that don’t align with our values. Under these circumstances, it’s easy to feel isolated, anxious, tense, and even emotionally drained. How can we maintain our peace while honoring our compassionate values? In this article, I discuss three key practices to navigate the holidays with grace and resilience (and maybe even a little joy sprinkled in).

First, before we dive in, I invite you to reflect: What social situations are most challenging for YOU during the holidays? Perhaps you are the only vegan in your family or social circle, and you feel isolated and unsupported. Perhaps you are not sure how to navigate social gatherings centered around animal foods. Or you feel frustrated by family tensions or conflicts. Whatever your holiday challenges, it can be incredibly helpful to proactively develop a plan for how to approach these.

You may wish to grab a note pad or journal to reflect on the questions and suggestions offered below. Consider your personal situation, goals, and desires – and create your own unique holiday self-care “prescription.”

1. Be intentional

Once we become vegan, we see the world very differently than we had previously. We now recognize animal foods (the “centerpiece” of many holiday meals) as the products of suffering, and no longer choose to purchase, eat, or partake in these. As we learn more about the impact of our choices (on animals, humans, the planet, and our own health), we move toward more mindful, conscious, healthy, and compassionate ways of living. Whether others are ready to join us yet or not, we can still be proactive in considering how we want to celebrate. We have the power to influence how our holidays will be.

I invite you to take a moment to envision your ideal holiday season. Take some time to dream and imagine. Who would you spend the time with during the holidays? What kinds of things would you focus on? What foods would you eat? What activities would you engage in? What are the values you want to live by and the mindsets you want to cultivate? Play out an “ideal” holiday, from when you get up to when you go to bed, using all your senses – sights, sounds, sensations, feelings, smells, and tastes.

Now, as you’ve visualized what your ideal holiday might look and feel like, let’s bring it down to a more tangible level. While your vision may or may not fully unfold, there are things you can do to help move in that direction. Reflect on the following questions:

  • What social events and family traditions do you want to continue to be part of?
  • Which events will you choose NOT to attend?
  • What new traditions would you like to create?
  • What vegan foods will you prepare and bring to events?
  • How will you incorporate time for rest, renewal, and self-care?
  • How will you communicate with non-vegan family and friends about the changes you would like to make?

Be creative in exploring solutions that work best for you. It may be as simple as bringing lots of great vegan dishes to social gatherings – ensuring that you have food to eat, while allowing others to discover how scrumptious plant-based cuisine can be. Or you may decline to attend certain gatherings, and instead, plan a vegan meal with friends. Perhaps you might get together with non-vegan family and friends later for a drink, vegan dessert, or movie. Maybe you will schedule some personal time for an activity you love. As you consider these questions and ideas, give yourself time to explore what feels best to you and to discover creative solutions.

2. Emotional self-care

No matter how beautifully you plan your holidays, you’re probably going to experience some anxiety, stress, tension, or frustration at some point. For many of us, holidays are already a stressful time, because there’s so much baggage attached to it. There are family expectations and dynamics, as well as cultural messages and expectations. This “normal” holiday stress can be magnified when we have experienced life changes or losses – or are living and eating differently than the majority of those around us. This means that having an emotional self-care plan for the holidays is essential.

Here again, being proactive can be hugely helpful in preparing for and thriving through the holidays. Take time to reflect (and journal) on the following questions:

  • Which holiday situations do you anticipate will likely bring up stress? How can you prepare for these situations?
  • What plan can you have for handling unexpected stressors? What techniques can you use in the moment to manage stress?
  • How can you implement ongoing self-care to lessen stress?
  • What self-talk and actions will nurture greater self-compassion?
  • How will you nourish yourself physically? (e.g., eating plenty of healthy whole plant foods, exercising, getting adequate sleep).
  • What support systems do you have in place?
  • What pleasurable activities will you enjoy? How can you take time to laugh, play, and enjoy the beauty of life?

Mindful self-awareness is an important foundation for healthy emotional self-care. Consider checking in with yourself periodically to ask these questions: What am I feeling? What do I need? Do I have the energy or bandwidth to continue this conversation or situation right now? Can I take a moment to pause and return to this later? What would nourish me right now, or what might I need to do later?

To navigate emotional stress more effectively, it helps to develop ongoing self-care practices (your self-care “prescription”). Choose a few practices that you are willing to commit to regularly, such as meditation, yoga, affirmations, breathing techniques, taking a walk, time in nature, journaling, time with companion animals, art, or music.

Based on the questions and suggestions above, what daily practices will you implement to relax, manage stress, and process emotions? Write out your holiday self-care prescription, including how and when you will implement these practices. (For additional suggestions, see my recent article on coping with difficult emotions.)

