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This article explores the emergence of climate anxiety, explaining its causes and symptoms. Effective strategies to help business leaders address climate anxiety in their professional and personal lives are then provided.
Climate anxiety, also referred to as eco-anxiety, refers to feelings of worry, fear, helplessness, stress, and despair about the problems caused by climate change. These feelings can impair a person’s day-to-day life. Climate anxiety arises from an awareness of how climate change harms the environment, animals, and society.
It's normal to worry about climate change. But when these worries become overwhelming and impair a person’s day-to-day life, this is considered to be anxiety.
27% of Americans were concerned about climate change, as reported by a 2023 Yale study. And the number of people very worried about it has tripled in the last six years. 10% of Americans fit the diagnosis of climate anxiety, as reported by Yale in 2022.
Research suggests climate anxiety affects young people more, with 59% of youth expressing significant worry about climate change (2021). Within this group, 45% stated this anxiety negatively affects their daily lives.
Unlike clinical anxiety, climate anxiety isn't officially recognized as a mental health disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) or other diagnostic criteria. This might be because it's a relatively new concept. The term ‘eco-anxiety’ wasn’t used until 2011 by Albrecht, and served as the precursor for climate anxiety.
Hence, one could argue that there hasn’t been enough time to create a clear way to diagnose climate anxiety. Therefore, doctors and therapists might not be entirely sure how to identify and help people who are suffering.
For example, to treat clinical anxiety, therapists often ask people to write down their anxious thoughts to then challenge those thoughts as irrational or unrealistic. This might not be the best approach for climate anxiety due to the realism of today’s environmental threats and challenges.
Just as various treatments exist for distinct anxiety disorders, such as phobias and generalized anxiety, a specific and tailored treatment for climate anxiety is necessary, considering its unique characteristics.
During climate anxiety, a trigger - such as news about a natural disaster - causes the brain's stress response to go into overdrive. The part of the brain responsible for fear (the amygdala) is activated causing feelings of unease. The brain's decision-making area (the prefrontal cortex) may struggle to handle these intense emotions, which causes more distress. Hormones like cortisol are also released. This bodily reaction can cause the following symptoms:
Along with these physical sensations, you may also begin to have thoughts and feelings such as:
There are two main causes of climate anxiety:
Engage in meaningful discussions about climate change. Avoid false or sensationalized information, and rely on credible science.
Share your climate concerns with friends and family. This will help you feel more connected and foster a sense of unity for positive change.
In your professional life, your aim is to motivate and enthuse your team. In this, celebrate the achievement of emission reduction goals, and the sustainability changes your business has successfully made.
On a personal level, use online carbon footprint calculators to measure your emissions, and identify proactive steps to reduce them. Actions include recycling, turning off appliances when not in use, eating less meat, supporting offsetting projects, and using more environmentally friendly ways to get around, like cycling and walking.
In business, plan for net zero. This means determining your business's carbon footprint and striving to reduce emissions by 50% by 2030. The transition to net zero involves three main steps:
It’s important to keep in mind that, although small actions have a positive impact on the environment, studies show they aren’t effective means of addressing climate anxiety. This is because these actions can make people feel like they aren’t doing enough. Having a net zero goal for your personal life, and as a business target will help reduce these feelings. As would advocating for local and national climate action, as discussed below.
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Take action on a national, state, and local scale by voting for candidates who prioritize climate change. Support climate-friendly policies and politicians, sign climate-related petitions, and engage with your elected representatives through calls and letters.
In the business world, leaders can support climate action by:
The Aclymate platform is designed to help you understand and reduce your impact on the climate, both professionally and personally. Doing so will benefit your well-being and the well-being of the next generation.