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Eco Anxiety: What It Is & How to Deal With It

Published: November 17, 2022
Published: 11/17/2022
Headshot of Renee Skedel, LPC
Written by:

Renee Skedel

LPC
Headshot of Benjamin Troy, MD
Reviewed by:

Benjamin Troy

MD
  • What Is Eco Anxiety?Definition
  • Symptoms of Eco AnxietySymptoms
  • Causes of Eco Anxiety5 Causes
  • How Does Eco Anxiety Affect People?Effects
  • Ways to Cope With Eco Anxiety15 Tips
  • How a Therapist Can HelpTherapy
  • Coping Tips for Kids & FamiliesTips for Families
  • Final Thoughts on How to Deal With Eco-AnxietyConclusion
  • Additional ResourcesResources
  • Eco Anxiety InfographicsInfographics
Headshot of Renee Skedel, LPC
Written by:

Renee Skedel

LPC
Headshot of Benjamin Troy, MD
Reviewed by:

Benjamin Troy

MD

When someone experiences a major ecological event (e.g., tsunami or a tornado), it’s reasonable for them to feel anxious about future events. Eco-anxiety, however, doesn’t require that you experience an event first-hand, especially as concerns about climate change and ecological disasters grow. Counseling can be an effective form of eco-anxiety treatment, but other methods to manage symptoms include specific coping skills, building resilience, and participating in activism.

Find a supportive therapist that can help with anxiety. BetterHelp has over 20,000 licensed therapists who provide convenient and affordable online therapy. BetterHelp starts at $60 per week. Complete a brief questionnaire and get matched with the right therapist for you.

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What Is Eco Anxiety?

In 2017, the American Psychological Association (APA) and ecoAmerica coined the eco-anxiety definition as “Chronic fear of environmental doom.”1 In the last decade, there has been significant research on the impact of ecological disasters on mental health, and more symptoms have been reported in just the past three years.2 Specific fears include anxiety about climate change, pollution, deforestation, floods, extinction, lack of access to food, and more.1,2

Eco Anxiety vs Ecological Grief

A lot of research has been done to differentiate between experiences of eco-anxiety vs. ecological grief (accepting something is gone as a result of an event).1 While eco-anxiety focuses on the fears surrounding ecological events and threats to the planet, climate researchers also frequently discuss solastalgia, which is defined as, “the lived experience of negatively perceived change to a home environment.”1,2,3,4,5

Daniela Shebitz, Ph.D. Executive Director and Associate Professor School of Environmental and Sustainability Sciences, Kean University“There is no question that we are currently facing climate disasters and will continue to experience those hardships (not only for humanity but for countless other species) for the foreseeable future. That said, every action taken to mitigate our environmental impact can have profound effects and we have a great responsibility to do whatever we can to live in a more sustainable manner. Planet Earth will continue to spin, and life will be on it, but we have such a strong influence on the ecosystems and species that survive through this ‘Anthropocene.'” – Daniela Shebitz, Ph.D., Executive Director and Associate Professor at the School of Environmental and Sustainability Sciences, Kean University17

Is Eco-Anxiety a Medical Condition?

Currently, eco-anxiety is not a separate mental health condition recognized by the American Psychiatric Association. It can surely feed into and trigger other mental health conditions, though. For example, someone could have a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) or specific phobia surrounding the impending doom of the planet. These diagnoses are important as they can reduce barriers to effective treatment.

Is It Normal to Feel Anxiety About the Planet?

Feeling anxious about the state of the planet is a perfectly normal human experience. The problems come when the anxiety begins to negatively impact your physical health, mental health, and overall well-being. Caring about the environment is a great quality, but if it stops you from actively enjoying your life, your relationships, and the world, it is not helpful. Using your feelings to find helpful ways to get involved is the challenge.

Symptoms of Eco Anxiety

Symptoms of eco-anxiety include feelings of shock, sadness, anger, and helplessness. Research observed that 25% – 50% of people who experience ecological disasters also experience mental health disorders.3,4,5

Some symptoms of eco anxiety include:1,2,3,4,5

  • Shock
  • Heightened stress
  • Interpersonal difficulties
  • Sadness, low moods, or hopelessness
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Irritability
  • Feeling helpless
  • Grief regarding Earth’s ecological health
  • Continuous or interrupting fixation, worry or anxiety
  • Sleep difficulties
  • Fear or solastalgia
  • Anger
  • Verbal or physical aggression
  • Difficulties at school or work, potentially related to focus
  • Feeling like you are losing control and personal choice
  • Feeling displaced like there is no safe place available
  • Increased substance use or abuse
  • Suicidal thoughts and/or attempts

5 Causes of Eco Anxiety

There are a number of causes that can influence eco-anxiety, such as personal experience, constant media coverage, concern about your own impact, or living/working in an area where climate change may impact your safety.