3. Healthy communication

As you explore new ways to navigate the holidays, ultimately you will need to communicate with others about your desired changes. In approaching these conversations, you may wish to reflect: What are creative ways to honor my values AND enjoy meaningful festivities with those I love? How can I communicate this in ways that allow me to be true to myself, while remaining connected to those I care about?

If you are a new vegan, this will include letting those close to you know that you are no longer eating animal products. You may need to explain that you will not be eating Grandma’s beloved pumpkin pie or Uncle Pete’s special pasta Bolognese. It’s important to recognize that for some people, sharing food is their way of sharing love. In these situations, it can be helpful to emphasize that you still love and value the other person(s) and your relationship – and that your decision to go vegan is a personal one, based on values such as ethics or health. You might offer to bring some vegan dishes to share and note that you are happy to provide more information about veganism or plant-based diets if they are interested.

There is an art to effective communication. In some situations, communication flows smoothly and naturally, and you don’t have to give it a lot of thought. However, some conversations can be emotionally charged, and therefore more challenging. Below are some suggestions for navigating these challenging conversations more effectively.

Set an intention for your communication.

The book Crucial Conversations emphasizes the importance of taking time to pause and clarify your intentions and desires before initiating important conversations. This allows you to connect with your Wise Brain, the part of your brain that holds emotional intelligence. Take a deep breath, and then ask yourself questions such as: “What do I really want here – for myself and for the other person? What do I want for the larger situation? What is the best way to express myself to create those results?” This reflection connects you with your deeper wishes, so you can be proactive, not reactive, in how you communicate. It helps to discern the right timing, words, tone, and body language to have a fruitful conversation.

Is your agenda healthy?

In her book, Beyond Beliefs: A Guide to Improving Relationships and Communication for Vegans, Vegetarians, and Meat Eaters, Dr. Melanie Joy discusses the importance of having healthy expectations and intentions for our communication. When we are focused on being “right,” or changing another person, this rarely leads to meaningful communication. Perhaps the healthiest intention for a conversation is greater mutual understanding. We may have secondary goals, but without mutual understanding, our conversation becomes more of a lecture or monologue, not a true interaction. We are each more likely to be touched and moved when we feel heard and understood. Our words will also have more impact, coming from a place of greater understanding and connection.

Communicate assertively, not passively or aggressively.

Assertive communication entails expressing your feelings and needs clearly and directly, in a way that is respectful of the other person as well as yourself. When you communicate assertively, you are honest about what you feel, where you stand, and what you would like to see happen, and at the same time, do this in a way that honors the dignity of the other person. Assertive communication is not just about words, but also about a respectful tone of voice, body language, and manner. It includes using “I-language,” and sharing your perspective and story so that others can better understand where you are coming from. It also involves active listening, to better understand the other’s concerns and perspectives. Assertive communication increases the likelihood of achieving greater mutual understanding and discovering creative solutions.

Passive communication, in contrast, is when we don’t speak up at all, or dance around the issues, rather than be clear and direct. Often this occurs when we are trying to please others or avoid conflict. When we are indirect, this may lead to misunderstandings, and even unintended conflict, because others can’t “read” our desires and intentions.

And then there’s aggressive communication, which comes across as hostile or threatening. It can range from speaking in an angry tone of voice, to name-calling, to verbal attacks, even to physical violence. Those on the receiving end of aggression tend to feel threatened, which triggers a fight-or-flight response, often leading to anger (fight), or to withdrawal (flight). Passive-aggressive behavior is a more subtle form of aggression, which can include sarcasm, ridicule, or sabotaging behaviors. If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of aggressive or passive-aggressive communication, consider how this made you feel. It’s safe to say that this style of communicating rarely lends itself to positive understanding or meaningful change.

Consider: How can you implement intentional, healthy, assertive communication to express your wishes, needs, and/or changes in holiday plans with loved ones? (Check out my Vegan Communication Resource list for additional resources to improve communication.)

Bringing it all together

In this article I’ve discussed three core strategies for navigating the holidays more peacefully: Being intentional and proactive, prioritizing emotional self-care, and implementing healthy communication skills. Developing these skills occurs over time and with practice. While being vegan in a not-yet-vegan world can bring up emotional and interpersonal challenges, it contributes to so much that is positive – for animals, the planet, and for our own health and peace of mind. In honoring our deepest values, and walking the path less traveled, veganism offers an opportunity to live more authentically in our relationship with ourself and with others. Living authentically may ulitimately enable us to navigate the holidays (and beyond) with greater grace, peace, fulfillment, and joy.

Check out my recent presentation on Emotional Self-Care for Vegans (available on YouTube) for additional tips on thriving emotionally through the holidays.

