When students learn about the extent of the climate crisis, they may experience Eco-Anxiety.  Eco-Anxiety refers to “a chronic fear of environmental doom.”  Beyond eco-anxiety, our mental health is intertwined with nature.  The Green Divide can lead to Nature Deficit Disorder.  Communities can experience PTSD and Eco-Anxiety after an extreme weather event.  Parents and grandparents might experience Eco-Anxiety thinking about the future of their children or grandchildren.  Psychologists and psychiatrists are now being trained to support patients who might experience Eco-Anxiety. 

No one on the Teach Earth Action team is a trained therapist.  The information we provide comes from trained professionals.  What many professionals have articulated is that it is important for teachers of climate change to check in regularly with their students. It’s also important to note that there will be ups and downs while fighting to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Having a support network and collaborating with others to take action can help alleviate anxiety. As many professionals have asserted, the most effective way to treat Eco-Anxiety is to mitigate climate change.  And the most important way to do that is through action.  This is one of the reasons why Teach Earth Action advocates for Action Learning as it enables students to see that their contributions do make a difference and that their future majors, careers, and lives can involve restoring balance and health to the earth and its people.

It's normal to feel anxious or overwhelmed by climate change, says psychologist Renée Lertzman. Can we turn those feelings into something productive? In an affirming talk, Lertzman discusses the emotional effects of climate change and offers insights on how psychology can help us discover both the creativity and resilience needed to act on environmental issues.