Dr. Mucha Mkono PhD Lecturer Business School The University of Queensland“Eco-anxiety is brought on by awareness of worsening environmental problems, such as those associated with pollution and climate change. We see eco-anxiety especially among the younger generations, who have now taken it upon themselves to lobby for more responsible environmental action. Young people are anxious about the state of the planet they will inherit.” Dr Mucha Mkono, Faculty of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Queensland18

Here are five potential causes and contributing factors of eco-anxiety:

1. Experiencing an Ecological Event

When someone experiences a trauma like an ecological disaster, it can change their perception of their safety. Similar to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it can be difficult to feel like the world is a safe place after experiencing something traumatic.3,4,5

2. Constantly Reading or Watching Information About Environmental Threats

When something bad happens, it’s often all over the media. This can overwhelm people, leaving them feeling like they can’t escape or don’t have control.4,5,8  People with eco-anxiety also tend to engage in doomscrolling, and research reports that this leads to heightened feelings of depression and anxiety.6,7

3. Experiencing Concern About Your Ecological Footprint

In the past decade, awareness around ecological issues has increased significantly. While pro-environmental trends and actions are positive, they can become overwhelming, leading to feelings of guilt, shame, and hopelessness.2,8

4. Living or Working in an Area Affected by Climate Change

Many haven’t experienced a major ecological disaster, but this doesn’t mean their area hasn’t been impacted by climate change. People may experience droughts, limited access to vegetables and meats, loss of ecosystems, impacted tourism, and more. Events like this can influence feelings of solastalgia, especially regarding grief about the home and life they knew.3,4,5

5. Being Part of a Vulnerable Population

A number of researchers noted increased risk of eco-anxiety in younger, more vulnerable populations, including indigenous groups or communities that rely on land and sea for their wellbeing (e.g., Native Alaskan, Inuit, and Sami tribes). In general, other groups with heightened eco-anxiety include women and people who had experienced homelessness, lower income, chronic health issues, or significant exposure to obtrusive media about crises.4,5

Options For Anxiety Treatment

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How Does Eco Anxiety Affect People?

Eco-anxiety can affect people in ways that mirror anxiety disorders. Some people will keep their eco anxiety in check and go about their daily routines, while others will really struggle to maintain their daily functioning.

Some of the common effects of eco anxiety include:

  • Higher levels of mental stress and anxiety
  • Higher rates of physical tension
  • Poor concentration and focus
  • Being unable to relax
  • Feeling uneasy and restless
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Poor appetite with weight loss and poor nutrition

In the most extreme situations, eco-anxiety will affect someone’s work performance, education, and relationships. It can stand in the way of feeling happy and fulfilled.

15 Ways to Cope With Eco Anxiety

Although eco-anxiety isn’t an official mental health diagnosis, it shares symptoms with anxiety and trauma disorders. There are a number of suggested ways to help cope with and reduce these symptoms, including taking a break from social media, getting more involved in activism, building resilience, and attending therapy.

Here are 15 ways to cope with eco-anxiety:

1. Limit Your Media Consumption

Doomscrolling and enmeshing yourself in the media (including social media, television, movies, news coverage, etc.) about ecological crises can leave you feeling helpless.4,12,14 Psychologists suggest limiting and disengaging from media coverage and other ecological exposure by taking a social media break to give yourself some relief.12,14

2. Stick to a Few Key Topics

It’s helpful to limit your focus to a few ecological topics to keep from becoming overwhelmed. Researchers note that by educating yourself, increasing your awareness, and setting healthy boundaries and limits, you can make active, realistic strides to reduce climate change.4,9

3. Get Angry & Involved

Researchers found that getting angry can lead to more stable emotional well-being in dealing with eco-anxiety. Anger, when used wisely, encourages people to become active, engage in advocacy and civil action, and organize groups.4,9,10

4. Explore Realistic Lifestyle Changes

Eco-anxiety often influences feelings of helplessness. By exploring and engaging in realistic changes, you can help the environment. Examples of this include figuring out your carbon footprint, using public or physical transportation (if possible), reducing or lowering use of AC and electric, using reusable over plastic, or starting a garden.1,3,10