Angela Crawford, Ph.D. is a psychologist, transformational coach, vegan educator, and plant-based culinary instructor. She is author of The Vegan Transformation: A Journey to Heal Yourself and the World (Lantern, 2025).

Coping and Thriving Through Difficult Emotions

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Woman sitting on dock, looking at the water.
Photo by Keenan Constance on Pexels.com

How do we cope with challenging emotions, especially in the face of suffering in the world around us? As we watch the news or scan social media, it seems that the problems that face us are ever-growing: climate change and natural disasters, hunger and food insecurity, wars, disease, polarization, and violence. Not to mention our own personal stressors in areas such as relationships, finances, career, and our physical and mental health.

On top of that, those of us on the vegan path face what psychologist, Clare Mann (author of Vystopia: The Anguish of Being Vegan in a Non-Vegan World), calls the “burden of knowing”: we have become aware of the vast suffering of animals in the food system and other oppressive systems, and want to raise awareness to end this suffering. How do we cope when it seems that most of society – and our political and social systems – are oblivious or indifferent to the impact of our daily choices on the planet and on sentient beings?

As a highly sensitive person and empath, I face my own share of difficult feelings – times of sadness, despair, anger, and fear. And sometimes I find myself in a downward emotional spiral when I listen to the news – or read negative, attacking comments on social media – or when I feel like an outsider at social events that are centered around animal foods. Sometimes I can handle these situations with strength, grace, and wisdom. But sometimes these situations bring me down into emotional negativity. Maybe you can relate.

I don’t have all the answers for how to handle difficult emotional experiences. However, as a lifelong seeker of personal and spiritual growth, and previously a psychotherapist for 25 years, I have committed myself to discovering ways to cope, transmute, and thrive through unsettling and painful emotions. Below, I share ten tips for coping with difficult emotions, drawing on my experience, the wisdom of other experts, and insights from my forthcoming book, The Vegan Transformation: A Journey to Heal Yourself and the World.

1. Remember that emotions are natural and essential – including the painful ones.

When we experience painful events, witness others’ suffering, or become aware of the widespread exploitation and harm to sentient beings, it is normal to experience sadness, anger, and even hopelessness or despair. It’s important to understand that emotions are essential for our survival and thriving. Even the emotions that we label as “negative,” like fear, sadness, or anger, serve important adaptive functions, helping us to recognize our needs and to take appropriate action. Many times, we wish to bury or push away negative emotions because we fear becoming overwhelmed by them. However, learning to acknowledge and move through our emotions is essential to psychological, physical, and interpersonal wellness. This mindful acknowledgement of our emotional experience reduces the risk that we will bury our feelings or become “stuck” in a particular emotion. Ultimately, acknowledging our emotions enables us to engage in life more fully and authentically.

2. Start by naming your emotions.

For example, “I’m feeling sad, angry, afraid,” or whatever feelings you are experiencing. By giving language to feelings, it often diffuses their emotional intensity. It helps us to gain some distance, so that we recognize that these are feelings (mental experiences), which can guide us, but do not define us. This helps to bring the Wise Brain back online, so that we can access more resources for coping. Listing all your feelings on paper can help to acknowledge the complex interplay of emotions underneath your distress. Sometimes we may be feeling sad, angry, afraid, and/or hopeful all at the same time. As you write out what you are feeling, this doesn’t mean getting caught up in your “story” around these feelings. Spending endless time justifying our reactions, interpretations, and/or “rightness” can keep us stuck. Simply name and acknowledge the different feelings you are experiencing, and be aware of the needs and desires that accompany them. If you have difficulties identifying your feelings, tools like the Feelings Wheel can help. In addition, the Center for Nonviolent Communication offers a helpful list of feelings and needs.

3. Develop skills for processing feelings and moving them through the body.

Strategies for working through feelings include mindfulness, yoga, journaling, taking a walk, being in nature, or spending time with companion animals. In addition, you may wish to incorporate powerful practices such as lovingkindness meditation, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), or HeartMath techniques. I’ve included hyperlinks for each of these in case you wish to explore them further. I practice regular journaling, prayer, walks in nature, visualization, and mindfulness meditation to help stay grounded – and use IFS and EFT when I need emotional power tools.

4. It’s healthy to let yourself cry.

Tears help us release emotions such as sadness, sorrow, and grief. Sometimes we fear crying because we are afraid that we won’t be able to stop, or we will look weak to others. However, for most people, there is tremendous relief after a good cry. In addition, research shows that tears can make relationships stronger, because they help others relate to us. Allowing yourself to release tears helps you and may help to advocate more effectively as well.

