A Positive Interview with Psychologist, MSc Banu Sungun
Nilgün Aytekin // 20.05.2024
In today’s world, sustainability and positive psychology are becoming ever more crucial. Both disciplines seek to improve the well-being of individuals and the environment, foster long-term positive effects, and uphold societal values. To explore how positive psychology can support our inner world and sustainability efforts, and to examine its positive impact on society and individuals, we are delighted to welcome Banu Sungun to our first interview blog.
I’ve known Banu for many years; we were colleagues at a company we both worked for. Over time, our professional relationship blossomed into a strong friendship. After leaving the corporate world, we took different paths, but I’m happy to see that we’re still working towards some common goals today. By the end of this interview, I’m curious to see if you’ll agree with me.
Welcome, Banu. Could you please introduce yourself a bit? Who is Banu, and why positive psychology?
Banu Sungun: After working in sales and marketing roles at multinational companies for about 20 years, I made a midlife career change and decided to give my life a new direction. This change was actually a return to my roots, a return to the beginning for me. I studied psychology at university and loved it. Later, I discovered the field of positive psychology. The books and articles I read fascinated me so much that I found myself in a master’s program. If you ask why positive psychology… despite the obstacles and challenges people face, human potential, motivation, and determination have always deeply impressed and fascinated me. I found myself here, partly because I was chasing this, and partly because I was asking what the formula for a happy, balanced, and sustainable life is. I also greatly enjoy sharing the things I have learned and applied in my own life, as my journey of meaning seems to pass through here.
How would you define the relationship between positive psychology, sustainability, and human well-being?
Banu Sungun: What is sustainable for nature and society is also sustainable for human psychology. The core values in both areas are moderation, avoiding excess, continuity, and balance. Therefore, what benefits nature also benefits my soul. Just as the overuse of resources is a threat to sustainability, rapidly depleting my psychological resources is similarly a threat to my psychological balance. The culture of fast consumption challenges us in every sense. Consuming material resources, relationships, food, and clothing quickly is not good for our psychology. We need to allow ourselves time to digest, accumulate, process emotions, and remember.
How can the concept of sustainability impact psychological health?
Banu Sungun: Scientific publications show that the effects are very positive. Sustainability provides psychological benefits in three main areas. Firstly, turning towards inner goals increases self-esteem and a sense of satisfaction from striving to make the world a better place. Another important concept revolves around voluntary simplicity, which means turning to more intrinsic sources of meaning, such as values, positive relationships, and nature, rather than external sources like consumption and acquisition. Lastly, we see the positive effects of moving from time scarcity to time abundance, as prioritizing goals related to money and status is reduced. This positively impacts psychological health by allowing individuals to find time for things that matter to them, eliminating the need for rapid consumption to relieve stress.
How can we link a sustainable lifestyle to a positive psychology approach?
Banu Sungun: When I feel good and my psychological balance is in place, I don’t try to complete myself with external things; I already feel whole and complete. Positive relationships and the dimension of meaning in my life increase my psychological well-being. I no longer need to consume “things” to soothe myself or reduce my stress. Moreover, I turn towards experiences that have personal meaning rather than acquiring material things that provide social status. Studies have shown that the positive emotions from purchased items quickly fade, whereas those from experiences last much longer.
How can we help people change their behavior towards sustainability?
Banu Sungun: There are numerous articles in the field of positive psychology showing the psychological benefits of a sustainable lifestyle. I believe that as people become more aware of these benefits, they will prefer this way of living more. For example, minimalist living, which involves having fewer possessions, has been associated with increased feelings of control and reduced anxiety and stress levels. Similarly, an increased sense of autonomy makes individuals feel more independent. Sustainable living is closer to our inner goals related to values and meaning, thus positively affecting life satisfaction. If people knew how many psychological benefits there are, they would engage much more.
In this delightful interview with Banu Sungun, at the intersection of sustainability and positive psychology, we deeply explored how we can positively contribute to both our inner world and our environment. Banu’s valuable insights and experiences clearly illustrate the positive effects of a sustainable lifestyle on psychological well-being. By the end of our discussion, I believe we have gained a better understanding of how sustainability and positive psychology strengthen each other. Together, we can continue to take steps toward a more sustainable and meaningful life. I thank Banu for her contributions and am happy to share this valuable conversation. I hope that with the inspiration we gained from this interview, we can all move forward in adding more value to our environment and ourselves.