Dr. Shebitz recommends, focusing on the small, relatively easy and cost-saving things you can do:

  • Reduce: Cut down your consumption. Ask yourself before buying something (ranging from food wrapped in plastic to clothing and large furniture, toys, and electronics): Do I really need this? Is this the most sustainable choice?
  • Reuse everything you can – No more single-use materials/plastics.
  • Shut off all electricity when not needed – including power strips.
  • Limit (or even eliminate) meat consumption – That makes a huge difference!
  • Conduct an energy audit of your home and see where you are wasting energy – Insulate, replace old windows and doors.
  • Fly less
  • Carpool and take mass transit

Finally, consider making big, more expensive changes that will have lasting impacts and can eventually save you money and limit your environmental impact:

  • Switch to renewable energy
  • Invest in an electric vehicle

5. Be Patient With Yourself & Others

Feeling like you have to make so many major commitments in such a short time can be overwhelming. It’s perfectly normal to feel this way. Give yourself and others time and patience to make realistic changes. Remind yourself that you’re doing the best you can.11

6. Connect With Nature

Being in nature can benefit your mental health. If enjoyed responsibly, it can help you to find peace to recover from the stressors and symptoms of eco-anxiety. By connecting with nature or engaging in something like ecotherapy, you may be able to feel more deeply in touch with the world and, in turn, yourself.12

Dr. Shebitz encourages, “It is important to connect with nature in a way that is meaningful to you and to recognize that while there is so much at stake, there is so much resiliency in nature. We all must do what we can to limit our environmental impact, and to influence others to do the same, but there is hope in you, and in all of the others that you can inspire.”

7. Get Involved With Your Community

Getting involved in your community can help reduce your area’s impact on the environment. It also increases your sense of connection and enhances your ability to discuss symptoms of eco-anxiety. Community activities might include trash pickup, growing or adding to a neighborhood garden, recycling, or participating in food waste reduction.1

8. Remember, You’re Not Alone

Mental health symptoms can make people feel lonely, especially if they’re not aware that others experience them, as well. It’s important to remember that you can’t fix everything by yourself, and that interpersonal connections can help you feel connected to something bigger. Connections also create a sense of cohesion with your community and support network.1,4,12

9. Use Humor

If you’ve struggled with anxiety or similar issues, you might know that people commonly use humor to de-stress and cope. A small research survey found that while people felt best by engaging in active changes, they also reported that climate change memes and humor helped them cope.13

10. Journal

If you feel overwhelmed, journaling for your mental health can help you increase gratitude and provide insight into the changes you’ve made over time. Some studies observe that journaling is related to having less mental health concerns, increased insight to mental health, and heightened physical stability.15 You can use anxiety journaling prompts to help you get started.

11. Maintain Hopeful Thinking

Research emphasizes the importance of staying hopeful. By accepting the reality of the situation, acknowledging the difficult experiences and emotions, and fostering hope, you can encourage yourself and others to stay true to your mission.9,14

12. Practice Self-care

In the process of committing to changes, dealing with ecological threats, and exploring ways to become involved, it can be easy to lose sight of yourself. You can’t pour from an empty cup, so it’s important to maintain your health (mental and physical) through self-care.1,9

13. Learn & Engage In Resilience Techniques

Resilience is frequently documented as being effective to teach people how to take on adversity. It teaches people to feel productive, worthy, effective, in control, and flexible.1,3,4 Resilience can bolster the community, too; so, even if only one or two people engage in resilience techniques, it can impact many others.

14. Have an Emergency Plan(s)

Prepare an emergency plan for you and your family. This kind of planning fosters feelings of security and control. Maintain a basic supply of emergency kits, food and water, first-aid, etc. to provide peace of mind. The APA suggests including things that can foster resilience and stabilize your mental health, too, such as religious or spiritual literature, books, toys, etc.1

15. Attend Therapy

Especially when you experience mental health concerns and fear of ecological issues, it can help to reach out to a therapist to process your trauma history, explore your concerns, and better learn how to cope with symptoms. In addition, therapy for anxiety can also help you feel more in-control and regulate your emotions.3,11 You might consider ecotherapy as a way to engage with nature and a therapeutic experience all in one.

How a Therapist Can Help

If you begin to notice that symptoms of eco-anxiety have affected multiple areas of your life, it would be wise to seek out a therapist. Furthermore, if you become aggressive, violent, or are thinking about harming yourself or others, get help immediately by calling the emergency line (9-1-1 in the US).

