How to turn climate anxiety into something powerful

Does this sound familiar?

You’re scrolling through social media when you come across a headline about climate change, or maybe it’s a video of extreme weather devastation made measurably more likely by our fossil fuel economy, or perhaps it’s an image of an at-risk species suffering through habitat loss.

Your heart sinks. You feel powerless, angry, distraught. Maybe you lose sleep because of it. Maybe it lingers in the back of your mind or perhaps it even interrupts your thoughts while at work.

These feelings have a name: Climate anxiety.

What is climate anxiety?

Also known as eco-anxiety, climate grief, or if you want to get super fancy, “solastalgia”, climate anxiety is the persistent feeling of anxiousness, anger, or despair regarding the environmental crisis.

It’s real. And if you are feeling it, you’re not alone. It’s particularly common amongst younger people, which is unsurprising considering they have the most on the line.

It's different for young people - for us, the destruction of the planet is personal.

According to a BBC poll of people aged 8 - 16, 60% surveyed said they felt worried or extremely worried about climate change, 56% say they think humanity is doomed, and 45% said feelings about climate change affected their daily lives. Unsurprisingly, 65% feel that governments have failed young people and jeopardized the safety of their futures.

While the phenomenon is relatively new and not yet fully understood, climate anxiety is widely acknowledged as yet another one of the many health impacts caused by climate change. It’s a normal and completely understandable response to a stressful reality.

The good news is it doesn’t have to be debilitating. In fact, it can be empowering. Here is how you can turn your climate anxiety into a powerful force for positive change.

Default to action

Source: @brenna_quinlan Instagram

One of the most common feelings when faced with the greatest challenge facing humanity is powerlessness. If you’ve ever asked “what can I do?” The answer is anything, according to climate journalist Emily Atkin in her weekly newsletter Heated.

It’s not like you have to become a climate scientist or march in the streets like Greta Thunberg. In a piece for Curbed, Stephanie Foo connected to her city’s ecosystem by becoming a “Super Stewart”.

It can be as simple as planting a garden or campaigning for a candidate who understands the necessary steps to tackle this issue. What’s important is finding some way to contribute.

Need help with that? Biologist and co-host of the How To Save a Planet podcast Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson takes a Venn diagram approach, finding the intersection of: What are you good at? What brings you joy? and What needs doing?

Be active. No one has the right to tell you you’re doing it wrong. If you’re helping, that’s all that matters.

Remember, those who have fought for decades against tackling the climate crisis want you to feel powerless. That’s because they know you’re not.

Remember, those who have fought for decades against tackling the climate crisis want you to feel powerless. That’s because they know you’re not.

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Connect to people

Today’s individualistic culture expects you to take care of everything alone. But it’s time to get over yourself.

Our superpower as a species is our ability to work together. There are many ways to connect to others, from joining climate organizations, fundraising, or simply having real conversations with people about the issue.

Peer driven support groups like the Good Grief Network, who provide a 10-step framework for people to come together and overcome climate anxiety with positive action.

Whatever you do, there are others out there in this big wide world willing to help you do the same.

Take care of yourself

You can’t help fight the climate crisis if you’re burnt out.

Reaching the goal of a sustainable economy means putting forward a sustainable collective effort. The only way you can do that is to maintain your bodily and mental health. Taking a walk, call your siblings or family members, meditate, do some yoga, go for a bike ride, do some gardening, take a napping, eat good food, or anything else that brings you joy.

In any case, listening to your body is key. Your mind is more likely to push the body past the point of burnout. Once there, it can take months (even years) to recover.

The practice of self care is not selfish. It allows you to lift others up when you need to. It allows you to engage more meaningfully in your community.

Just remember, doom scrolling never helped anyone.