Climate Anxiety
Written By: River O’Leary
September 20, 2024
As the years go by, concern for climate change is growing. In just the last 10 years, there has been an increase in natural disasters such as floods, drought, hurricanes, and dust storms, all brought on by our changing climate. These disasters affect people, wildlife, and the ecosystems that we rely on for survival. There is no wonder why anxiety surrounding climate change has been growing in recent years.
Climate anxiety can be defined as “a chronic fear of environmental doom” (Dodds, 2021), or continual, “difficult-to-control… worry about climate change” (Valkengoed et al, 2023) This term is still being defined and developed as research on climate anxiety continues, and varying definitions include emotional responses, thoughts, physical experiences, and behaviors that happen while experiencing climate anxiety.
Symptoms of Climate Anxiety
For many people, learning about the climate crisis can cause anxiety symptoms that are in line with clinical anxiety. People may experience ongoing, difficult to control worry about climate change and its effects, as well as nervousness, feeling on edge, irritability, fear, and distress.
People with climate anxiety may have physical symptoms such as muscle tension, nausea, abdominal distress, sweating, rapid heart beat, trembling, shaking, twitching, or dry mouth. Cognitive symptoms of climate anxiety include fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and one’s mind going blank. Climate anxiety can cause problems in daily functioning such as social interactions, work, school, and hobbies, as well as restlessness and sleep problems.
What increases Climate Anxiety?
People with climate anxiety in the Global North experience anxiety out of concern for others, the environment, or both; rather than anxiety for themselves. Some factors that can increase climate anxiety include:
Exposure to climate change content such as articles, videos, or social media posts
Feeling that people are a part of nature
Feeling a personal sense of connection to nature
Concern for the environment.
Climate anxiety can also be affected by appraisal theory. This means that our emotions are a reaction to our evaluations, or appraisals, of things we experience. Climate anxiety related to appraisal increases for a person if:
Someone perceives climate change as out of control, catastrophic, unpredictable.
Someone perceives the causes of climate change as morally wrong and unjust.
If the causes of climate change are against their values, needs, and goals.
Other reasons that we think may add to climate anxiety include perceiving a threat from climate change for one’s children or future children, perceiving uncertainty about the future, experiencing a lack of control, fearing the end of civilization, thinking that it’s too late to address climate change, or the lack of collective progress in solving the problem
What Helps People with Climate Anxiety:
Climate anxiety can be worse if a person has challenges with emotional regulation. Emotion regulation is someone’s ability to manage their response to negative emotions. Someone with challenges emotionally regulating may respond to climate anxiety with the following unhelpful strategies that, in the long run, can increase symptoms of anxiety:
Pushing down emotions related to climate change
Constantly thinking about climate change
Fortunately, there are healthier ways to cope with climate anxiety that can lead to a decrease in symptoms of climate anxiety:
Emotional regulation strategies such as mindfulness and acceptance
Taking action personally or collectively
Focusing on what you can control, not what you cannot
Decreasing exposure to distressing media
Reconnecting with nature
Seeking support from friends, family, and other trusted people
Using self-care strategies
Contributing Factors to Climate Action
Climate anxiety can both prevent and motivate people to address climate change through action. Different levels of climate anxiety have effects on motivation levels to act, which can ease the effects or address the causes of climate change. Surprisingly, some anxiety about climate change can be helpful in pushing us to take action, although too much or too little may result in not taking action at all.
Other emotions in addition to anxiety can also contribute to motivating or stopping us to take climate action. Anger about climate change and its causes can motivate climate action. Shame about personal responsibility towards climate change can inhibit action, because negative emotions toward the self can lead to withdrawal and avoiding action.
A person’s perception of whether or not their contributions can lead to effective climate action also makes a difference in whether or not they will take action to reduce the effects or causes of climate change. If someone believes their actions will make a difference, they are more likely to act than those who do not believe their actions will make a difference. If a person feels personally responsible for climate change, they are more likely to take action than someone who does not feel personally responsible.
Conclusion
Climate anxiety is becoming increasingly common, and it is normal for many of us to experience concerns and stress in the face of climate change. There are many contributing factors to climate change, and it can be helpful to identify what specifically about climate change is causing you distress.
Categorizing our worries about climate change into those we can control and cannot control is a good first step. With factors we can control, taking action collectively or personally can relieve some anxiety. With factors we cannot control, using mindfulness, acceptance, and social support can decrease stress. Taking time to connect to nature can soothe our worried minds, along with other self-care strategies.
Remember that you are not alone in the face of climate change, or in the face of climate anxiety, and that there are many other people working to reduce the causes and effects of climate change and many available strategies to reduce and manage anxiety.
References
Dodds J. The psychology of climate anxiety. BJPsych Bull. 2021 Aug;45(4):222-226. doi: 10.1192/bjb.2021.18. Erratum in: BJPsych Bull. 2021 Aug;45(4):256. PMID: 34006345; PMCID: PMC8499625.
van Valkengoed, A. M., Steg, L., & de Jonge, P. (2023). Climate Anxiety: A Research Agenda Inspired by Emotion Research. Emotion Review, 15(4), 258-262. https://doi.org/10.1177/17540739231193752
https://www.colorado.edu/health/blog/climate-anxiety
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-climate-change-keeping-you-up-at-night-you-may-have-climate-anxiety-202206132761