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What to do when you’re completely overwhelmed by climate anxiety How to act in service of the planet — and your values. By Allie Volpe@allieevolpe When the subject of climate change is a catastrophe in itself, it becomes incredibly easy to catastrophize the fate of the planet. Alarming news headlines, the increased frequency of natural disasters, and politicians’ failure to promote genuine solutions may lead some to believe in an inevitable future in which extreme temperatures and weather events are constant and currently populated parts of the globe are uninhabitable. It’s important not to turn a blind eye to the effects of climate change, but to view these events realistically rather than project future probabilities as fact. When we catastrophize — or think of the worst-case outcome — our body internalizes our stressful thoughts, whether they’re based in reality or not, says Thomas Doherty, a licensed psychologist who specializes in environmental approaches to mental health. “That creates a positive feedback loop of more stress, more catastrophizing, which then inhibits my performance,” he says, “which, of course, makes me less and less empowered. We have to be careful about that. Realistic thinking about a catastrophe is a different thing. We have to build our capacity to think about catastrophes.” To help you walk this line between staying in touch with reality and not succumbing to despair, climate-aware therapists offer their advice, from accepting nuance to finding strength in community. Read on at https://lnkd.in/et25acS7

the Mental trauma of climate change, and how it might be impacting on the work of your organisation. With heartfelt thanks to Keith Jones for talking openly about this. It only occurred to me fairly recently that responses to the climate emergency, such as denial, might be a key stage in the grieving process, rather than an outright stubbornness to accept the reality we now find ourselves in. That what we're talking about isn't simply a matter of denying that climate change might be real, but of accepting that everything that has shaped our societies progress for hundreds of years has contributed to where we now are. Because this is the huge yet logical conclusion the climate and nature emergency presents us with. We're asking people to accept something pretty fundamental to who they are, and it is therefore little wonder that we might be struggling with this. The realities of the climate & nature emergencies present us with a huge sense of loss, not simply due to their impacts, but their causes. And these will affect us in whatever walk of life we might be in. This predicament is far bigger than our own ability to fathom, let alone accept on an individual level. With few role models to follow it is little wonder then that our societies leaders are struggling to show the leadership we need to see on this. The threat posed by national 'enemies' is far easier for us all to get our collective heads around, than the possibility that capitalism may well be the problem we need to address. It's little wonder then that we can all be left feeling a sense of hopelessness from time to time. I've been on this grieving journey since my late teens, and I like to think I've long since reached a point of acceptance. But in those moments when I'm truly honest with myself the sheer scale of the challenge is far greater than any sense of agency that I might have. As a large organisation the National Trust recognises the reality of climate change and is doing something about it. And maybe your organisation could learn a great deal from the National Trusts approach to supporting their staff with their mental health through the climate and nature emergency. And it must be a huge source of comfort to be working for an organisation that does indeed take climate change seriously. And through it's work is doing something to not only try and address its impact, but to contribute positively to being part of the solution too. If like me, you find yourself working alone much of the time, then maybe there are ways we can help each other to cope with this. Personally I sometimes think that it may well be my ignorance, rather than my mental resilience, that is helping me to cope. That and the knowledge that however late we may leave things before we start to make the changes we need to, there's always the hope that we've not left things too late, and that humans are on the whole amazingly cooperative, collaborative and adaptable.

Thanks NRDC for featuring my work and perspective in this explainer on navigating climate anxiety and grief. As quoted here, it's critical we remember that “having strong reactions to difficult changes and losses are signs of aliveness, alertness, paying attention, and healthy coping.” Aka, we need to be feeling our way through this work. And "openly talking about these feelings can kick-start new and different kinds of conversations about our future.” Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) https://lnkd.in/g8Q4kdEZ

It's not too late to join Waterspirit's Eco-Anxiety Support Group which meets Tuesdays at 2pm ET. Climate change, super storms, rising sea levels, large-scale pollution—do these problems seem large, looming, intractable? If you’re feel vulnerable, dis-empowered, or burnt-out, you’re not alone: eco-anxiety, climate grief, and other climate feelings are shared by many people who are paying attention to the climate crisis. Addressing these heavy feelings in community can be a way of generating the personal resilience needed to cope with an uncertain future. Waterspirit hosts eco-anxiety peer support groups using the Good Grief Network’s “10 Steps to Personal Resilience and Empowerment in a Chaotic Climate” method. Waterspirit's Spring 2024 group will run from 2/6/24 to 4/23/24 from 2-4 p.m. ET. To register or for more information email [email protected] #newyearnewyou #climateanxiety #ecoanxiety #supportgroup #mentalhealth #climatechange #climatecrisis

The climate emergency is often described as a "wicked" problem—one that results from numerous factors that interact in new and surprising ways to defy standard solutions—the pervasive distresses and traumas it generates are also "wicked" problems. Listen to #BobDoppelt, founder?#TransformationalResilienceCoalition talk about preventing and healing climate trauma on #KSQD #beboldamerica podcast. Facing our climate future will require entire neighborhoods and communities be engaged to prevent and heal the distresses and traumas generated during the long climate mega-emergency. If whole-community initiatives are launched throughout industrialized nations and worldwide, the indomitable human spirit and capacity for resilience can be activated. Learn how your community or neighborhood can prevent and heal climate trauma at the local level! https://lnkd.in/gjd3_6fn

The Devastating Impact of Climate Change: How it Affects Everyone Explore the alarming consequences of climate change on vulnerable communities, from extreme weather events to increased diseases. Discover the undeniable truth and ongoing panic surrounding the mental health implications. Understand why no one is immune to the effects of climate change. #ClimateChangeImpact #ExtremeWeather #DiseaseOutbreaks #MentalHealth #GlobalCrisis #ClimateCrisis #VulnerableCommunities #ClimateChangeAwareness #EnvironmentalConcerns #ClimateActionNow

Reflecting on the profound link between climate action and mental well-being.?? 'Fundamentally we need to make sure the costs of climate change on mental health are accounted for, and the benefits of climate action to mental health are accounted for and responded to.' - Emma Lawrance, Climate Cares Centre at Imperial College London. #ClimateAction #MentalWellBeing #ClimateChange #Sustainability #EnvironmentalHealth https://lnkd.in/e--wcEJg

?? The climate crisis is really taking a toll on people's #mentalhealth. Dealing with intense storms, fires and other climate disasters can leave folks traumatized, and just the constant worry about an uncertain future is overwhelming. ?? There is some good news. Getting involved in group efforts to tackle #climatechange can actually help alleviate all that stress and #ecoanxiety. Finding that shared purpose and community of activists provides a real sense of hope and meaning that counters the heavy dread. ?? That's why there are now programs that bring people together to openly talk through their climate distress and turn those feelings into positive action. Mental health experts are also getting trained to better support communities on the front lines of climate impacts. The big takeaway? Healing our #climateanxiety goes hand-in-hand with healing our planet. Happy #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth!

?? Join us on June 6, 2024, for the event A Conversation on Mental Health Resilience in the Face of Climate Change. Learn more about the importance of inner resilience and how to channel eco-anxiety and climate grief into community and purpose, including incorporating climate considerations in your work. Register today: https://lnkd.in/gz4eTHVx Environment and Climate Change Canada #GCLearning