Choosing hope in the face of eco-anxiety is a powerful way to deal with overwhelm – and makes it more likely that we’ll feel up for the challenges of changing, too.
While I’m typically against assumptions, I think it’s fairly safe to assume that you care – deeply – about our planet. Me too. Which is why I can also confidently guess that you have experienced eco-anxiety before. Me too. Correction: all of us, too.
A 2018 Yale University report found that 21 percent of people in the US were “very worried” about climate change. Anecdotally, I see it etched on the faces of friends, acquaintances, and sceptical in-laws that once fobbed off my concerns as hyperbolic worry. Greta Thunberg will attest that it’s worse for our younger generations: a study from that same year found that 87 percent of tweens were “extremely concerned” about the planetary conditions they’re set to inherit.
Setting aside the indisputable implications of anxiety on health, all this eco-anxiety holds another risk: the apathy it breeds. Because if there’s no hope, then there’s no need to try. But, dear reader, there is hope for our planet. It’ll be a nail-biting sprint to the finish, but, as any athlete worth their salt will tell you, mindset is the most important asset for winning the race. So, let’s get our mindsets right.
Don’t turn the pain into suffering
Buddha once said that pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional. Confronting the truth of our circumstances is painful (we are in a pickle), and humans tend not to like pain. We’re pleasure-seeking creatures, biologically programmed to avoid discomfort, and we’re really rather fond of this whole survival gig!
So, the existential threat of the climate emergency triggers a natural impulse to numb the pain, which manifests in many ways (distraction, leaning on crutches, feigning disinterest, etc). This brings superficial relief; however, our powerful subconscious minds refuse to let us truly relax. It niggles. The path that promises to bypass pain, instead leads to suffering. The solution to this quandary is paradoxical: the secret to alleviating your pain is to welcome it in. Your feelings are not only valid but they also last, on average, 90 seconds (*shocked face emoji*). To prevent pain congealing into suffering, commit to simply feeling it. It’s healthier, it’s harder, and it makes you way more helpful in the long-term… If you can just get through the next 90 seconds of pain.
“Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” – FRED ROGERS
Do the very small thing, consistently
Like every dating profile and/or canine, I love walks along the beach. However, back in 2012, I found myself finishing my daily dawdles in a profound state of despair. Why?
Plastic. Thanks to a few startling documentaries, plastic pollution was firmly in my consciousness; what I hadn’t noticed before, I now saw everywhere. The ostrich in me wanted to stick my head in the sand and ignore it, but there was so much bloody microplastic that my ignorance wasn’t even blissful! So, I did the only other option available: something. I started walking with a duffle bag and picking up the plastic as I went. Instantly, my anxiety evolved. I wasn’t solving the entire, nebulous problem, but I was still in the ring. My daily efforts accumulated into more resilience, more impact, more hope. When the problem is too big: start small. Tiny seeds always sprout into something bigger.
Curate your media consumption
When I was younger, checking the time went like this: wonder what the time is, look at my watch, done! I know the time. Nowadays, it’s different: I wonder what the time is, check my phone, check the news while I’m there, read a terrifying headline, spin off into an unstoppable orbit of panic and break into a cold sweat, forget to check the time.
While smartphones are incredible, they do come with perils, like platforms and apps vying for our precious (lucrative) attention, often by preying on our fears. The knowledge that we are the pawns in this game is powerful. Safeguard yourself by scaffolding clear rules around what news you consume and for how long; a specific time and (importantly) a duration for scrolling. Choose credible sources that communicate facts rather than ideology. When it comes to identifying impartial sources, the first rule of thumb is that the news should be a little boring to read/watch. Second? If the commentator is yelling at the camera, proceed with caution.
Stay solutions focused
After the assassination of Robert Kennedy, children’s host Mister Fred Rogers told his young audience that “when I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping’”. This advice stands the test of time. Whenever I find myself floored by an issue (like overfishing, deforestation, environmental racism) I look for the helpers. Instead of a knee jerk, socially conditioned response to “save the world”, I choose to find the people already doing the work, on the ground – and I always do find them. How wonderful!
WORDS: Emily Ehlers
Emily Ehlers is a nature lover, writer, speaker, and the author and illustrator of Hope is a Verb: Six Steps to Radical Optimism When the World Seems Broken (2021). Her upbeat Instagram feed focuses on arty activism (‘artivism’), and her mission is to awaken the everyday environmentalist in everyone, igniting a deep love for this blue and green marble that we live on. Her work has been featured in Forbes, Buzzfeed, and the website 1 Million Women, and she has collaborated with National Geographic. ecowithem.com
