Climate Anxiety? You Aren't Alone.
“We decided to see how other students were feeling about the crisis of climate change. We wanted to share some of our thoughts about looking at data and other ways we can feel more in charge and less anxious when it comes to our changing environment.”
Teaching geography to high school students includes learning how to look at graphs and data. While studying human's impact on the environment, it is really easy to get depressed. However, in one of my classes, we found that the data can be hopeful, as a lot of ways humans impact the environment negatively are beginning to change in a positive direction.
Looking at graphs and charts got us thinking about our own climate anxiety and how this information was something that helped alleviate it. Even if the news is bad, seeing actual numbers gives us concrete information instead of wondering about the factual basis of scary news on social media.
We decided to see how other students were feeling about the crisis of climate change. We wanted to share some of our thoughts about looking at data and other ways we can feel more in charge and less anxious when it comes to our changing environment. Together we made a survey and sent it to the school getting back 57 responses. As part of the project, we shared the results with everyone as well as our ideas about how to cope with climate anxiety.
Thank you to everyone who answered our survey. Below are results and advice from me and from your fellow YWA student, Sara.
Environmental Anxiety Survey Results
Other comments:
“confused, because humanity is saying something's horrible and something needs to be done, but they don't... actually do anything”
Notes on missing captions.
6 people said “Tired of people pushing their agenda on me”
“Other” comments included:
“We can all be part of the solution”
“I am only 13, I can’t even vote”
“The biggest percentage of the problem is large corporations, I fear that focusing on individual contributions only tires and guilts activists while they focus on a side effect, not the main cause (fixing the plumbing while the titanic is sinking)”
“expense of most things required to commit to it long term”
“In the US, if it's not profitable for someone, it won't happen in any meaningful way.”
“Corporations and governments need to take more responsibility!”
“Sometimes I just don't want to worry about it”
“Wrong kind of sustainable products (i.e. biodegradable/compostable products often do not break down in landfills)”
“I’m pissed off and it needs to stop together we make a difference”
Missing “Other” comments
“Do NOT use paper towels. Do not consume palm oil products.”
“educating myself on what indigenous people want to be done”
“repurpose”
Comments added at the end of the survey:
“I sometimes struggle with feeling like a bad person because I'm not doing enough, or on the flip side, feeling angry and frustrated because others, especially big corporations and the government, aren't doing anything when they're the ones who created the problem”
“we chose are fate and we can change it”
“the phrase "a planet friendly diet" feels... aggressively vegan.”
“Green New Deal Now!
“it sucks”
Thoughts and advice on Climate Anxiety
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us about your emotional responses to climate change, the actions you take to combat it, and what, at times, might keep you from responding to the threat. Just sharing these feelings with others and accepting them in ourselves can be helpful according to experts. (Raypole 2020)
One of the best things about the survey results was seeing how many of you take positive, impactful actions on the environment every day. That is amazing! When you look at the responses, you can see that you are not acting alone, and that our isolated deeds, when multiplied, can make an impact.
If you do feel anxious, angry or overwhelmed, as many of you indicated, you are also not alone. Sometimes we get anxious about things that we know are not real problems. When we feel anxious about climate change however, our anxiety is actually serving the purpose it was meant to serve. Anxiety helps us focus our attention on a perceived threat and propels us to do something about it. Problems can arise, however, when we feel so anxious or overwhelmed that we make ourselves sick or fall into obsessive thinking or despair. (Raypole, 2020)
Climate change is in the news all the time and is a constant topic on social media. One helpful thing to remember when confronted with a barrage of bad climate news is that humans are drawn to bad news. Bad news sells. For example, the crazy amount of plastic in the ocean is a much bigger headline than all the plastic that is NOT reaching the ocean because someone has invented a cool way to trap plastic at river mouths. Don’t forget that things can be bad and getting better at the same time. (Rosling, 2019)
Here is a good example of things getting better:
Is plastic waste in the ocean really bad? Yes. Does this graph show three successive years of improvement in China? Absolutely. Bad, but better!
When I start to feel really scared for the future of the planet, I remind myself of all the things that have drastically improved since I was your age. Solar energy is more abundant and far cheaper to produce. Aerosol spray cans that everyone used to spray on their deodorant when I was young, no longer use ozone depleting CFCs. Every year people buy more and more electric cars. These are just a few examples of things that are getting better, and the rate of positive change is increasing in so many ways. All that exhausting, anxiety producing media coverage really does help bring about change as more light is shed on the problems.
Yet, even with some good news, sometimes the extent of the problem gets to be too much to take in. Here is some advice culled from experts and summarized and expanded on by 9th grade YWA Geography student Sara L. on effective ways to manage climate anxiety when you are feeling overwhelmed:
Looking at the information from the survey, almost everyone is experiencing at least some environmental anxiety. This can be very overwhelming at first, and if you want to help you might not even know where to start. Here are just some ways that you can calm your anxiety and make yourself feel better about the state that our planet is in.
Practice exposure therapy which is looking at small bits of information that will put your mind at ease, instead of trying to process all the things that need change at once. Look at statistics. Everyone assumes the planet is getting worse, when in fact many things are getting drastically better. The news portrays only bad news because it's more interesting, but look deeper into our world's issues over the decades in many ways things have been getting better and better.
If you are not sure where to start, start small. Like recycling, using reusable grocery bags, unplug and turn off things you aren't using, and use reusable water bottles. All of these things are very affordable and yes, they are small but if we all join in it can make a huge difference.
If you aren't very interested in all of this, there are other ways you can help the planet while benefiting yourself. Like if you need exercise and want to lose weight, go on a nice nature walk or run and show love to the planet and take in everything it has to offer, or plant a beautiful flower garden. You are helping out all the plants while also making something for you to look at and appreciate. Like going to thrift stores or antique stores, You can find amazing stuff while in fact you are helping the earth by buying things that might normally just go into the trash. Try to find beauty in “trash,” maybe pick up some cool trash you find, clean it up and make a sculpture. Or even collect old glass that comes out of rivers and oceans.
Even just doing small things will help you feel more in control of the world and your impact on it, and your best is always good enough and always valid. So many people are already helping the planet in ways we don't even notice. Small things do make a huge difference if we all pitch in. Nothing is unsolvable. Whenever you are feeling anxious about the planet just remember to try your best, think positively, and just have fun. Environmental anxiety can cause so many problems and we don't want everyone having to feel this way when we in fact can change the world.
There are many organizations you can join where you can learn more about this and can be a true advocate for the change of climate change. Joining a group can make you feel less alone and that more people are hearing your opinions. This will ease your anxiety because you know that more people care and want to make a difference. One example is the Sunrise Movement. This is a teen based organization that helps this generation take action and teach others about the problems our world is facing. This is not supposed to be forcing anything on anyone, it's supposed to be a helpful guide of where to get started, or if you need help facing your environmental anxiety. Stay optimistic, and remember the world is always improving and it will be Gen Z and all the future generations that will save this planet and put an end to all climate change, and environmental anxiety. Meanwhile go outside and enjoy the sunshine, it will make you feel better guaranteed.
For information, we relied on the following works:
Raypole, Crystal. “Climate Change Taking a Toll on Your Mental Health? How to Cope with 'Eco-Anxiety.’” Healthline, 22 Sept. 2020, www.healthline.com/health/eco-anxiety#tips-for-kids.
Rosling, Hans, et al. Factfulness. Flammarion, 2019.
More helpful tips from “Medical News Today”
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327354