Experiencing Eco-Grief and Climate Anxiety as a Student
by Madeline Brooks
Like most bright-eyed students entering into the field of environmental sciences, I was motivated by the desire to change the world, for the better. As a child of the early 2000’s, the threat of climate change was emerging into mainstream media, and the shocking consequences of not addressing this planetary issue were becoming more and more apparent. Conversations about the wonders of the Amazon rainforest were consistently coupled with pictures of it being destroyed, the Arctic was synonymous with words like “melting” and “disappearing”, and even images of the world's oceans full of life were accompanied with images of commercial fishing bycatch.
So I set out to become the change I wanted to see in the world. I worked hard, tried to educate myself the best I could on environmental issues, and became the girl who used metal straws, while surrounded by the grim reality of the crisis facing humanity. I made plans to go to college for Marine Biology and focus on the issues climate change was creating for our oceans. I was ready to make a change, a difference in the world, but not before my perspective was challenged.
During a hot and humid backyard graduation party last summer, right before I left my home state for Seattle, I was confronted with a slew of questions I wasn’t prepared to answer.
“ Are you sure you want to go into that? I heard something about *insert crazy statistic about the world going to hell here*, maybe you should switch to something more reasonable.”
“ People won't change their ways, it's just something we have to accept.”
“You know, even if we do something about “climate change”, it's already in motion. We can't stop it, so why even try?”
I was facing the crushing realization that this thing I wanted to tackle was so much bigger than everyone who wanted to study climate change combined, and that the fear we were exposed to had paralyzed many into believing we were done for as a species.
What I, and many others, have experienced is described as eco-grief, coupled with its close counterpart, climate anxiety. These terms were defined in The American Psychological Association in 2017 as “a chronic fear of environmental doom.” to describe the mental impacts climate change scientists (and the general public) are experiencing. While discussing this topic, I learned about someone tackling these issues and teaching others how to process their emotions about climate change.
As UW Professor and ecoanxiety expert Dr. Jennifer Atkinson explains in a recent seminar, when talking about “We don't live in a culture that mourns those kinds of losses”. Dr. Atkinson has become a leading authority on eco-grief and climate anxiety, with her seminar “Eco-grief and Climate Anxiety” being featured in the Seattle Times, Washington Post, and NBC News. “I’ve taught at the University of Washington for 11 years, and every year I've seen more and more disparity among undergraduates” she explains in a seminar this past February. Atkinson goes on to describe how her students experienced anger, regret, and a sense of betrayal about climate change. She further explains throughout the seminar how climate scientists work in environments that discourage subjective and emotional responses to their work, causing further emotional turmoil.
However, learning how to process these emotions and learning to cope is incredibly important to move past the paralyzing effects of climate anxiety. Atkinson describes 5 tips on doing so in her seminar. #1, Acknowledging the anxiety, giving a name to sadness and anger helps the emotion be quantified and communicated to others, who probably feel the same. #2, Talking about it, conversing with others about climate anxiety brings it to life, and demonstrates to yourself and others that this is a universal phenomenon. #3, Spending time outdoors has tremendous positive effects on mental health, and taking time to enjoy the planet around us can reduce burnout and reminds us why fighting against climate change is worth it. #4, Channeling your grief creatively, by humanizing the problem, this helps to connect the issue to individuals' unique experiences. #5, Take action, as there is nothing more therapeutic than acting against grief. Doing anything, no matter how big or small can make people feel more connected to the fight against climate change.
If I could go back to that time early last summer and talk to those same people who warned me about my career path, I think I would take their comments with grace, but try and remain as positive as I could about decisions, not letting the thoughts of others discourage me from the thing I’m most passionate about in life. Climate change should not paralyze us in fear of what could happen. Rather as a community we should learn how to process this fear and act upon it not in trepidation, but in confidence.