Anxiety seems to be in the air, doesn’t it? There are so many reasons to be anxious, but one looming problem is the climate and the environment. I’ve been talking a lot with my clients about this, as well as thinking about eco anxiety and compassion in my personal life. Honestly, I was having a really hard time with it for a while there. I felt that this overwhelming problem was way too big for me to handle and that if I did turn towards it, I would crumble under the weight of it. Sound familiar?
It’s Amelia here with your Dóchas blog post, and I want to explore ways we can process all the overwhelming problems in the world around us.
It’s hard not to think about the environment! For those of us living in Alberta at this time, it went from a summer of wildfires to the weirdest winter I have ever seen—I was super bummed not to have snow on Christmas. And it’s not just the environmental climate that seems to be shifting at the speed of light either. The social climate is changing rapidly, and it feels to me like the division between groups of all kinds is deepening every day. Overall, it’s an overwhelming time out there, and it feels like the world is going through its own kind of therapy session.
So where does that leave us? What are some ways to cope? Here are a few approaches that helped me.
Talk About It!
How do we talk about such vast and wide-reaching topics without completely losing our heads? Well, the first step is simply that: start talking about it. Through sharing with other people, we can also learn about resources we can use to navigate it. Because you’re not the first person to navigate these feelings—chances are, there is someone out there with some ideas who can help you!
Use the Resources
Through talking, you can learn about resources that might help you. What helped me most when I started feeling overwhelmed was using these to help me through what I was feeling. I found the books I list below were integral to moving through my processing of the situation:
- It’s Not Just You by Tori Tsui
- A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety by Sarah Jaquette Ray
- Generation Dread by Britt Wray
Just like most difficult topics, something that helped me was both acknowledging and normalizing my feelings. There were reasons why I was feeling the way I was feeling. Finding that there were actual frameworks that walked me through the different stages of eco-anxiety, in a way that was similar to the stages of grief, helped me feel less alone. I began to be able to identify what stage I was at.
Here are some illustrations that helped me make sense of my feelings:
As you can see, there are a lot of feelings that I could relate to in these stages! And the diagrams helped me to see how I could move forward in a healthy way, processing my real feelings and building towards something that moved me forward.
These stages listed by Sarah Jaquette Ray were integral for guiding me through my process. You might be at any stage of the process yourself. This is a good time to reiterate that while this process is overwhelming and demands a lot from you, you are NOT alone. There are support groups, counsellors, and various supports to help you through this process.
Acknowledge Your Feelings
Another interesting point that stuck with me from these resources, specifically from Britt Wray, was her sharing that researchers are finding that eco anxiety is not pathological—that is, it is not a mental disorder—but it is a healthy response to warn us that things are not okay. Why is this important? Not only does it mean it’s not ‘all in your head’, but also that we wouldn’t actually be taking the climate crisis seriously if we WEREN’T feeling anxiety and dread about it. Those emotions motivate us to make changes, which is important.
However, the anxiety can be debilitating, and many people can get stuck in the throes of despair, which also doesn’t help and is frankly not a nice place to live. This is the downside of these feelings, but the feelings themselves can be motivating instead of only debilitating.
Think about why you chose to go to therapy in the first place: something happened in your life that was similar to a check engine light illuminating. Something didn’t sit right with you, and you eventually took the steps to seek support. Eco anxiety and compassion can be another thing that is setting off alarm bells for you, and is important to turn towards instead of away from this feeling.
Breaking It All Down
So to try and distill what can be done about such a huge topic, here is the breakdown that helped me:
- Find resources: Use the books, TED Talks, YouTube videos, support groups and therapy available to you. You are not alone in this.
- Turn towards your feelings and acknowledge them. Our feelings are communicators trying to tell us things. I tell a lot of my clients that emotions are like kids—they want to tell you something, and if you do not listen, they will increase their demands and eventually throw a tantrum to try and get you to listen.
- Take care of yourself. As they say on airplanes—put on your own oxygen mask before helping others with theirs.
So these are some small ways to start navigating eco anxiety. Remember, you’re not alone, so if everything feels overwhelming, chances are you know someone who feels like you do. I hope this blog gives you some tips for reaching out, and if you need a professional helping hand, we’re here for you at Dóchas. Reach out to us at 780-446-0300 or at info@dochaspsych.com.
About Dóchas Psychological
Dóchas Psychological Services is a well-established and trusted therapy clinic located in Spruce Grove, Alberta. At Dóchas we value the idea that everyone deserves a safe space. Through connection and education, our team works hard to build a trustworthy relationship with each of our clients. It is our goal to create a community for our clients to feel like they belong.
Disclaimer
Information provided through Dóchas Psychological Services blogs or vlogs is meant for educational purposes only. They are NOT medical or mental health advice. You can read more about our disclaimer here.
