What is eco anxiety? Eco anxiety refers to a fear of environmental damage or ecological disaster. This sense of anxiety is largely based on the current and predicted future state of the environment as well as human induced climate change.
In 2017, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) described eco-anxiety as “a chronic fear of environmental doom” (APA 2017).
With climate change looming, statistics and numbers creeping up day by day, this sense of anxiety surrounding the environment and environmental issues is ever-present. Though it is important to note that eco-anxiety is not recognized by medical health professionals as an official diagnosis, the term eco-anxiety does exist within the field of eco psychology, a branch that deals with people’s psychological relationships with the rest of nature and how this impacts their identity, well-being and overall health. Just as people experience loss of a loved one, the same potential symptoms may be felt after losing an important place. A loss of or threat to job security or livelihood can also have significant mental health effects on any given individual.
Media coverage of environmental destruction and degradation can also be extremely overwhelming, as we see more and more evidence of negative impacts on the environment in our daily news feed. A feeling of hopelessness, reduced feelings of autonomy and control, depression, fear, and trauma can all manifest as human beings experience a rapidly changing climate. A significant example of this is the Climate Clock in Manhattan - a massive digital clock which has been reprogrammed to tell us how much time is left before an irreversible climate crisis. While the clock serves its purpose to be a reminder that the climate crisis is in fact real, and rapidly progressing each day, it most certainly creates more anxiety over the topic as a whole. This is not to say individual action is not important, because making small changes in our daily lives is needed, but unfortunately, the climate clock is just another way of putting pressure, blame, guilt, and responsibility onto consumers to be the ones to “fix” the entire issue. As of today, there are 100 companies that are responsible for 71% of global emissions. Targeting the biggest contributors to climate change: large corporations — is what's needed. Many argue that instead of investing excessive funds for creating the clock, this money could have better aided initiatives to make climate adaptation more accessible/inclusive.
It is important to remember that environmental damage and overall climate change does not affect all people equally. Many communities and individuals experience disproportionate effects and may feel anxiety around ecological issues more intensely. People living in low-lying areas or coastal communities, whose jobs are dependent upon the environment (fishing, agriculture, etc) are much more likely to be affected. Those living in indigenous communities often rely on natural resources, and tend to reside in more vulnerable geographic areas, meaning they face fears of losing their homes, livelihood, or cultural heritage, which in the long run may affect their overall identity and sense of belonging. Those who work in environmental jobs may also face a higher likelihood of developing eco-anxiety.
Feeling sad, angry, frustrated, and helpless when it comes to environmental issues and climate action is normal. And after 2020, this concept needs to be normalized.
This year, I fell off the bandwagon a bit. I bought fast fashion more than I would’ve in previous years, I was forced back into buying my coffee in a plastic cup because COVID made it impossible to use reusables for a very long time, (and I could’ve just opted out and made coffee at home, but didn’t), I paid less attention to my diet, and what I was consuming overall as an individual. I didn’t realize it at the time, but just as the pandemic caused many, including myself, a large amount of anxiety, fear, and depression, it also led me to become extremely anxious about the environment and the climate crisis. I felt all of these things and more. I felt guilty for shopping for new clothes, instead of thrifting. I felt guilty for getting coffee in a plastic cup, almost daily. I felt guilty for buying new things, and not throwing away others to balance it out. I felt guilty for wasting food, forgetting to recycle, misplacing my reusable straw, filling up my car with gas. I felt hypocritical for preaching climate action, when I felt like I was the least environmentally friendly I had ever been. So I stopped. I stopped posting on different social media platforms about what I knew I was still so passionate about. I stopped sharing articles I read regarding even political action on climate change. I felt like I had no place to be a part of climate action if I wasn’t doing my part. This is eco-anxiety.
It is so easy to feel discouraged by bad news regarding the environment. It was especially easy to feel discouraged, or even infuriated during our previous Presidential administration. Bad news for the environment seemed to appear daily, and it felt never ending. Performative gestures like the climate clock make it even easier to feel guilty about using that plastic cup, forgetting your reusable bag at the grocery store, being a frequent-flyer, driving often, consuming meat, etc.
So how can I help eco-anxiety?
Talking to others about good environmental practices, volunteering with environmental groups, and making greener choices when it comes to recycling, eating less meat and dairy, and consuming less, can all be positive actions for combatting eco-anxiety feelings. However, the most important thing is to get educated. Gathering accurate, reliable information about the environment and the climate crisis can empower individuals and entire communities to feel prepared and resilient if a crisis occurs. Having a lack of information about the crisis as a whole can make it difficult to understand and process issues such as climate change. For a good starting point in learning more about systemic and individual behavior change, visit @earthbyhelena on Instagram.
Solving environmental issues and the climate crisis is heavily dependent upon societal change and corporate responsibility. In order for anything to change drastically, large businesses must take responsibility for their major contributions to climate change and change their actions moving forward. At the same time, “the system can't be transformed unless there are individuals willing to disrupt the norm, and that in itself is a behaviour change” (@earthbyhelena on Instagram).
All in all, we need to stop feeling so anxious about being “bad environmentalists,” because the systems currently in place - all of which are upheld by fossil fuels - should be shouldering the blame. Here is your reminder that not being the most sustainable version of yourself is okay. But, being neutral is oppressive. Now is the time to use our information, motivation, and power to dismantle these systems of oppression, and move forward with cleaner and greener steps to taking care of and protecting the natural world at large.
References:
Fawbert, Dave. “Climate Change: Are You Suffering from 'Eco-Anxiety'?” BBC Three, BBC, 27 Mar. 2019, www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/b2e7ee32-ad28-4ec4-89aa-a8b8c98f95a5.
@earthbyhelena. “A Healthy Reminder.” Instagram, 23 Nov. 2020, www.instagram.com/p/CH76MHiHSbI/.
“MENTAL HEALTH AND OUR CHANGING CLIMATE: IMPACTS, IMPLICATIONS, AND GUIDANCE.” American Psychological Association, Mar. 2017, www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2017/03/mental-health-climate.pdf.