Climate Anxiety: What it is and How to Manage it
What is Climate Anxiety?
Climate anxiety or eco-anxiety is defined by the American Psychological Association as “a chronic fear of environmental doom” or “anxiety or worry about climate change and its effects.” Difficulty planning for the future, feelings of guilt, anger, hopelessness, grief, or a sense of doom are also commonly experienced by people with climate anxiety. Climate anxiety is not a diagnosable mental health condition in the traditional sense, meaning you won’t find it in the DSM. However, climate anxiety is an understandable and normal response to the rapidly shifting environmental changes we are seeing as a result of global warming.
Often, people who are experiencing climate anxiety may not even know or be able to articulate this. Although climate change is getting more media attention, there is still a lack of research and a lack of vocabulary for the mental health impacts of climate change. No matter where you live or who you are, climate change is something that impacts each and every one of us in different ways. Even though we are all impacted by climate change, the consequences are not felt equally by all groups of people. Climate change can have disproportionately harmful social, financial, mental, emotional, and physical impacts on people with strategically undervalued identities. However, nobody is immune to the real threat that global warming poses, leaving us all susceptible to having strong emotional responses to the reality of climate change.
What causes Climate Anxiety?
Observing the impacts of climate change: Witnessing things like natural disasters, extreme weather events, or the loss of greenspaces and forests, whether firsthand or via other means such as social media, can increase feelings of distress and uncertainty of what the future holds.
Direct exposure to trauma: Climate change can cause direct exposure to trauma through things like natural disasters. This could include physical harm, uprooted or displaced communities, or loss of access to resources.
Vicarious trauma: We live in an age where we are constantly exposed to media and information like never before. Hearing stories of survivors or watching videos of wildfires destroying cities can impact our nervous system in similar ways to experiencing these things firsthand.
Harm to physical health: Poor air quality, increased exposure to pollution, or bodily harm after a natural disaster can all exacerbate existing mental health conditions or lead to new ones.
Disrupted social connections: If our physical environment is damaged, our connection to our community may change or disappear and our ability to prioritize or access socialization may become much more difficult.
Economic impacts: If the land we live on is destroyed, our economic opportunities on the land might diminish. We may also experience fear related to ongoing economic instability or threats to food security, resulting in not only physical and emotional damage, but also job loss and employment crises, particularly for marginalized communities.
Burnout: If you are someone already actively engaged with advocacy and activism within the climate space, you may be more susceptible to burnout or emotional overwhelm related to climate anxiety.
Ethical concerns: Witnessing the impacts of climate change can bring up many ethical considerations and it is not uncommon to experience things such as the weight of responsibility for contributing to climate change, or feelings of guilt over not doing enough to combat it. (If this is you, a gentle reminder: individual action matters. Corporations and politicians need to be held responsible for their part in worsening global warming, and blaming yourself doesn’t solve the bigger issue at hand).
How can I manage my Climate Anxiety?
Acknowledge and name your feelings.
Managing climate anxiety has to begin by naming climate anxiety. If we don’t know what we’re feeling, we can’t know how to work with it. Because climate anxiety is a newer concept, it can sometimes be more difficult to identify. Luckily, there are resources to help with this. The Climate Emotions Wheel based on Panu Pihkala’s research is a great place to start.
Pause and feel
After naming our emotions, it can be important to give yourself space to feel them. Although this might sound simple, it can sometimes seem easier to just avoid our emotions altogether, especially the really heavy ones. Allowing ourselves the opportunity to feel our emotions gives us the chance to lean into curiosity and listen to what those emotions might be telling us. Is our anger nudging us to get involved in advocacy efforts? Is our shame encouraging us to take actionable steps toward a more sustainable lifestyle? Is our hopelessness asking us to seek out and gather support from community? Whatever the message, our emotions and our body hold innate wisdom that we will have difficulty accessing unless we first take a moment to feel.
Limit information overload
Knowledge is power. Staying informed and educated on climate change is crucial, so this might sound counterintuitive, but knowing when to step away from the news, put down our phone, and do something besides doomscrolling is necessary. We live in an age where accessing information is easier than ever before, which can be great, but boundaries are a must. Check in on what kind of information you are intaking and where it’s coming from. Is it mostly climate-doom or is it balanced with climate-optimism? Notice the times when you are most likely to access this information. Is it when you are mindfully aware of the present moment and ready to be intentionally engaged with that information? Or is it when you’re getting ready for bed or trying to wind down for the night and just happen to get sucked in to an endless cycle of scary news stories? Information is important, but being so overloaded by it that we can’t think critically about what we are intaking isn’t helpful to anyone except the status quo.
Reconnect with nature
Although this is number 4 on this list, it could easily be number 1, or a standalone of its own. Climate anxiety often makes us feel afraid, or disconnected, or isolated. However, as Robin Wall Kimmerer says in her book Braiding Sweetgrass, “As we work to heal the earth, the earth heals us.” Connection with nature can be a key factor in our overall wellness and healing. We are a part of nature, we don’t exist separately from it, so it makes sense that mending our relationship with our environment would inevitably lead to healing; mental, physical, and spiritual. Connecting with nature doesn’t have to be overly complicated. It can be as simple as opening a window or taking a moment to notice the feeling of the sun on your face. Going on a walk, breathing deeply outside, or noticing the feeling of grass under your feet are all small ways to reconnect with something bigger than yourself. Even putting on a YouTube video of nature can be an accessible way to connect with the natural world if something like going on a hike isn’t accessible to you.
Spend time in community
Our world is changing and it’s impossible not to worry about what this means for yourself, your loved ones, and future generations. Climate change doesn’t just impact the planet, it impacts every living being on it. Because of this, maintaining connection to community is crucial. Hearing stories of wins from activists, hugging your friend, or sharing your grief with someone who is willing to listen can all be balms to the soul when we’re dealing with climate anxiety. Mutual aid is vital, and being a part of meaningful change in someone else’s life can remind us that we aren’t alone, that individual and collective actions matter, and that together, real change can and does happen. Isolation leads to increased feelings of hopelessness and stagnation. Sustainable change is fostered within community. To find community in your area, check out local groups on social media, join a Climate Cafe to discuss your climate-related emotions with likeminded community, or look into the Work that Reconnects or the Good Grief Network.
If you’re seeking more support for managing climate anxiety, reach out to Nurtured Nature Counseling.
The climate crisis is a mental health crisis. Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of modern time, but there is still hope. Although climate anxiety can feel overwhelming and scary, you aren’t alone in these fears. Nurtured Nature Counseling is here to help you get rooted in the present and plant seeds of hope for tomorrow. Reach out today to schedule a free consultation.
