Eco anxiety is a legitimate psychological response to the ill effects of climate change. Know a few approaches to prevent it from being too overwhelming.
Unless you have been living under a stone, climate change should be apparent. Disruptive seasonal weather conditions is a very good indicator of the same. Then, there's the ravaging wildfires, floods and tsunamis, not to speak of the news of the heat waves and the melting ice sheets reaching you alarmingly frequently. Sometimes it is really too much to take and contemplating about the future can even set off what is known as eco-anxiety. That, that one may not be isolated in experiencing it was corroborated by The Harris Poll carried out on behalf of the American Psychological Association. It noted that about two-thirds of the Americans endured at least a mild form of echo anxiety – anxiousness or concern related to climate change and its effects (APA definition) and about a quarter felt quite a bit of stress stemming from it. Though it may be an American data, the scenario is more or less the same worldwide.
It is important to acknowledge that this is a legitimate psychological response and it needs to be properly addressed, however demoralising it can be. Here are a few approaches to prevent eco-anxiety from being too overwhelming.
Proper Knowledge
One way to deal with the stress is to thoroughly educate oneself about all the governing aspects of climate change.
In doing so, one can not only have a better grip on the pessimistic reports, which are sometimes purposefully drummed up by the media but also know how to make a positive contribution to ameliorate the same. Believing in and propagating false assumptions can really take a toll on one's psyche.
Practical Practice
Half of the adult responders of the abovementioned APA survey mentioned that they didn't know what changes they need to make as an individual to combat climate change.
There are two distinct ways about it – make the changes yourself like eating less red meat, reducing overall carbon emission, etc. and the other, by influencing your friends and pressurising your immediate administrative machinery to be more cognizant and demonstrative about tackling the climate change issues.
Weed Out Negativity
If these anxieties are taking a sinister grip on your mind, it is best to focus your mind on the present. It is also important to not let them affect the other pain points of your life. Though the result of some of these climate predictions are true, it may not occur overnight, and there are ways to cope with them eventually. Try to dwell on the hopeful or encouraging aspects to calm your mind.