Therapy can help you acknowledge and process your negative and difficult feelings in a safe space, find meaning in a difficult situation, regain control over yourself, teach resilience and coping skills, and encourage you to be patient and kind to yourself throughout the process.11

To find a therapist, explore a free online therapy directory where you can search by location and specialty.

Coping Tips for Kids & Families

Coping skills are necessary to minimize and overcome eco-anxiety. Fortunately, families and children can explore these skills together to produce better outcomes.

Here are some ways you could help your family cope with eco anxiety together:

Talk About It

Anxiety breeds in silence, so you should feel free to have an open dialogue about the topic. Discuss the environment, your thoughts, and your child’s fears. Find ways to validate each other without increasing anxiety.

Take Action as a Family

As eco anxiety builds, it may convince you that you are powerless to do anything to change the situation. It may seem beyond your control. Though your power is limited, going as a family to tackle small projects is a great coping skill. Clean up part of a highway, volunteer at a local park, or start a recycling program.

Appreciate Nature Together

When people are afraid of losing something, they can spend too little time appreciating that thing. Take time to appreciate all that nature has to offer together and enjoy what you are fighting for. At the same time, remind yourself that your high anxiety is not helpful.

Final Thoughts on How to Deal With Eco-Anxiety

Eco-anxiety can be overwhelming and difficult to deal with, but there are ways to treat it and manage your symptoms. Remember, you are not alone, nor is the situation hopeless. There are options out there for eco-anxiety treatment and support that will help you feel more stable and safe.

Additional Resources

Education is just the first step on our path to improved mental health and emotional wellness. To help our readers take the next step in their journey, Choosing Therapy has partnered with leaders in mental health and wellness. Choosing Therapy may be compensated for marketing by the companies mentioned below.

Talk Therapy

Online-Therapy.com – Get support and guidance from a licensed therapist. Online-Therapy.com provides 45 minutes weekly video sessions and unlimited text messaging with your therapist for only $64/week. Get Started

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Here are additional resources on ecological issues and eco-anxiety:

  • The Climate Journal Project
  • Project InsideOut (PIO)
  • Good Grief Network

Eco Anxiety Infographics

How to Deal With Eco Anxiety Potential Causes of Eco Anxiety What Is Eco Anxiety

18 sources

Choosing Therapy strives to provide our readers with mental health content that is accurate and actionable. We have high standards for what can be cited within our articles. Acceptable sources include government agencies, universities and colleges, scholarly journals, industry and professional associations, and other high-integrity sources of mental health journalism. Learn more by reviewing our full editorial policy.

  • Clayton, S., Manning, C. M., Krygsman, K., & Speiser, M. (2017). Mental Health and Our Changing Climate: Impacts, Implications, and Guidance. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association, and ecoAmerica. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2017/03/mental-health-climate.pdf

  • Young Upstart. (2020, February 13).What is Eco-Anxiety? Eco-Anxiety. Retrieved from https://www.ecoanxiety.com/what-is-eco-anxiety/

  • Iberdrola. (2022). Eco-anxiety: the psychological aftermath of the climate crisis. Retrieved from https://www.iberdrola.com/social-commitment/what-is-ecoanxiety

  • Krieg, P. C., & Toivanen, R. (2021). Situating Sustainability: A Handbook of Contexts and Concepts. Helsinki University Press.

  • A Climate Institution Publication, & Arcanjo, M. (2019, September). Eco-Anxiety: Mental Health Impacts of Environmental Disasters and Climate Change. A Climate Institute Publication. http://climate.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Eco-Anxiety-Mental-Health-Impacts-of-Environmental-Disasters-and-Climate-Change.pdf

  • Editors of Merriam-Webster. (2020, June 10). Doomsurfing and Doomscrolling Meaning. The Merriam-Webster.Com Dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/doomsurfing-doomscrolling-words-were-watching

  • Elhai, J. D., Dvorak, R. D., Levine, J. C., & Hall, B. J. (2017). Problematic smartphone use: A conceptual overview and systematic review of relations with anxiety and depression psychopathology. Journal of Affective Disorders, 207, 251–259. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2016.08.030

  • Huizen, J. (2019, December 19).What to know about eco-anxiety. Medical News Today. Retrieved January 7, 2022, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327354#where-does-it-come-from

