Dear Julia: ‘How do I deal with climate anxiety?’
The psychotherapist addresses your dilemmas
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Narrated by Julia Samuel
Q I’m 27 and the news about climate change has been pretty dire my whole life. Recently, however, I’ve found it difficult to manage my anxiety about it. I do everything I can to decrease my carbon footprint, but there are so many factors outside my control that I find it hard to know how to manage my worry. How do I put my daily life into perspective when the end of the world as we know it is looming?
A Thank you for your important question. What you’re describing — what you’re feeling — is eco-anxiety, what the American Psychological Association defines as “the chronic fear of environmental cataclysm that comes from observing the seemingly irrevocable impact of climate change and the associated concern for one’s future and that of next generations”. You are not alone. Seeing the world we love permanently polluted and damaged — and feeling betrayed and furious with our government and world leaders for failing to respond effectively to this existential crisis — has been described as climate grief. As Professor David Nabarro, the co-director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London, writes: “Climate change is an underappreciated mental health emergency. This is a technical, social and emotional issue.”
Over the past ten years I have seen growing numbers of clients with eco-anxiety. As a phenomenon it is well evidenced, particularly among young people like you. In a groundbreaking study in the Lancet in 2021 on climate anxiety in children and young people, 59 per cent of the international respondents said they were very or extremely worried and 84 per cent moderately worried. More than half reported feeling sad, anxious, angry, powerless, helpless and guilty.
What is important to remember is that given the crisis we are facing, your response is healthy. Eco-anxiety is a normal reaction because human beings are wired to look for danger. This alertness to danger protects us — it helps us stay alive. We need eco-anxiety to fight for the change that is required.
What you are asking me to help you with is finding a way to see the world clearly while simultaneously protecting yourself from persistent, overwhelming anxiety that could lead to worse mental health issues. The first step is to give yourself permission to intentionally step away from your anxiety. This may sound odd, but I have seen clients who unconsciously cling on to their negative feelings, pervaded by guilt. They feel that if they stop feeling bad, they will somehow be betraying the issue they care passionately about.
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But prioritising your mental health is important because you will need the robustness to deal with climate change. So you will need to adapt your internal narrative. You need to have joy, love and happiness in your life. You need to picture it, aim for it. While doing so, set yourself boundaries. So, allow yourself a specific amount of time to be informed about climate change, but then turn off news outlets, which ramp up fear. Move your attention to things that give you joy: music, arts and being in nature. Most importantly of all, stay connected to friends, spend time with them, have fun with them and let them know how you are feeling.
Sometimes we want huge solutions to fix huge problems when small daily habits do the job. Our emotional resilience is built by creating regular habits that balance our mood and reduce our anxiety. The key word here is regular. Taking regular physical exercise, for instance, which can be as simple as walking. Having a balanced diet. Developing techniques that calm you, such as meditation, visualisation and breathing. Ensuring you get enough sleep. As boring as these sound, they work.
So my advice is: reframe the issue. Climate change is a serious worry. But you need to hold on to optimism. Find an agency to counter your sense of powerlessness. Turn your attention to hope — hope is the alchemy that turns a life around. Hope isn’t just a feeling. It is also a plan. A plan A and a plan B, with the belief that you can make it happen. To boost your beliefs, join positive communities like the Earthshot prize that help connect those who believe we can overcome the threat and flourish thanks to innovation and technological advancement.
Focus on today. The climate crisis is big, yes. But start with small, achievable goals that give you satisfaction. Even saving tap water and watching your carbon footprint are positive actions. Keep yourself connected to your immediate reality — in nature and the present moment. Think: I am safe, and I can.
Given that the climate crisis is a long-term problem, I suggest you create ways of being that are lifelong. Build your resilience. Continue to do what you can to see the world clearly, continue to make the positive changes you have made and are making to fight for a better world. Remember, you can choose where you put your attention. When you are stronger, your capacity to fight for what you believe in is strengthened. It’s a win-win.
earthshotprize.org
