As the urgency of our climate crisis increases at a rapid pace, our collective climate anxiety is following suit. Climate anxiety, or eco-stress, was defined by the American Psychological Association in 2017 as “a chronic fear of environmental doom.”  Though it is certainly a privilege to be experiencing the anxiety rather than the direct impacts, it is worrying nonetheless.

Climate anxiety and dread are having major effects on the mental health of today’s youths. It’s hard to be in school, hyperfocused on planning for a future that may not exist. It’s hard to plan for a family when our collective future contains so much uncertainty. It’s hard to remain driven optimistic when a never ending doomsday rabbit hole is easily accessed by a simple internet connection and the click of a few buttons. We become paralyzed with an all or nothing mentality, paralyzed between the extremes of trying to fix the whole problem ourselves or give up completely. What we don’t recognize is by choosing neither we are inadvertently doing nothing. So what can we do?

Something I’ve noticed about myself and others is that a fight or flight response kicks in when we are backed into a corner. In the case of the climate crisis, with the majority of the population, the flight response usually prevails. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc.- the various forms of the media we’ve created to distract our brains are endless. After all, it’s far easier to log on to Netflix than to confront these large scale issues.

While this escapism is a completely valid coping skill, an entire society constantly engaging with it shows a large-scale systematic issue and does not do much good for our motivation surrounding the climate crisis. 

What we can do to ease this anxiety, however, is to engage deeper with both the humans and the ecosystems around us. One great way to do this is through environmental education – whether you’re in kindergarten, college, high school, or beyond – getting together, learning, and sharing what you know about the world around you can not only help the earth, but can have great psychological benefits as well.

In my life I’ve found that getting outside, connecting with others, and appreciating the natural world around you can lead to an enhanced level of care for it. Stepping outside of the online doomsday rhetoric gives you an important sense of perspective. This requires a shift in our education system away from standardized testing and motivation for an A. It requires us to step out of the black and white and into discomfort of the gray. Does a grade truly matter if your learning doesn’t lead to a passion and excitement for change?

People by nature tend to gravitate towards clear cut simple solutions that have a big impact. Whether we actually do them or not, there is a comfort in having clear actionable items that can help to resolve an issue. Our thought patterns exist in black and white — either we can quickly fix a problem and check it off our list, or it’s not worth our time. 

The issue is systemic and bigger than you saving up for that electric car.  Just 100 companies are responsible for 71% of global emissions.  This number makes my head spin. The fact that my individual action cannot stop climate change is a constant challenge, because giving up isn’t an option. This leaves me wringing my hands, backed in a corner, panicked with nowhere to go. 

This framework requires a mental shift. Community oriented environmental education can both increase your understanding of the environment and strengthen your personal connection with the world around you. Most importantly, it can remind you that you are not alone in this, something that I’ve found calms me more than anything. 

So next time you find yourself late at night in the cold light of the computer screen, biting your nails as you go further down a rabbit hole, pause. Take the internet resources you have, and redirect that energy. Look and see if you can find any local farms, outdoor education groups, or even text a few friends to talk about it. Reflect on your privilege, keep listening to the experiences of others, keep sharing what you know, and keep your hope alive.