Climate Anxiety video transcript

Do you worry about the future of the planet and the health and well-being of future generations? 

Are you concerned about extreme heat and wildfires?

Have you heard about increased rainfall, sea level rise, and flooding?

Are you sad about habitat destruction and the negative impact climate change is having on animals, wildlife, and their ecosystems?

Whether you have been affected by climate change in the past, or are worried about the future, this message is for you.

You are not alone.

According to scientists, climate change is one of the most significant threats to human health in the 21st century. While climate change impacts people of all ages, all around the world, some people will be more affected by climate change than others due to social and economic factors. 

As society continues to learn more about the effects of climate change, and feels the impact of climate change directly, it is understandable that people may feel a sense of anxiety or worry about climate change. 

Concerns about climate change can lead to intense feelings of grief and fear. People are understandably concerned about future losses of ecosystems, species, landscapes, and human life.

There is a name for this. It is called climate anxiety. 

Climate anxiety is defined as “distress about climate change and its impacts to our ecosystems, the environment, and human health and well-being.” 

It is not a mental illness, but rather anxiety rooted in uncertainty about the future, as well as the growing concern and recognition about the dangers of a changing climate. 

Climate anxiety can manifest in different ways, including having negative thoughts or feelings about the threat of climate change and the long-term future of the world.

Climate anxiety looks different in different people and can take many forms.

It can look like feelings of grief, loss, anger, sadness, and guilt. These feelings can affect one’s mood, behavior, and thinking. 

It can also look like jitteriness, nervousness, increased heart rate, shallow breathing, difficulty concentrating, changes in appetite, or even insomnia due to worry or concern about the effects of climate change.

If you are experiencing climate anxiety, there are ways to cope and resources available to help. 

There are ways to enhance your own resilience. 

Educate yourself. Learn about concrete steps you can take to reduce your own carbon emissions and ways to help your community become more prepared for climate change.

Prioritize self-care. Try to get enough sleep, eat well, and get some exercise. 

Experience and enjoy nature. Research shows time spent in nature is good for our overall physical and mental health. Watch a sunset, sit in a garden and enjoy the sounds of nature, take a hike, or bring nature indoors!

Live your values. Consider making small changes to your lifestyle that are consistent with your values. Consider eating less animal products, conserving energy, or using reusable materials.

Next, consider changing how you access climate news. 

Limit social media and news consumption. Too much news about the negative impacts of climate change can negatively influence our mental health. Set a limit and stick to it.

Cultivate positive climate news consumption. Consider subscribing to newsletters like the Climate Optimist or Happy Eco News.

Next, connect with others!

Talk it out. Share your worries and fears with trusted friends, parents or family members, your professors, a health care provider or therapist or even in a support group.

Get involved in collective action. Climate change is a collective problem, and therefore needs a collective action approach to its solution. Get engaged in a community wide recycling or composting event or create climate support groups where people can lean on each other and work together to fight climate change. Advocate for people to vote in local, state, and federal elections with climate change in mind. Raise awareness and demonstrate to your local representatives that climate change matters to their constituents.

And, if you find that climate anxiety is affecting your quality of life, professional mental health support is available and can help. 

In the words of Greta Thunberg (climate change activist):

It is very understandable to feel overwhelmed because the things we are dealing with are existential threats to humanity unlike anything the world has ever seen before. It helps to do something concrete. Read up about it. Educate yourself. And then you know what you can do to help turn the tide. Connect with other people who share the same values because when you are together in the struggle there is no limit to what you can accomplish.