Every time I open my social media apps, I am bombarded with images of devastating climate disasters, rising heat waves, and alarming policy choices made by our elected leaders — choices that continue to ignore the realities of the ecological crises. 

In Canada, the past year alone has seen extreme heat, wildfires in Jasper, Alberta, and record precipitations in Toronto. The overwhelming number of catastrophic and extreme weather events caused by the climate crisis can leave us feeling despairing and hopeless, especially when they’re delivered through our intrusive digital landscapes.

These disasters can provoke a range of trauma-related and negative emotional responses in people who are directly impacted by them. However, research has shown that anxiety can also stem from awareness of climate-related issues. 

The American Psychological Association referred to it as a “chronic fear of environmental doom,” eco-anxiety presents an interesting paradox: in an age where the media is a powerful tool for disseminating information and raising awareness, it also seems to be a source of mental exhaustion — especially when it comes to climate issues. University students and professors are also experiencing this paradox in real-time. 

 “We’re headed down a path that is leading us to a drastically increased number of disasters… and that’s really scary,” said William Fahy, a PhD student studying environmental chemistry, in an interview with The Varsity.

“I use eco-anxiety as a sort of catch-all phrase… [for] multiple feelings of either distress, angst, sadness, anger, [and] hopelessness [about] the uncertain futures and possible disruption of future livelihoods,” said Simon Appolloni — an assistant professor at the School of Environment — in an interview with The Varsity.

Measuring eco-anxiety

Anxiety is a normal human response. Evolutionarily, it serves as an adaptive reaction to the dangerous and unpredictable physical environments our ancestors had to navigate to survive. Anxiety helps us anticipate and adapt to future threats. 

The particularity of the climate crisis is that it’s not a threat that can be easily avoided. Initial feelings of worry can escalate into extreme anxiety, which can become debilitating — affecting both our ability to take climate action seriously and to live our normal lives. 

A 2020 study from the Journal of Environmental Psychology explored the link between personal well-being and climate anxiety by asking respondents through a series of questions to assess how often they engaged in specific thought patterns or behaviours. For instance, questions included: “I find myself crying because of climate change” or “thinking about climate change makes it difficult for me to concentrate.” 

On a global scale, children and young adults have felt the burden of climate awareness on their mental health more than other populations. A 2021 global survey published in the Lancet Planetary Health of 10,000 participants aged 16–25 found that a majority of respondents were worried about the climate crisis, with over 45 per cent noting that it impacted their everyday lives.

Instilling climate resilience

How can we combat this feeling of doom? 

“I’ve been teaching courses in environmental studies for well over a decade, and a number of years ago, I got tired of teaching students the end of the world as we know it… I realized that I had to incorporate… some form of psychological resilience [into my course material,]” said Appolloni. “I have [my students’] journal for marks [because] journaling is being proven to alleviate anxiety and fears… [as well as doing] work outside round trees as close as possible to a wooded area.” 

Building internal resilience and connecting students to nature are two cornerstones of combating eco-anxiety. Other strategies include taking action and finding social connections at the community level. 

To that end, Appolloni has his students write a letter to the Minister of the Environment or the Prime Minister. “Here’s this email. Send it. And then suddenly, before you know it, [my students] have sent a letter expressing their concerns about the environmental situation and the current political lack of action that’s going on amongst politicians,” showing students the tangible action they can take.

Lastly, instilling hope — though it may seem cliché — is absolutely essential for the fight against the climate crisis. Finding the positive stories amidst the crisis is crucial. In a time where the doom and gloom surrounds us with every swipe, hope must be our strongest companion.

“It’s actually important to hold [onto] the bad news… the storms, the weather patterns, the droughts, the floods, the fires — [because] they will get more frequent, intense, [and] longer in duration… But you [also] have to hold [onto] the good news… [which] allows them to know that there’s still a lot that can be done,” said Appolloni.