Transforming Eco Anxiety into Action
”Anxiety can keep us safe; it can motivate us and drive us to do things. Eco-anxiety is like any other anxiety, it can be very useful and it can cause us to act, respond and care in really appropriate ways, and then it can also get really severe depending on the parameters of our lives. It can cause serious problems and be really debilitating for people.”
- Dylan Chad. Founder of the Climate Action Conference
Many New Zealanders around the country are personally feeling the effects of climate change in day-to-day life. Including our rangatahi, who hold a unique long-term perspective in our communities as future environmental protectors. From the Christchurch earthquakes in 2011, through to the forest fires in Australia in 2020, and most recently, major flooding around the country in 2023, young people are now watching their whaanau, friends, and schools struggle and adapt to major climate problems. More than that, they understand that these environmental issues are going to appear more frequently and dramatically over the course of their lives. It feels like a looming existential dread and an overwhelming responsibility to protect Papatuuaanuku - and themselves.
But how can we support rangatahi to reframe their eco anxiety into action?
“I think it is really important to connect with your values, whatever they are, and then apply them to yourself, like if you value love and beauty give yourself the grace to let yourself experience love and beauty in your life.”
- Lucy McLean. Clinical psychologist and Master’s graduate with a focus on explaining and approaching eco-anxiety
At the beginning of 2023, Impact Hub and Seed Waikato partnered to develop an Eco Anxiety Workshop with influential panel members from around New Zealand specialising in climate change and eco anxiety. We asked Dylan Chad, Lucy McLean, and Michal Garvey how to reduce our anxiety.
Here are a few suggestions from our panel:
Acknowledge your emotions.
Feeling internal shame for experiencing emotions which are completely reasonable only adds another negative feeling to the list. Understanding your emotions and why you are feeling them can help you identify what you find valuable, meaningful, or important.
Discuss realistic action points.
“We live inside systems, give yourself a break, if you have to drive to work because that’s the only way you can get to work, that’s the system’s fault, not your fault”
- Lucy McLean.
Take the time to create a realistic plan which you can implement into your day-to-day life. Any change that you can sustain long term will have a much stronger impact than small, unorganised efforts.
Create a community.
Finding or creating a community of people who are committed to the same goals within climate change can create a space where people can empower each other. There are many organisations, groups, and even businesses which are working towards the goals of being eco-friendly, creating systemic change, encouraging everyday habits and much more. Researching existing communities within your area can be an amazing way to discover how you can contribute to an existing local or global movement.
Are you looking to join a community of like-minded people working towards social change? Visit us at Hive 11 (11a Somerset st, Frankton) to get involved with events similar to the Eco Anxiety Workshop and transform your anxiety into action.