As we face the state of our natural world and open our eyes to the extent of the climate crisis more and more young people are experiencing eco-anxiety.
A global survey in 2021 found that more than half of people aged 16–25 felt sad, anxious or powerless, or had other negative emotions about climate change. This highlights how important this topic is and that we should be talking more about these emotions that we might be feeling.
Speakers
Ellie: Community Cultivator at Re-Action Collective. Ellie (she/her) is a Change Agent and Community Cultivator at Re-Action Collective, a thriving global community driven by a shared love for the planet and outdoor adventures.
Morag: Force of Nature speaker. Morag is a science student determined to tackle social and ecological challenges, highlighting the interconnection of biodiversity & climate crises with human rights, health inequalities and air pollution
Parker: A Climate Aware Psychologist. Parker is a psychotherapist, coach, facilitator and farmer working at the intersections of mental health, climate justice and engaged spirituality. We had a set of panel questions and then each speaker was able to talk about some topics that they were passionate about such as eco-justice, mindful practice as well as neurodivergence.
Main takeaways
🍃 The intersection between the ecological and the social- The climate crisis is a social justice issue as much as it is an environmental issue. When talking about eco-anxiety we must be aware that these two themes go hand-in hand.
🍃 The importance of community – find people that support you but also champion for change in a way that resonates and inspires you. Community will also be able to support you when you are struggling and hopefully inspire you to not give up hope. If you’re not currently a member of one, why not join ours?
🍃 The importance of taking time to feel your emotions- Parker talked about how it is okay to pause and take a step back. Not only might you have feelings of anxiety, but you might feel grief and other intense
emotions and if you continue to ignore them, they will only get worse. You might then be feeling your eco-anxiety physically as well.
🍃 Hope and optimism can sometimes feel a little hollow. Ellie talked about adopting terms like rebellious hope which highlights how hope is an active process as well as stubborn optimism. These are emotions that you should be holding onto when struggling with eco-anxiety and feeling hopeless.
🍃 Find your way of enacting change- not all activism requires you to be loud and out-going. There are so many different types of activism, and this webinar highlighted some of them such as writing, art, dancing or any other way you find you can best express yourself.
🍃 Focus on small moments of wonder and joy-These can keep you inspired play with what’s possible and think outside of the box. Morag talked a lot about looking out for little pieces of inspiration as these are the things that can help you re-focus when you are struggling.
🍃 Take time to rest- It can be very easy to be burnout especially when you might be deeply passionate about the environment. Passion can drive you to work for long hours and push to yourself to your limits. Rest will encourage balance and allow you to approach challenges from a fresh perspective and give you the energy to push for change.
🍃 Spend more time outside – The importance of spending time outside has been shown to have many positive effects. Click here for some tips. Research into ecotherapy, which involves doing activities outside in nature has show that it can help with feelings of anxiety and depression.
Resources if you are struggling with eco-anxiety
• Parker Bowling – one of our speakers who has recently started working and offering with people in
the UK – find out more on his website.
• Force of Nature – organization offering resources, online community, training, podcasts & info on eco-anxiety
• Resilience Project – workshops, training & resources on eco-anxiety
• Climate Psychologists – resources & training programmes
• A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety
• Climate and Mind – website with info, resources and signposting
• Good Grief Network – support network groups, training, resources
• Gen Dread – blogs, resources, stories & news
• EcoAnxious Stories – people’s perspectives, resources & reflectionsthrough storytelling
• Climate Psychology Alliance – resources, blogs, podcasts, therapeutic support
• Climate Psychology Alliance – offers up to 3 free therapeutic support options for those experiencing distress in the face of the climate crisis and/or support in activism
• Climate Psychology Alliance podcasts
• Find a Climate Cafe/Circle near you (in person or virtual) – Climate Cafes aim to be safe & informal spaces to express feelings around climate & ecological crises & connect with others-
• Counselling for Social Change
• Hope Resilience Circle
