What the bleep!? Thoughts on climate anxiety
I finally snapped. And it wasn’t pretty.
It was the middle of the COVID 19 pandemic. At the time, my kids were 6 months old and 2.5 years old, so I probably wasn’t sleeping much. I had been working in climate change-related fields for over 10 years and was frustrated at our lack of progress.
I was at my favorite coffee shop, walking out with my reusable mug (of course), mask secured around my mouth (protocols: check), and about to get into my 10-year-old Prius (Herman is his name, in case you were wondering).
I live in Texas and some “dude” in his gigantic pick-up truck pulls up way too fast and way too close.
As he gets out, I yell (through my mask), “No one gives a f*ck about your piece of sh*t, gas guzzling, polluting piece of sh*t truck, you careless a******.”
Not a good look on my part...
Fortunately, I am 6’5” otherwise I think this could have ended really badly for me.
Why was I so angry? Why had I exploded on this innocent person?
I clearly had some reflecting to do.
Turns out, I have climate anxiety. According to a survey by the American Psychological Association, more than two-thirds of Americans experience some version of climate anxiety. So, if this resonates - you’re not alone.
You probably don’t need me to tell you the current state of our planet. We are on our way to a 6th mass extinction. We’ve wiped out 60% of animal populations since 1970 (read that again).
Optimistic forecasts show us at a 1 to 1.5 degree Celcius warming, which means we'll see more heat waves, more flooding, more crop failure, and so on. But our planet would still be mostly habitable (one hopes…) If we don’t get our act together, we’re headed towards a 3.0 degree Celsius warming of our planet, which would be disastrous for life on earth.
Many of us are fearful we are losing our one and only home, affecting not only our own lives but future generations. We’re also growing more anxious that our individual efforts are meaningless.
At the core of climate anxiety is the feeling of learned helplessness, which can occur when you repeatedly face uncontrollable, high-stress situations. Over time, you stop exercising your power and control, even when you can.
Combine this with a vicious news cycle, social media, doom scrolling, and the ever-narrowing echo chambers we find ourselves in, and you may start to feel your blood pressure rising.
So what can we do about it?
First, acknowledge that there are forces outside of your control, and that’s okay. You can’t stop the Megastorm from hitting California, but that doesn’t mean you’re completely powerless.
By making small changes in how we live (and gently nudging others to do the same), we start to create momentum. Things like: turning off the lights; not buying everything on Amazon; and trying Meatless Mondays (beef production contributes up to 18% of global methane emissions). Whatever aligns with your values.
Instead of feeling helpless, give yourself credit for taking micro-actions on a daily basis.
Second, acknowledge that others are at different stages of grief about the decline of our planet. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross created the five stages of grief model to describe the emotions felt by those facing terminal illness. It was soon adapted as a way of thinking about grief in general, and it’s clearly manifesting in our diverse reactions to climate change.
Some may be experiencing intense anger (à la cursing at strangers). Others may be in denial. And still others have accepted it as inevitable, so think: why bother, just let me have fun. With everyone at different stages in their grief journey, it becomes clear why we’re struggling at collective action.
While this may be frustrating, we have to give each other grace. This is perhaps the hardest for me to come to terms with. But when I reflect on how this is a problem we will all face, regardless of how we feel about it, I find myself even more motivated to do what I can to help, including in my own work.
When and if grief is understood, processed, and worked on, it can be a powerful tool for healing, for change, and for motivation. Let's turn our climate grief into fuel to help protect the future we all want and deserve.
The Habit
Pick an issue you care about - energy usage, food production, air quality, wildlife, nature conservation, recycling, etc. Find small opportunities to contribute to the solution. For example: set a time limit for your showers, shop local, reuse plastic, donate to nonprofits, learn about an issue - whatever it is that you feel is helpful.
Bring your awareness to moments when you do something and remind yourself that you’re not helpless - you’re doing what you can.
Additional Reading/Listening:
Generation Dread (book) by Professor Britt Wray, Stanford
Force of Nature (website) - resources to convert climate anxiety into action
7 Resources to help you cope with climate anxiety (article) by Time Magazine
How to Save a Planet (podcast) - A Spotify Original Podcast
Guest post written by Zach Weismann (Twitter, LinkedIn), Founder at The Impactful
Disclaimer:
Information provided in this newsletter is not medical or professional health care advice. If you are struggling right now and looking for help, please dial 988 to talk to a trained counselor at a crisis center closest to you.