5. Anger is a normal response to injustice, cruelty, and oppression.

It’s okay to feel angry – this is a natural response when we feel that we or others are being treated unjustly. The bigger issue is how you relate to and handle anger. First, as with any emotion, it’s helpful to name it and draw on coping skills to process and release physical tension in the body. Once we are calmer, we can discern wise and effective ways to respond to our anger. Chronic anger is not healthy for us or helpful for creating the changes we want to see. Unprocessed anger tends to lead to aggressive or hostile communication, which typically causes others to put up their defenses, rather than be receptive to our message. A healthier and more effective approach is to first calm and regulate the nervous system and then discern wise words and empowered actions that help toward our larger objective.

6. Remember healthy self-care in daily life.

To thrive emotionally and inspire the change we want to see in the world, we must include ourselves in our circle of compassion. Just as we would nurture a beloved friend, child, or companion animal, we need to extend that nurturing care toward ourselves. This ongoing self-care can also give us greater emotional resilience for handling difficult feelings. For example:

  • Eat nutrient-dense plant foods to nourish yourself optimally. Research finds that a plant-strong diet rich in antioxidants, fiber, and other nutrients is associated with improved moods and emotional health. This includes eating plenty of fruits, veggies, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, while reducing or eliminating inflammatory foods such as fast food, sugar, meat, and dairy.
  • Incorporate regular movement and exercise, restorative sleep, and meaningful time with loved ones, and avoid use of harmful substances.
  • Include regular stress management and emotional self-care practices, such as meditation, yoga, breathing techniques, journaling, spiritual practices, time in nature, connecting with beauty, and/or time with companion animals.
  • Find the right balance of work and rest; time with others and time alone.
  • Set boundaries on your exposure to disturbing news, images, and social media posts. Seek out positive and inspiring sources of information and support.

7. Your focus affects your physiology.

Rather than focus solely on what is wrong in the world, we can consciously imagine the compassionate, sustainable, and healthy world we want to see – and celebrate any signs of movement in that direction. While we all have negative thoughts from time to time, we don’t have to stay stuck there. Take a moment to consider, what motivates you? What gives you hope? Create daily affirmations and intentions that reconnect you with your WHY. Talk to yourself in encouraging ways and affirm steps of progress. Nurture moments of laughter, humor, and joy, and seek out positive support and inspiration. Why is this important? Our thoughts impact our physiology and how we feel and act, and how others respond to us. More empowered thoughts reap more productive interactions and outcomes.

8. Recognize the good that is happening.

Notice the blessings in your life. What positives do you experience emotionally, physically, interpersonally, and/or spiritually? Even though there is still much healing that needs to happen in our world, how do your choices make a positive difference? Also, notice the positives happening within the larger vegan movement and toward causes you care about. When you intentionally notice the good that is happening, it allows it to expand, not only in your consciousness, but also in the world. And there are many hopeful things happening. For example, there is tremendous growth in the vegan movement, greater awareness around social and animal justice issues, more plant-based products in the marketplace, and countless devoted advocates working to create a kinder, healthier, and more sustainable world.

9. Take positive action.

Joan Baez, the songwriter and activist, is noted for saying, “Action is the antidote to despair.” Being involved in a cause that matters to us can make all the difference in our sense of well-being, hope, and purpose. Whatever the cause that most speaks to you, whether animal protection, climate and environmental issues, human health, mental health, world hunger, injustice or oppression, spiritual healing, or any other issue, taking positive action can move you from powerless to empowered. If you are already involved in a cause or a movement, take a moment to appreciate what you are contributing. And if something feels missing in this area of your life, explore how you can connect with others who share your mission and passion – and discover ways to collaborate and contribute your gifts.

10. Know when to seek help.

If you experience severe emotional distress or symptoms that are disrupting your life, consider seeking support from a qualified psychotherapist or professional. In Defense of Animals offers resources and a list of therapists who are sensitive to vegan and animal rights issues. The support of a trained professional, who not only understands your feelings and concerns, but also offers tools for coping, can make a world of difference.

It is part of our human journey to experience a complex array of emotions, including some that are difficult and distressing. May you bring kindness to yourself through these feelings, practice compassionate self-care, and discover the wise actions you are called to take. Each of us has a part to play in creating a more compassionate and just world, one that recognizes our interconnectedness with all beings and with all of Nature. Often our toughest emotions are important keys that ultimately guide us to what matters most.

Angela Crawford, Ph.D. is a psychologist and vegan educator. She offers classes and resources to empower people toward a plant-powered lifestyle for physical and emotional well-being, compassion for all sentient beings, and caring for the planet. She is author of The Vegan Transformation: A Journey to Heal Yourself and the World (Lantern Publishing & Media, 2025).