How to battle eco-anxiety and environmental overwhelm
And find some peace in this current moment on the planet
Guest post by Megan Otto
That crushing feeling of dread that comes from reading the news; that moment we learn another forest has burned down, or our government is in crisis—none of that is undefeatable. If you want to do something, all you have to do is ask.
Relief comes when we do the work together. But we have to start small.
Here’s an example: we know that trees are helpful for our environment, but planting one can sometimes seem like a huge project to undertake. Like so many of the most important ways to help our planet, it’s difficult to do it alone.
But organizations like Friends of Trees in Portland, Oregon are making this difficult task much easier by placing the emphasis on community. Friends of Trees serves over 20 cities, involving about 7,000 volunteers a year to plant 50,000 native trees and shrubs in people’s yards, on city streets, and in green spaces throughout the Pacific Northwest.
They do all the hard work. They provide the tree and bring volunteers to help you, and even the barrier of cost has been removed—if you can’t pay the $35 to cover the cost of the tree, Friends of Trees will cover it with donations.
“All ages are coming together and getting to leave from a planting day saying, ‘I planted that,’” says Whitney Dorer, Interim Executive Director of Friends of Trees. “They can go back and watch the trees they planted grow.”
Every good deed for our environment matters, no matter how small.
Yet many of us are still left feeling like there’s so much to do, so many trials to overcome, and so much action to take to save our planet. The stakes are so high that sometimes we find ourselves frozen in place, stuck. But it’s crucial to remember that while the effects of climate change will be long-lasting, so too are the effects of single positive actions that we can choose to take each day.
This work is within our power. We can plant one tree and watch it grow. Then we can tackle another task, and another. We just have to find the strength in ourselves—and in each other—to overcome the fear that keeps us standing still.
Where does the overwhelm come from?
Overwhelm is a common symptom of anxiety, and in these times, we have more reasons to be anxious than ever. Climate change (to name one of a few concurrent disasters) is already beginning to dismantle life as we know it, and there’s so much fear of what will happen if we don't act to stop it that it becomes hard to act at all. The fear of the future morphs into a fear of failure.
As it turns out, there’s a name for how climate change is affecting mental health. Psychologists are calling it eco-anxiety, and The American Psychological Association says it’s “a chronic fear of environmental doom.” Those who experience it “are deeply affected by feelings of loss, helplessness and frustration due to their inability to feel like they are making a difference in stopping climate change.”
It’s easy to feel powerless in the face of what we're up against. The good news is that if overwhelm is manageable in everyday life, we can learn to manage eco-anxiety, too.
Some tips to tackle overwhelm
Breathe, make sure your needs are met, clean your space, and grab a snack. And then, when you’re ready to face your worries again, get organized.
A tried and true way to do this is a brain dump. Find a blank sheet of paper and write—by hand, ideally—everything that’s on your mind.
Once your head is clear, you can approach what’s on your page with a new perspective. Start to make decisions about the list. Which bigger worries can turn into smaller action items? If you’re worried about the world’s disappearing forests, perhaps an action item could be to nourish your local green spaces or donate to an organization that’s planting trees.
Taking the time to stop and reflect on your anxiety or overwhelm takes you out of the whirlwind. And once you’re clear of the whirlwind, you can make a plan and take action.
We’re all involved in climate change, which means we can help one another to solve the problem. We’re not doing this alone.
We can tackle eco-anxiety by turning to our communities, just like folks in Portland are doing. A friend, relative, neighbor, or even a stranger looking for volunteers at an organization you believe in can become a partner in the climate fight. Collaborate, make plans, hold one another accountable. Ask for help. Whether you’re planting a tree in your yard or working for a political campaign, it's so much easier to get things done when you're a part of a team. And it’s likely that there are already groups of people near you who are ready to be your teammates.
We here at Our Feet on the Ground are definitely on your team—join our new Facebook group!
Start as simply as you can
Action can be an incredibly powerful form of hope.
It's easy to feel trapped in inaction, but as soon as you can wrangle your focus, break out of overwhelm, and accomplish something, you're making progress. In the same way that cleaning that first dirty dish in the sink can give you the momentum to do the rest, planting one seed in your garden can offer momentum for something huge like advocating for reforestation efforts later on. Even the smallest action can carry meaning and open the door for more actions in the future.
This week’s task is to think of one element of the climate crisis that overwhelms you and see if there’s one related, small, and doable action you can identify. Then, find someone to join you.
Wanting governments to implement reforestation plans isn’t a normal to-do that can be ticked off in an afternoon, but one immediately achievable action item within that issue could be reading an article to learn more and sending it to a friend, or signing up to volunteer with a local tree-planting non-profit with a buddy.
“Action” doesn’t have to mean saving the world in one fell swoop. “Action” can be anything that allows you to affirm for yourself that you’re in this fight.
The work feels endless, but beginning is crucial.
Take care of yourselves this week. Thank you for being a part of this community!
Megan Otto is a freelance arts and environmental writer specializing in content related to ethical storytelling, underrepresented voices, and climate justice. Based in Portland, Oregon, she loves visiting both the mountains and the ocean in her free time.