  • Australian Conversation Foundation, The Climate Reality Project: Australia, Australian Psychological Society, & Psychology for a Safe Climate. (2021, February). Coping with climate change distress. Australian Psychological Society. https://psychology.org.au/getmedia/cf076d33-4470-415d-8acc-75f375adf2f3/coping_with_climate_change.pdf.pdf

  • Stanley, S. K., Hogg, T. L., Leviston, Z., & Walker, I. (2021). From anger to action: Differential impacts of eco-anxiety, eco-depression, and eco-anger on climate action and wellbeing. The Journal of Climate Change and Health, 1, 100003. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joclim.2021.100003

  • Schreiber, M. (2021, March 1). Addressing climate change concerns in practice. American Psychological Association. Retrieved January 6, 2022, from https://www.apa.org/monitor/2021/03/ce-climate-change

  • Conzachi, K. (2021, November 8). Eco-Anxiety – Dealing with Environmental Triggers. Environmental Center. Retrieved January 5, 2022, from https://www.colorado.edu/ecenter/2021/04/22/eco-anxiety-dealing-environmental-triggers

  • Yliopisto, H. B. J. Y. T. (2021). Climate change memes to prevent anxious dreams : using humor as a coping mechanism for climate change anxiety. Helda. Retrieved January 6, 2022, from https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/332000

  • Trust, A. N. Z. (2021, May 11). Eco-anxiety – how to cope with it. Anxiety NZ Website. Retrieved January 7, 2022, from https://www.anxiety.org.nz/post/eco-anxiety-how-to-cope-with-it

  • Smyth, J. M., Johnson, J. A., Auer, B. J., Lehman, E., Talamo, G., & Sciamanna, C. N. (2018). Online Positive Affect Journaling in the Improvement of Mental Distress and Well-Being in General Medical Patients With Elevated Anxiety Symptoms: A Preliminary Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Mental Health, 5(4), e11290. https://doi.org/10.2196/11290

  • Baudon, P., & Jachens, L. (2021). A Scoping Review of Interventions for the Treatment of Eco-Anxiety. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(18), 9636. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18189636

  • Personal Interview. Daniela Shebitz, Ph.D., Executive Director and Associate Professor at the School of Environmental and Sustainability Sciences, Kean University.

  • Personal Interview. Dr Mucha Mkono, Faculty of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Queensland.

update history

We regularly update the articles on ChoosingTherapy.com to ensure we continue to reflect scientific consensus on the topics we cover, to incorporate new research into our articles, and to better answer our audience’s questions. When our content undergoes a significant revision, we summarize the changes that were made and the date on which they occurred. We also record the authors and medical reviewers who contributed to previous versions of the article. Read more about our editorial policies here.

  • Originally Published: February 10, 2022
    Original Author: Renee Skedel, LPC
    Original Reviewer: Benjamin Troy, MD

  • Updated: November 17, 2022
    Author: No Change
    Reviewer: No Change
    Primary Changes: Updated for readability and clarity. Reviewed and added relevant resources. Added “Is Eco-Anxiety a Medical Condition?”, “Is It Normal to Feel Anxiety About the Planet?”, “How Does Eco Anxiety Affect People?”, and “Coping Tips for Kids & Families”. New material written by Eric Patterson, LPC, and reviewed by Kristen Fuller, MD.

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Cardiophobia is the irrational fear of having a heart attack, despite negative test results from doctors.
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noise sensitivity anxiety
Noise Sensitivity Anxiety: Symptoms, Causes, & Tips for Coping
Do you get irritated or even angry with certain sounds? Perhaps the sound of someone eating an apple next...
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Best Anxiety Books for Teens
Best Anxiety Books for Teens
Teen anxiety can look like negative self-talk, sudden shyness, avoiding activities that once brought happiness, and/or reckless behaviors, but...
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Headshot of Renee Skedel, LPC
Written by:

Renee Skedel

LPC
Headshot of Benjamin Troy, MD
Reviewed by:

Benjamin Troy

MD
  • What Is Eco Anxiety?Definition
  • Symptoms of Eco AnxietySymptoms
  • Causes of Eco Anxiety5 Causes
  • How Does Eco Anxiety Affect People?Effects
  • Ways to Cope With Eco Anxiety15 Tips
  • How a Therapist Can HelpTherapy
  • Coping Tips for Kids & FamiliesTips for Families
  • Final Thoughts on How to Deal With Eco-AnxietyConclusion
  • Additional ResourcesResources
  • Eco Anxiety InfographicsInfographics
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