Over the last few years, we’ve seen climate change-related events increase at an alarming rate and have witnessed their life-threatening impacts. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, rising temperatures and more frequent extreme weather episodes like hurricanes, fires, and droughts are just some indicators of climate change.
There’s no doubt that climate change has touched such integral parts of the human experience. Weather events have forced people from their homes, contributing to large-scale migrations that not every country may be prepared for. In some parts of the world, rising temperatures have made it downright dangerous to travel for leisure. Crops that not only fuel our bodies (like Georgia peaches and red jalapeños that make up Sriracha) but also local economies, have simply gone kaput due to intense heat waves.
Whether you’ve been directly affected by a climate disaster or live with a general awareness about the planet’s environmental conditions, just know it’s normal to feel fearful about climate change and its consequences. This feeling can be described as "climate anxiety," and it’s more common than you’d think.
What is climate anxiety?
Climate anxiety is, essentially, feeling distressed in response to climate change and its effects on our lives, the environment, and humanity at large. It’s not only correlated with feeling anxious, though. Climate anxiety can bring about emotions such as worry, despair, hopelessness, shame, fear, grief, anger, existentialism, and impending doom.
According to Merritt Juliano JD LCSW, feelings of climate anxiety can range from minor to severe.
“Climate anxiety can lead to daily feelings of upset and distress, severe cognitive changes such as intrusive thoughts, difficulty sleeping, difficulty connecting with others, angry outbursts, and an overall preoccupation with the planetary health crisis,” said Juliano. “This can lead to difficulty enjoying life, and an overall deterioration in one’s emotional, psychological and social well-being.”
These feelings are most commonly attributed to environmental factors, but Janice Overbeck, director and producer at 2050 Pictures, notes that it might not be the sole cause.
“People like to be in control of themselves and their futures – it gives a sense of assurance," said Overbeck. “By feeling like large, world-changing issues are out of control, people can be left to feel small, lost, and at times, hopeless. These feelings can quickly spiral into despair and overall lack of enthusiasm for life with the future being so unknown.”
How does climate anxiety affect us?
Society's collective, growing anxiety about climate change has prompted individuals to look to the future with quite an existential lens. The question about having kids versus not is a huge consideration for many young people, according to Lea Flego, MA, LMFT, but the ‘right’ answer isn’t so black-and-white:
“Reducing the population does decrease the demands on natural resources, which is positive for the planet we call home,” said Flego. “However, raising children with eco-friendly values contributes to a generation with raised consciousness around climate issues and a stronger motivation to take action that disrupts the human-driven practices contributing to climate change and implement strategies to restore and protect the environment.”
More than anything, climate anxiety can call into question how we really live within our current industrial society. Though we may have good intentions for the planet, it can be challenging to maintain a climate-friendly lifestyle on our own. Oftentimes, sustainable choices can be expensive and inaccessible, especially for those living in middle to lower socioeconomic populations. Honestly, a lot of our environmental impact is left up to the ‘big guy,’ or a handful of larger corporations that contribute to carbon emissions and landfill waste, making it harder for a single person to feel like they can realistically make a difference.
“I feel that climate anxiety is less around individual guilt, and more tied to a concern for the way society is handling it,” said Overbeck. “This system that we have in place makes it difficult for the average person to make fully climate-conscious decisions.”
Julia Baum, MSEd, BFA, LMHC notes that though climate anxiety isn’t an “official diagnosis,” nor included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), “there is growing awareness and discussion about climate anxiety in the mental health field.” Feelings of climate anxiety can certainly exacerbate existing mental health issues, such as obsessive compulsive disorder, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. If these mental health conditions compound on one another, it can hinder individuals from living to their full potential.
“[Climate distress] can lead to difficulty enjoying life, and an overall deterioration in one’s emotional, psychological and social well-being,” said Juliano. “At the extreme end, one may struggle with suicidal thoughts, and lack of concern for paying bills, rent, or saving money based on the belief that it doesn’t matter ‘if the world is ending.’”
