The Folks Down Under Produce A Climate Anxiety Toolkit

When Australia’s government kibboshed those in the government studying and reporting on climate change several years ago, the departed got together and crowdfunded the Climate Council, a not-for-profit that has become the spokesperson for climate change Down Under.

I have kept in touch with members of the Climate Council since 2013 and receive notifications about their efforts to keep Australia on track through ever-changing governments to help the country reduce its carbon footprint and mitigate global climate change.

I have compared the approach my country, Canada, and the one Australia has taken politically to address climate change. There are lots of similarities. Both countries have had governments that waxed and waned about global warming. When conservative parties have formed the government, climate change action diminishes. When liberal and progressive parties are in power, action on climate change increases. More recently, the two countries have arrived on the same page at their federal levels with both committing to net-zero emissions targets by 2050. Getting there for each is subtly different. Australia’s 2030 emissions reduction target is 43% below 2005 levels. Canada’s is 40 to 45%.

Both have passed legislation requiring public annual national statements and progress reports related to battling climate change. Canada’s approach is more detailed with specified requirements. Australia has the Net Zero Economy Authority to drive its climate change reporting agenda. One thing both countries have in common, however, is growing climate anxiety among youth and other age groups.

Canada’s Kids Help Phone increasingly reports it is being called by young people with eco-anxiety. Mental health service professionals report they are increasingly facing clients with climate-related and environmental anxiety concerns. Canada’s federal government, however, doesn’t appear to have an overall strategy related to eco-anxiety.

Australia’s approach includes similar programs to those in Canada. The Australian Climate Council, in recognizing the rise in eco-anxiety, has taken upon itself a project to produce the Climate Anxiety Toolkit, a practical handbook of tools and strategies to stay calm, strong and engaged when dealing with the subject of climate change. The Toolkit provides “active and grounded hope” along with positive coping strategies to counter anxiety and promote action.

What is Climate Anxiety?

It is a mix of emotions coming from worry, stress, and sadness about the planet’s future. It leads to sleeplessness, helplessness, hopelessness, exhaustion, and avoidance in talking about or viewing climate news.

The Toolkit recommends three coping and curative strategies:

1. Problem-focused by taking action, learning more, becoming an advocate and making personal climate-friendly choices.
2. Emotion-focused by talking to friends, spending time in nature, focusing on the present, and meditating.
3. Meaning-focused by determining what matters most to you in helping to solve the climate crisis.

Implementing these three strategies leads to the following actions:

Activism Cures Anxiety

People who take action feel far less anxiety when dealing with a problem. Here is a partial list:

• Vote with climate in mind.
• Donate to climate-change focused organizations.
• Join environmental groups.
• Talk to politicians who represent them.
• Spread climate action messaging on social media.
• Write to newspapers and businesses about responsible actions on climate change.
• Take part in rallies and demonstrations.
• Talk to your friends and neighbours about their concerns and fears.

Focusing On Personal Climate Solutions Cures Anxiety

The solutions to mitigating and adapting to climate change pretty much already exist. These include:

• Installing rooftop solar panels.
• Sourcing grid electricity from green providers.
• Switching from gas and diesel-powered vehicles to hybrid and electric models.
• Replacing leaky windows and doors, insulating walls and roofs, and switching out gas and oil-fired furnaces for heat pumps.
• Making climate-friendly purchasing decisions.

Taking Breaks From The Climate Crisis

You cannot let yourself be always on about climate change. Set limits that are easily manageable such as:

• Taking climate news breaks, including print and broadcast.
• Stopping the following of social media sites that contribute to stress.
• Taking regular breaks from looking at smartphones, tablets and computers.
• Finding, reading and watching stories that inspire you.
• Taking the dog for a walk in nature.
• Planting and working in a garden.

Looking After Yourself

It is easy to become anxious when you don’t release stress through exercise, regular sleep, and outdoor activities such as:

• Walking, swimming, doing yoga or playing a sport.
• Establishing healthy daily routines including eating, interacting with friends and family, and normal patterns of sleep.

• Taking local vacations to recharge your batteries.

Talking It Out Relieves Anxiety

Talk to people about climate change by:

• Joining climate discussion groups.
• Becoming active in a political party, where you can introduce a climate change agenda for discussion in meetings with local representatives and other members.
• Finding a mental health professional with climate change stress credentials.

Talking and Supporting Your Children

The group with the greatest anxiety about climate change are youth. They feel the weight of it on their futures. What kind of support can a parent, teacher, religious leader or other adult in a position of responsibility provide? Here are some supporting guidelines:

• Acknowledge their feelings by letting them know it is okay to be worried and that you are worried as well.
• Help them to find stories that show progress is being made to combat climate change.
• Get them involved in joining climate-focused organizations in the community, and at school.
• Support actions they can take to meet with political representatives and other community leaders to discuss their concerns.
• Help them to not become obsessed with and addicted to online social media and Internet doom-scrolling about climate change.