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Climate anxiety toolbox: a resource guide for young people facing climate anxiety and grief

Explore these useful resources (all free) for dealing with climate anxiety, ranging from articles, to courses, to places to speak to someone about how you’re feeling.
Multiple Authors

Introduction

Are you struggling with climate anxiety? You’re not alone. Climate anxiety can feel incredibly overwhelming and make it hard to take positive action in the face of climate change, however there are steps you can take to help yourself cope with these feelings. Below are some useful resources (all free) for dealing with climate anxiety, ranging from articles, to courses, to places to speak to someone about how you’re feeling.

Getting started: articles

Here are some articles to get you started with thinking about addressing your climate anxiety. They contain a range of tips and perspectives and are a great way to get an overview of available strategies for addressing how you feel.

  • TIME – A heartfelt article about working out what climate action works for you
  • Young Minds – An article by a young person with tips tailored for young people
  • Mental Health UK – Tips using CBT techniques
  • Natural History Museum – An article on turning anxiety into action

Deep dive: resources

For more in-depth information on how to cope with climate anxiety, check out these resource banks, blogs, podcasts, and more.

  • Not Too Late – A resource bank designed to inspire action and hope amidst the climate crisis. Its aim it to empower individuals to join collective efforts for systemic change while acknowledging the emotional weight of the crisis.
  • The resilience project – An open source library of climate anxiety resources for young people, exploring strategies to build mental resilience, engaging in discussions about the climate crisis, and seeking to form supportive communities of care.
  • Force of nature podcast – A podcast series doing a deep dive on dealing with climate anxiety.
  • Gen Dread – A newsletter to sign up to for a range of climate anxiety related articles which aim to “strengthen our emotional intelligence, psychological resilience, and mental health while we’re in this planetary pickle.”
  • TEAP blog – A blog with a range of stories related to coping with climate anxiety for people of the Global South.
  • Australian Psychology Society – A comprehensive guide to coping with climate anxiety.
  • Climate Mental Health Network – A range of resources, from meditations to worksheets.
  • Jiyan Foundation podcast – A podcast episode addressing climate change and mental health.

Climate-positive news

When it comes to climate change, bad news stories tend to take the forefront and this can often culture feelings of doom and gloom. However there is plenty of good news out there related to climate change happening every day! Check out the news feeds below for tailored good news related to the environment to help you feel more positive about climate action being taken.

  • Happy Eco News – A website plus newsletter sharing positive information about the environment and the people working to improve it.
  • Thegarbagequeen – A TikTok activist sharing positive climate news.
  • The Happy Broadcast – A positive news broadcast sharing good climate news (along with other good news).

Training, workshops and events

These workshops and courses require more of a time commitment, but can be really helpful for providing more support with feelings of climate anxiety and increasing your capacity to deal with these feelings.

  • Active Hope – A video-based course to equip people to address climate burnout, and make positive change.
  • The Work that Reconnects – Founded by Joanna Macy, the Work That Reconnects is a network providing trainings and facilitated sessions that help people uncover innate connections with each other to transform despair and overwhelm into inspired, collaborative action.
  • Climate Wayfinding – A deep learning program for people seeking clarity, courage, and community on their climate journeys.
  • Force of nature Community – A community to join with events, training, and resources to empower young people grappling with climate anxiety.
  • TEAP Webinars – TEAP host monthly webinars for those in the Global South covering a range of topics related to climate anxiety.
Listen to author and expert Dr. Elin Kelsey discuss the importance of being hopeful and offers tips on where to look for motivation in difficult times. For Kelsey, hope is a “brave political act” that requires courage and commitment in the face of uncertainty. You can find a lot of resources on hope on her website.

Talking to someone, building a community

Feelings of climate anxiety can be very isolating but it’s important to realize that there are many other people feeling the same way as you. It can be helpful to connect with and talk to people who feel similarly to you, or reach out to professionals who are trained to assist you in coping with these feelings. Below are some spaces to find communities of young people supporting each other through climate anxiety, and places to find professionals who can help.

  • Climate café – Attend a climate café to discuss your feelings with others that feel the same.
  • TEAP Zen café – TEAP host events including virtual zen cafés for people in the Global South to discuss eco anxiety.
  • Climate Psychology Alliance – Join a youth support space to connect with other young people and learn resilience building practices.
  • Climate 1 on 1 – Attend free one to one sessions with a psychological professional to address eco-related distress.
  • Good Grief Network – Participate in a youth programme to build resilience and get inspired.
Climate Psychology Alliance youth support space.

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