I'm anxious about climate change, what should I do?

When concern about the climate crisis makes us uncomfortable

Drafting

SOM Salud Mental 360

Fridays for Future Berlin 2018. Jörg Farys

Our health is inextricably linked to our environment. Have you ever experienced mood swings depending on the weather? How many times have we felt like saying to someone on a cloudy day, "I feel like the weather today"? The weather affects both our physical and emotional health. Furthermore, in recent years, research has indicated that it's not just the weather that affects us, but also environmental changes and the effects of pollution, global warming, natural disasters, and climate change, which impact our physical and emotional well-being, as well as the planet.

We are increasingly aware of and better informed about the effects of climate change. Young people are especially committed to protecting the future of our planet and are leading global movements like Fridays For Future. Climate activists such as Greta Thunberg from Sweden and Olivia Mandle and Maria Serra from Catalonia are making their voices heard and demonstrating to demand urgent action on the environmental and climate crisis in an unprecedented way. Thunberg famously said, "I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I feel every day," which reflects how many children and young people feel about the uncertainty surrounding their future and the future of the planet.

Impact on well-being

Are you worried about the future of our planet? Do you feel we need to take more action to reverse or minimize the effects of climate change before it's too late? Being aware of and advocating for this cause is crucial to ensuring a better future, but it can also be a source of constant distress that affects our mood and emotional well-being .

Do you know what emotional well-being is?

Many people, especially younger generations, feel chronic sadness about the fact that, due to the devastating effects of climate change, they will never see nature's landscapes in the same way again. This feeling is called solastalgia . Others feel anxiety when they observe the impact of climate change on our planet, which no one can prevent, and they worry about their future and the future of future generations. This is known as eco-anxiety . Do you identify with either of these concepts?

How to identify discomfort

To recognize if we have eco-anxiety or solastalgia, we can identify if concern for the future of the planet has effects on our behavior, thoughts, and emotions, such as:

That you become increasingly interested in news about climate change and actions to try to reverse or minimize its consequences.
Being irritable and responding more angrily than usual, especially about the weather.
Think often about the irrevocable consequences of climate change.
Ask yourself questions about climate change or environmental or weather disasters more frequently.
Being afraid of weather phenomena.
Feeling frustrated when there are environmental phenomena about which one cannot or will not act.
Being sad or feeling bad and not knowing why.

I'm not feeling well. What can I do?

Going around in circles and having trouble sleeping.

How can I act?

Some guidelines proposed by environmental health experts from the Sant Joan de Déu Hospital in Barcelona, such as pediatrician Elena Codina , on how we can act to promote our environmental health, which have been included in the 13th Faros report " The environment and its impact on maternal and child health: what are we facing? ", are:

Express how you feel . Talk to your parents or teachers and share your feelings. Ask them questions about anything that's bothering you.
Join the climate action activities organized in your neighborhood, town, or school/leisure center. For example, become an environmental volunteer , participate in beach or mountain cleanups, or join group bike rides to school to reduce emissions, such as Bicibús .
Get out of the city to reconnect with nature . Take trips with family or friends to the mountains or the seaside. This way, you won't lose touch with nature. We humans feel the need to be in contact with nature, but sometimes we don't even realize we need it.
Ask your family to help you plant trees, flowers, or grow vegetables . Seeing a tree or flower that we planted, cared for, and watered grow helps us connect better with the Earth and awakens positive emotions of gratitude and abundance.
Involve the people around you in the changes and help promote greater climate awareness among them.
Do your part to lessen the effects of climate change; it will make you feel better. Some of the measures you can take are:
— Reduce water consumption.
— Recycle properly.
— Use reusable containers and reduce the use of plastic.
— Go to school by bicycle or public transport.
— Choose products made with materials that can be recycled.
— Buy from local and nearby stores.
— Make changes to your diet to make it more sustainable. If we reduce our consumption of animal products and base our diet on plant-based, locally sourced, and unprocessed foods, we achieve a healthy diet while reducing the associated environmental impact.
— Use energy wisely at home. Avoid excessively cold temperatures in summer and excessively warm temperatures in winter.
— Use second-hand clothes or clothes from stores that use sustainable materials.
— Ask your parents for fewer gifts of things you might not need.