The climate crisis is an issue in our world that looms over our heads every day. As the topic of global warming persists, it can be scary to think about the future of the environment if the state of pollution continues heading in the direction it is currently heading towards.
Some people have such a drastic emotional response to the thought of negative climate change that it consumes their thoughts in an unhealthy way. This is called climate anxiety, and if you sometimes feel this way, you’re not alone.
What Exactly is Climate Anxiety?
Climate anxiety is the feeling of extreme stress and discomfort when thinking about the environmental state of the planet.
They feel negative feelings to an extreme. People who feel climate anxiety believe that there’s nothing they can do individually to help the Earth, leading them to consider themselves helpless and out of control.
Relation to Environmental Grief
Along with climate anxiety can sometimes come environmental grief. This term explains the feeling of large amounts of sadness when an aspect of the environment is lost due to environmental degradation.
This can take the form of being upset over the extinction of a species, drastic changes in geographic elements, or a decrease in the biodiversity of a particular area.
Climate Anxiety vs. Worry
Lots of people have a worry and regard for the environment’s wellbeing. People want to have a future on this planet where they can live happily and healthily, and they want the same for their children and grandchildren as well.
The difference between climate anxiety and worry is that climate anxiety goes one step further. It hinders people from going about their everyday lives, causing them so much stress that they are incapable of functioning normally.
Prevalence in Young People
In terms of who is more affected by climate anxiety, the feelings tend to be more common in younger people. This is because they know they have more time on this earth and want to be able to live the rest of their lives on a functioning planet.
Younger people also feel like they were wronged by older generations. They feel as though they were both into a time where the future of this very planet is uncertain due to the decisions made by those that came before them.
Impact From the Media
The media pushes different narratives relating to climate change on society. Unfortunately a lot of the media that is put out into the world stresses people out even more through furthering the idea that we can’t do anything to change the direction the environment is headed.
The media also focuses on the worst cases of environmental degradation, showcasing the utmost worst examples of natural disasters and other harmful results.
How Does Climate Education Play a Role?
As climate change continues to become a more pressing issue in our world today, any work that can be done to alleviate it can truly make a difference. Part of the reason why some students feel as though climate change isn’t as big of an issue as it truly is is because they don’t learn about it in their classes.
A lot of people also do not thoroughly understand climate change, they only know that it is occurring and that it is “bad.” Being equipped with the knowledge of the science behind climate change as well as the proper steps to take to help alleviate the effects will prepare students with the skills they need to really make a difference. Without the education, students are left with the stress of knowing about climate change without the tools of how to solve it.
Why Not Have Mandated Climate Education?
Most states don’t have mandated climate change education, and it isn’t a priority for teachers. The topic of climate change education in schools has been a heavily debated issue for many years. One of the main reasons for this debate is because the topic of climate change has been politicized.
People have strong and polarizing opinions about climate change, and often people with more right leaning political beliefs tend not to see climate change as an urgent problem that must be addressed. This makes the topic of climate education difficult to reform in schools because the curriculum of public schools is decided by the government.
Educating Yourself is Key
The first action that should be taken if you start to feel incredibly overwhelmed with anxiety when thinking about climate change, make sure that the information you are exposed to is factually accurate and the whole story.
You can also look into ways to learn about what you can do as an individual to help the efforts against climate change.
Other Ways to Cope with Climate Anxiety
Engaging in simple mindfulness and self care practices whenever you begin to feel a wave of anxiousness is a beneficial way to help you cope with thoughts of discomfort.
Another way to cope is to distract yourself. Turn on a movie, read a book, or spend time with friends. As much as it can be tempting to continuously stress over the climate and as hard as it may be to stop thinking about it, it’s important to not let these scary thoughts fully consume you.
