Studying environmental topics and being passionate about the climate crisis comes with bearing the stress and overwhelming feelings that can arise with the tragedy of caring about the potential doom that awaits if we do not take immediate action to mitigate the effects of climate change. Thus, caring about these topics and wanting to pursue a career within this field, or simply being an environmental activist can result in what is considered to be environmental burnout. It is essential to understand that it is not your sole responsibility to bear all these burdens and learning how to cope with eco-anxiety is vital.
What is Eco-Anxiety?
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Eco-anxiety is defined by the American Psychiatric Association as the “chronic fear of environmental doom.”
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These feelings can be accompanied by feelings of being overwhelmed, you may feel as though you are running on empty, and even absolute anger.
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It is very easy to get absorbed by feelings of helplessness when discussing climate change.
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This fear is normal and is associated with the ultimate fear of environmental degradation. It is only rising in teens and people everywhere as the climate crisis worsens with little being done to fix it.
Eco-Anxiety facts: (You Are Not Alone)
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According to a 2018 National survey, 70% of U.S. residents are worried about climate change and 51% of those feel completely helpless on this issue.
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If you have people that are unable to promote sustainability because they are mentally drained because they put themselves aside to accomplish these efforts, there will be no successful progress made.
How to Heal
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Allow yourself to have time to heal because in doing so and taking breaks can promote more peace and love in the future.
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We must create spaces and relationships in which you have the full capacity to heal so that we can work in harmony to have a sustainable future.
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The more we listen to our bodies, the more we can participate in these movements!
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Acts of self-care are so important when you need to take a step back and put yourself and your needs first, you must do so.
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Love, love, love. Love for yourself, for others, spreading kindness and love is essential in this line of work and activism. Love will allow us to care more about our water systems, forests, and will help guide us to collective liberation.
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Make a happy relationship with nature, connect more on a deeper level, spend quiet alone time simply reflecting.
How you can uplift yourself when these overwhelming feelings arise
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Rest and self-healing. And lots of love! Love will help us build even more powerful movements and allow us to move forward and make change!
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We want a future that can be inhabitable and love and hope are both such important roles!
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We are seeing everything change around us, now is the time to acknowledge this grief, emotional rollercoaster, and vulnerability.
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Knowing when to disengage is key! If you start feeling too overwhelmed, it is okay to take a step back and remind yourself it is not up to you alone.
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Resources:
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A ten-step guide to help combat the negative emotions that coincide with climate anxiety
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If you think finding a more long-term therapist to talk with would be the best option, here is a great article to try and find a therapist.
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A TON more resources are available with this link from Climate and Mind!
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Extras:
- The end of the semester is approaching! Keep in mind these sustainable finals tips as we go through these last few weeks!