Climate anxiety is becoming more prevalent. Taking direct, positive action can help you manage your eco-anxiety while addressing the climate crisis.
Climate anxiety isn’t an illness but a healthy reaction to a real threat. Inaction is linked to feeling powerless, whereas action is about gaining control.
My team of social psychologists recently surveyed over 1,200 people with GlobalGiving UK. This study focused on ecological anxiety and other factors that drive donations for disaster relief related to climate change.
We discovered that younger individuals reported higher levels of climate anxiety: people under 30 were four times more likely to experience climate anxiety compared to those over 50. These findings align with another study that showed young people and children, in particular, bear the emotional burden of climate change.
Many young people are experiencing the threat to our planet on a personal, visceral level. Moreover, our survey found that women were more likely to feel climate anxiety than men, with young women being the most concerned.
Our results also revealed that those experiencing high levels of climate anxiety were more inclined to donate to climate-related disaster relief.
Although climate anxiety can motivate people to help alleviate the effects of climate change—a positive outcome—the experience of anxiety is often deeply unpleasant. Many people struggling with climate anxiety wonder how to manage these emotions.
Traditional approaches to managing anxiety emphasize physical activity, breathing exercises, meditation, distraction, and spending time in nature, as well as therapy and medication. They treat anxiety as a pathological condition needing treatment, rather than a healthy response to a real global threat. While traditional treatments for anxiety may reduce distress for individuals, they do nothing to address the climate emergency.
Taking positive action is effective for protecting yourself against debilitating anxiety, as indicated by research on acceptance commitment therapy. While you can’t solve the climate crisis alone, you can join forces with others to build a powerful movement and engage in emotionally intelligent change.
If you want to take action but don’t know where to start, here are three ways to make a tangible positive impact while managing your anxiety:
1. Donate to Climate Charities
Channel your anxiety into action by helping those affected by climate-related disasters, for example, by donating to climate-related causes.
Small actions are empowering for both you and the beneficiaries of your generosity. Evidence suggests that helping others improves your well-being. Supporting people directly impacted by climate change, such as donating to disaster relief, can make a positive difference to others while enhancing your own well-being.
Choose a climate-related project that resonates with you and ensures your contribution reaches those on the front lines of the climate crisis. Organizations doing important climate work include Brazil’s Iracambi forest conservation project, Greece’s Sporos Regeneration Institute permaculture initiatives, and Scotland’s seagrass restoration charity Seawilding.
2. Prioritize the Environment at Work
Advocate broadly for positive climate action. Let your employer know that you and your colleagues expect them to have a strong environmental, social, and governance (ESG) agenda. ESG refers to a company’s commitment to do more than make a profit, striving to contribute to environmental and social causes and conducting business ethically and responsibly.
The business goals of profit and responsible action are not always aligned. Employees pushing for the importance of ESG can incentivize companies to prioritize environmental impact alongside profit. Our study showed that more than 50% of respondents wanted employers to address climate change, with this figure rising to 73% among those under 30.
A demand from employees for climate action can force companies to act against climate change. Advocacy can encourage and empower corporate action against climate change. Research shows that working for an organization with a shared sense of purpose and identity can significantly benefit your well-being.
3. Share Your Concerns and Reinforce Solutions
Strengthen your mission by discussing your climate-related concerns with others. Sharing concerns is a powerful tool for managing them. It can help you find others with similar fears, relieving some of the pressure. There is comfort in community, solidarity, and knowing you are not alone in your concerns.
This can involve talking openly about your fears with family and friends or joining a network or action group like the Climate Psychology Alliance or the Climate Coalition.
Joining forces with like-minded individuals is essential for coordinated action addressing climate issues. The same tangible steps that help create a more resilient and interconnected world can provide comfort and help alleviate anxieties.
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