Climate change is real – so is climate anxiety
How can young people deal with feeling helpless and anxious in the face of the rising impacts of climate change?
These past decades have seen a shift in the general concept of climate change from what was once an abstract idea to a reality – a reality that is very concerning to a lot of us. The issue often seems too vast, too out-of-control for anyone to truly grasp on an individual level, and can be associated with a tremendous amount of anxiety.
In many young people like myself, it has led to a feeling of constant worry about what climate change will mean for our environment and our futures.
I am no stranger to this feeling. Climate change and its many potential repercussions are very often at the forefront of my mind, rising up any time there are news reports of unseasonal weather events, landslides and flooding, reports of temperature extremes, forest fires, etcetera – which have become all too common these days. Learning about these events, and not seeing any effective preventive measures being taken, makes me feel helpless, powerless and futile.
It sometimes feels like the more you know about the issue, the more reasons there are to be worried. A recent study by the Child Rights and Climate and Disaster Risk Reduction Consortium – of which UNICEF is a partner – showed that more than half of children and young people around Nepal are affected by one or more types of climate-related hazards, and four out of five said they were at risk of exposure to them. These kinds of data, and what we can see happening around us with our own eyes, makes it difficult not to be pessimistic about our planet’s future – which can, in turn, deeply affect our mental well-being.
So, what do we do in this situation? How do we respond?
For me, my response to climate anxiety is to focus on what is doable within my capacity.
Although it is certainly important to understand and acknowledge the larger picture, in that moment when you are overwhelmed with anxiety, it helps to narrow down your perspective. Some examples of what is doable are the simple actions of reusing, reducing and recycling; and ensuring you think twice before buying something or throwing something away. Doing this helps me feel in control and reminds me that I am contributing to the solution.
Of course, there will be people who will think you are delusional, who will tell you that what you’re doing won’t make a difference. I’ve had many people dismiss my work, make fun of my beliefs. But you need to persevere and hold on to the idea that every action counts. Your small deed might not make a visible impact immediately, but remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day.
If all of us take these steps – reducing the use of plastic in our daily life, for example – it would collectively amount to something bigger.
It’s that reminder of the power of individual action that has led me to organize a number of awareness campaigns related to waste segregation in my community, demonstrating to people the steps involved and the benefits. Through these efforts, I’ve been able to reach over 800 people directly and others indirectly, and it warms my heart when I see a neighbor or someone in the community putting what they’ve learned into practice, for example, setting up their own compost systems.
What this has taught me is that although they might feel small, individual action should not be discounted.
It has the potential to inspire others to replicate your action and create a bigger change. Finding and engaging with people who share your views and goals can make the journey feel much less lonely as well, and enable collective action. Volunteering, for example, is positively correlated with feeling effective, belonging, and optimistic for the future, which is why I always suggest that people who are going through climate anxiety consider volunteering.
What’s more, as a consumer and a citizen, you also have the power to demand change from policymakers, from businesses, to make sustainability a priority. Your voice matters in more ways than one, never forget that.
Let’s transform this anxiety caused by climate change into a call for action. Victory will not come quickly or easily, but as long as we remember what is important – the future of our planet – any steps we take with that goal in mind is a step in the right direction.
