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Have you ever found yourself doomscrolling after seeing news about a natural disaster? Or worrying about what the earth is going to look and feel like in 50 years? Climate anxiety (sometimes referred to as “eco-anxiety”) is a relatively new phenomenon that has arisen with increasing concerns about the health of our planet.

“This approach to studying climate emotions has exploded in the past three to four years,” says Dr. Sarah Ray, chair of the environmental studies department at California State Polytechnic University in Humboldt. “It’s a combination of many emotions people have in response to knowledge about climate disruption. It can include grief, worry, despair, powerlessness, hopelessness, but also, as it is processed effectively, it can include joy, purpose, hope, and resilience.”

In a CampusWell survey of more than 2,000 students, half of respondents said they had experienced climate anxiety. If you find yourself sharing this experience, there are a number of things you can do to help navigate these uncomfortable feelings.

Reach out to a mental health professional

One of the most effective ways to manage any form of anxiety, including climate anxiety, is by working with a mental health professional. Therapy can help you learn coping skills for anxiety, like deep breathing and relaxation techniques, according to Kailey Vilyus, a licensed professional counselor at the Phoenix Counseling Center in North Ridgeville, Ohio. While climate change is a global problem, Vilyus says that therapy can help you understand that “small efforts at the micro level can help to make a difference” and help you focus on the “present moment instead of feeling anxious about the future.”

Ecotherapy

If you’re looking for a therapist to specifically help with worries and fears related to climate change, you’re in luck. More and more mental health practitioners are incorporating ecotherapy or eco-awareness into their practice—a form of therapy that specifically addresses worries about the environment and climate by incorporating mindfulness practices into the great outdoors. Research shows that connecting with nature is beneficial for our physical and mental health, and there are several different approaches to ecotherapy, including walking in nature, gardening, or simply just talking with a therapist outside. Organizations like the Climate Psychology Alliance can help you find practitioners who specialize in ecotherapy, and even offer up to three free sessions to support people experiencing climate-related distress.

Practice keeping your mind on the present

“Climate anxiety often includes strong feelings of disappointment because earlier generations of decision-makers have not done enough in relation to climate change,” says Dr. Panu Pihkala, an adjunct professor of environmental theology at the University of Helsinki in Finland. “Feelings of powerlessness are common, and there can be complex guilt or grief.”

Meditation and mindfulness practices can help you navigate these feelings of powerlessness. For example, when you find yourself feeling anxious about climate change, take a moment to stop and identify that you’re feeling anxious and give yourself permission to engage with a deep breathing exercise, such as box breathing. Remember: While you can’t change or control what happened in the past or what may happen in the future, you do have the power to ground yourself in the present moment. 

Engage in climate activism

Taking action can be a helpful way to channel fears around climate change into something productive. Even a small action can go a long way toward reducing feelings of powerlessness and helping you feel more in control. “I focus more on local efforts—what is being done on a more manageable regional level,” says Sydney G., a fourth-year student at San Diego State University in California.

Here are a few ideas you can consider:

Advocacy

Mobilize your friends to advocate for bills related to climate change and green policies that are being considered in Congress. You can search for these bills on the Congress.gov website. Once you find a bill that interests you, email or telephone your senators and ask them to cosponsor the bill. Cosponsorship increases the likelihood that a bill will be brought to a vote in Congress, which pushes it one step closer to the president signing it into law. 

Community outreach

Is there a climate action group on campus? Or a local nonprofit in your community? Large nonprofit organizations like the Sierra Club or the National Resources Defense Council often have local chapters, too. Use special occasions (like a birthday or a holiday) to fundraise toward research and action being conducted by these organizations. Ask your friends and family to make a donation to one of these organizations as a gift in your name.  

“In some schools, students can start clubs. You can take the initiative and invite fellow students to discuss this topic and spread information through educational activities.”
—Jessica M., recent graduate, Bow Valley College, Calgary, Alberta

Peer education

If you’re a student in a science class, consider focusing your projects or presentations on topics related to climate or the environment. “Work on a research project that [addresses] climate change,” says Jared S.*, a second-year student at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark.

If you’re a visual artist, draw, paint, or sculpt an aspect of climate change and share it with your community. You can do the same if you are a musician. If you’re a writer, write an essay, a report, or even a poem or a short play on climate change, because words really can change the world—in the 1970s, Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring catalyzed the rise of the environmental movement with its exposure of the harms of pesticides on the environment.  

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