Julskinkan griljeras – and the pigs suffer

"Julskinkan griljeras – and the pigs suffer"

"Psychologists: So you can change your habits and save the animals."

"This is an opinion piece. It is the writer who stands for the views that are put forward in the text, not Against."

"the DEBATE. Dear meat-eaters!"

"Christmas is approaching and it is busy times. The presents will be packed, the family should be collected and julskinkan shall griljeras. "

"at the same time as you are reading this, the crowding pigs in their small pens. These intelligent and sentient individuals often develop stereotyped behavioural disorders due to understimulans, such as to bang my head against the rack or chew on each others tails. Some develop and even gastric ulcers. "

"This is just one example of how animals have it in the Swedish industry. We are fully convinced that you do not want to contribute to this unnecessary suffering. "

"You probably have an empathetic approach to animals. Perhaps you see yourself as pet lover and have fond memories of a cherished pet. In this case the clash of your values with the action to send certain animals to slaughter. "

"Then occurs ”cognitive dissonance”, that is to say, when one's values are not consistent with one's actions. In order to reduce the dissonance, you develop the defence, for example: ”I only eat animals that have had it good” or ”we must eat animals in order to maintain the open landscape”. "

"You need these arguments to continue to do what you do. We have themselves reasoned in the same way. "

"Perhaps you have known a bad conscience when the issue of carnivorous created a hot discussion? Psychological research shows that the guilt rarely leads to behaviour change. "

"most Likely, it leads to even more counter-arguments from your side, which is understandable for you to want to reduce the cognitive dissonance. As psychologists, we want to present a more successful strategy for behaviour change. "

"start from your values and break them down into concrete goals. For example, the evaluation ”I do not want to contribute to animal suffering” is converted to the goal to eat half as much animal products. Instead, you can eat more herbal. "

"If no-one else in your vicinity eat vego, it can be tough to self-start doing it. Talk with your surroundings and tell me how you feel, without blaming them. Maybe you know a vegan or a vegetarian that can cook good vego-christmas together with you? Then next christmas dinner consist of more options so that you and the family can try another without any feeling forced. "

"Studies show that we are affected more by the environment than by research studies, which means that your new behavior may influence others."

"You can increase motivation by, for example, find out how the livestock industry works in Sweden, read scientific reports that show how much of the carbon emissions of the livestock industry accounts for and examine the health benefits that are found with a plant-based diet. "

"Accept that change is a process that takes time. Be kind to yourself and don't give up it does not go as smoothly as you expected. The chances of success increase if you break it down into small steps and celebrate your milestones."

"It would mean that fewer animals are sent to slaughter, your carbon footprint reduces and the that you are investing in your health"

"You might think that you will never be vegan, and that it thus doesn't matter. But the fact is that fewer animals are sent to slaughter if several halves of their being carnivorous than if only one person becomes a strict vegan. "

"If you assume more from your values, it becomes easier to find a balance. In the long term, you might want to exclude all animal products, which more and more choose to do. There is plenty of inspiration on social media if your imagination runs out. May this christmas be a beginning for you to live more in tune with your values? "

"It would mean that fewer animals are sent to slaughter, your carbon footprint reduces and the that you are investing in your health. "

"We and the animals hope that your values guide you around the christmas table this year."

"nAjla Hadzijahovic, leg. psykolognHedvig Nettelblad, ptp-psykolognChristoffer Wärnbring, leg. psykolognMartin Smedjeback, file. bachelor's degree in psykologinJon Westman, md. psychologist"

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