Managing Climate Anxiety
With the climate changing and the negative consequences of that growing, many people are experiencing “climate anxiety.” This anxiety includes distress about the current state of the environment and concern about what the future will look like. We hurt for the planet and what we are doing to it. Younger generations are disproportionally affected by climate anxiety, as they are the ones who will have to confront many of these consequences. Much of this anxiety comes from the lack of control that we feel over climate change. Executives of large companies and politicians of wealthy countries have the most power when it comes to decisions that impact climate change. This often leaves us feeling powerless. There is also a great degree of uncertainty around the future. How bad will things get? How much will it affect our day-to-day life? Can we turn things around? These feelings of powerlessness and uncertainty for the future leads to anxiety. With that being said, we can all still make a difference, just as we can still work to reduce our climate anxiety. This blog offers suggestions on how we can manage our climate anxiety.
Focus on what is in your control
Living a value-aligned life is key to mental health. If you care about the environment, then there is so much that you can do in your day-to-day that prioritizes the environment. Vote for political candidates who care about the environment. Reduce the impact of food waste by composting. Eat less meat. Plant trees. Carpool. Recycle. The list goes on and on! Although these activities will not change anything significantly, they still do help the environment. On top of that, they can also help your anxiety as you are exerting the control that you have over the problem of climate change. You can at least know that you are doing your part. And the more that people do their part, the more that this can catch on and create a ripple effect. People seeing others care about the environment and take intentional steps to prioritize it can be contagious.
Reduce your consumption of negative news
The news seems to always be focusing on negative stories. It is no different when it comes to climate change. The vast majority of news stories about climate change are bleak. And there is, of course, a reason for that – the situation is indeed urgent and there is a lot going wrong right now. It is important to still be aware of these stories and not ignore them, but it can be counter-productive to be inundated with them. If we are only hearing about the negatives, then we will lose hope and be less motivated to do what needs to be done to make positive change. How can you limit your intake of negative news about the environment?
Balance your consumption of news with more positive stories
By also focusing on positive stories, we can instill hope in ourselves, which will motivate us and others to actually do something about climate change – because it is possible! Be intentional about staying informed about the negative side, but also seek out good news because there is indeed good news happening all the time when it comes to the climate. For example, the distinctive northern bald ibis bird almost went extinct until scientists intervened and have significantly increased the population again this year. There are countless people dedicating their life to saving the planet, and it is important to acknowledge them and their progress. There are also sites dedicated to providing positive updates about the environment, such as www.happyeconews.com, that you can check more regularly to provide a better balance of news consumption. Balance is important in just about all areas of life, and how we consume news is no different.
Connect with nature
There is a lot of research that supports the mental health benefits of spending time in nature. Humans come from nature and there is a deep connection that we share with nature if we stop to appreciate it and prioritize spending time with it. Being in nature reduces our stress levels and can help us feel better generally. It also makes us feel more connected to nature and thus maybe motivated to do our part to care more for it. Although we have lost much of nature, it is still out there, and we have the ability to bring back much of what we lost.
Talk with people
As with any type of anxiety, it is helpful to talk about it with friends, family, or a therapist. Many people deal with anxiety by avoiding it, which often results in not talking about it so they do not have to face it. This suppression of emotions might have short-term benefits (i.e., not feeling anxious in the moment), but has long-term consequences as these emotions will just linger and fester. Talking with people can help release and process climate anxiety. By suppressing our emotions and not talking about them, we often feel alone, which worsens our state of mind. Sharing with people can provide the feeling of connection, as you feel not only listened to but you might also learn that others have the same concerns. Having a sense of shared humanity can lessen the intensity of certain emotions.
If you are struggling with climate anxiety and not sure how to address it, reach out to schedule an appointment with one of our caring therapists at Sunrise Counseling.
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Mental Health Services at Sunrise Counseling in Dallas, TX
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