- Is climate change making you anxious or even depressed?
(gentle music) Well, you're not alone.
Covering all these stories has had an impact on me, too.
- Eco-anxiety has a lot to do with concerns
that people have about whether they'll be safe,
whether they'll be able to sustain the kinds of storms
and other natural disasters that are occurring
with much more frequency
and really existential concerns about our future
and the future of our children and their children.
- At least 67% of Americans have some level of anxiety
when it comes to the impact of climate change
on the future over planet.
So to learn more about steps we can take to cope
with what's come to be known as eco-anxiety,
I spoke to Mitch Prinstein, the chief science officer
at the American Psychological Association.
Step one, get informed.
If you feel like you're overwhelmed with bad news
about the future of our planet, I get it.
There's a lot out there,
but it's important to know that some of what is out there
might be alarmist or just inaccurate.
So the best thing you can do is try
and look for the correct information.
- There's a lot of misinformation out there
about climate change and the science behind it,
but we really have to be very careful
about what information we're reading.
What's the source of that information?
And are we talking about science,
or is it a piece that might be trying to be more alarmist
and trying to get us emotionally to respond?
- Like Mitch said,
try to cross-reference the information you're getting
or rely on trusted sources
that are backed by scientific evidence.
It also helps to just read past the headline
and the first paragraph of an article, a video, or a study.
Reading up on issues and learning about them
from different perspectives can help you better understand
the impact they have on your life.
Step two, process your feelings.
Let me just start by saying that your feelings are valid,
but according to Mitch, all in moderation.
- The other things we can do is really talk with others
about whether our anxieties are starting to feel
a little bit disproportionate to the situation.
Although this deserves tremendous attention,
it might not be something
that we have to be so anxious about
that it's impairing our ability to function
every single day.
- Seeking professional help can be beneficial
if you're feelings start to get a little overwhelming.
But initiating therapy can be hard, and it takes courage.
Speaking from past experience, therapy can be expensive,
inaccessible, or just a wild goose chase
trying to find the right therapist for you.
In any case, you can always build your own support group
with friends, family, and other like-minded people
that can help you get through tough moments.
Step number three, making impacts, large or small.
If talking about your feelings is not doing it for you,
you can also try to do something about the issue at hand.
Try turning some of that anxiety into action.
- What are the ways in which we can make big impacts?
So changing our house to have solar panels
for our hot water probably is gonna do a lot more
than recycling a hundred bottles.
So really thinking about what are the ways
to invest that energy into really big, impactful change?
- That being said, do not be discouraged to start small.
Look for local programs in your community
that help the planet,
things like beach cleanups and tree planting programs.
Or you could even do more personal things
like reducing your own carbon footprint at home.
But don't try to take on the world
because it could lead to burnout.
Analyze what's feasible, and just take it from there.
Even if it's not that much of an impact you're creating,
you are still doing something.
What's gonna help you feel better
about the state of the world?
Step number four, support young people.
If changing the way you live, whether it's the way you eat
or the transportation you take, is not possible,
then you can always advocate.
Climate change, much like everything else,
affects people disproportionately,
specifically people of color.
- There are some people who don't have the opportunity
to buy solar panels or can't move to another location.
So there are people that are gonna be more affected
by climate change than others,
and we need to recognize that this is an issue
that plays into questions about disparities
just as much as anything else.
And I think we need to advocate and kind of work
for not only what would be helpful for ourselves,
but for other people who might not have the opportunities
to make the changes that are, you know, kind of easier
to some folks when it comes to addressing climate change.
- Thankfully, there are a lot of programs
and young activists that are raising awareness
and bringing these issues to the forefront.
- We need to be listening to our young people.
We need to be helping our young people find the way
to turn their energy into real meaningful change.
And that's happening.
That's happening in a great way.
This is a time for us to be listening to young people,
not telling them to wait in line.
- If you wanna join the cause,
you can always look for petitions to sign,
places to donate, and information to share on social media.
Good organizations to look up include the Sunrise Movement
and Fridays For Future.
It also helps holding brands and governments accountable
when it comes to net-zero targets
and with any other climate initiative they might have.
Or put pressure on the companies that don't have any.
Step number five, don't stop living your life.
Although the world might seem like it's ending,
it's still spinning.
So try not to let all the burden of the world
fall on your shoulders,
and keep enjoying the moments in life that bring you joy.
- I think it's also really important
for us to kind of recognize
that there are some things we can control,
and there's some things that can't.
And if it's something important to us,
we can do a lot in terms of advocacy
and donations and really increasing awareness
and having conversations with friends and neighbors
on our social media.
We don't want to react to every day, all day
as if the sky is falling right now.
A lot of what we're doing is prevention.
So we do also wanna make sure
we're taking care of ourselves, living our lives,
doing what we can, promoting the best activity
and information as we can,
but also letting ourselves take a break from it sometimes
and enjoying the here and now.
- It might not always be easy to do it,
but self-care is just as important
as trying to mitigate climate change.
So let's try and relax, recharge,
and go back to taking action.