Despite the dread of it all, the experts we’ve spoken to generally denounce believing the idea that ‘it doesn't matter.’ Seeing that climate anxiety can have serious impacts on our mental state and quality of life, doing the best we can with what we have is a much more effective (and accepted) approach for addressing climate anxiety – and, good news for you, there is real purpose to be found, even if you’re feeling climate-anxious.
“Anxiety tends to be unhealthy when your outlook on climate change and its projected impacts is rigid or extreme,” said Baum. “We need to find a way to take meaningful action within the areas we can influence and find a way to psychologically adjust to what we cannot, as difficult as that may be, to avoid additional suffering.”
7 Tips For Dealing With Climate Anxiety
If you’re dealing with climate anxiety, here are 7 tips on how to address and manage it.
1. Speak with a therapist.
There are many effective treatments for tackling general anxiety, such as therapy sessions, mindfulness practices, and support groups. These methods can *also* help you develop helpful thought patterns surrounding climate change.
“Climate change does affect us all, but if it is taking a significant toll on your mental health and general outlook on life, you owe it to yourself to discuss these concerns with a professional who can help,” said Overbeck. “By taking hold of your mental health, you are regaining a sense of control in your life that is needed to begin feeling better.”
Matter of fact, as climate anxiety becomes more common, more therapists are being trained and certified as eco-therapists, according to Flego. Eco-therapists are well-versed in climate complications, their impacts on mental health, as well as treatments that might work better for addressing climate anxiety.
“As a therapist, I address climate anxiety by first providing a space to share the thoughts and feelings related to climate change and validate them,” said Flego. “I also teach coping skills for managing feelings of anxiety and engage my clients in activities that explore and strengthen their connection to nature and adopt behaviors that align with eco-conscious values.”
2. Find your place in a like-minded community.
Meeting others that have the same outlook as you can be helpful. Maybe they’re struggling with the same feelings, too!
“In times of fear and change, community can be an important part of feeling safe and heard,” said Overbeck. “Spending time with like-minded people can make one feel less alone in their concerns.”
3. Engage in activism.
Taking action in your community can help you regain a sense of agency over climate-friendly policies or actions that benefit the earth. You could attend a trash cleanup, go to a community garden, or write to your local policymakers about climate change.
4. Talk about your feelings.
Confiding in friends, family, or even just journaling on your own can help you sort out your internal feelings about climate change, and the anxiety it may cause. In talks, you could consider your current outlook on the environment and the actions you can take to become more aligned with your true values. Just remember:
“There are no universal rules or ethics,” said Baum. “There are no correct or incorrect answers. The individual is responsible for choosing, and the positive, negative, and neutral consequences that ensue are theirs as well.”
5. Take a break from the news.
Overbeck recognizes that the news can be discouraging. Sometimes it’s okay to unplug from it! If you find doing that difficult, and you have to keep reading, she offers some advice:
“Consider checking whether the news you consume is fully negative when climate change is discussed. Does this article give any positive updates being reported? This does not mean that climate news will be fully solution-oriented and positive, but finding a balance between the two can be an important way to stay on top of the facts while learning ways you can feel hopeful.”
6. Spend time in nature.
Spending time in nature is *so* grounding, and can help you remember why you love the Earth in the first place. Venturing out and witnessing the planet’s beauty can also serve as a reminder that there’s still good things to see out there. Go for a hike! Hop on your bike! There's a whole world waiting for you.
7. Focus on what you *can* control.
“You are here on this planet given a certain amount of time to experience it to the fullest,” said Overbeck. “Allow yourself to achieve your goals, explore our world, and do your best to make a difference for the better.”
And it’s true. We can only do the best with what we know to do. There’s so much life to live, and allowing climate anxiety to creep in on its greatest moments can take away from the joy you were meant to experience.
“No one can predict how the planetary health crisis will unfold,” said Juliano. “Where there is uncertainty, there is always hope. The challenge for humanity at this time is to learn how to live with uncertainty. Given the uncertainty, how then do we wish to live?”
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Lead photo by Илья Пахомов / PEXELS.
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