An intro to Eco-anxiety
Eco-Anxiety: When the World’s Worries Become Our Own
Eco-anxiety is a growing psychological response to the fear that our planet is unraveling—and that we might be powerless to stop it. Unlike personal stressors, eco-anxiety taps into something deeper: our existential vulnerability. It confronts us not just with individual loss, but with the potential loss of everything we know and love. It’s the dread of climate collapse, mass extinction, rising seas, and a future that feels stolen.
What makes this form of anxiety uniquely challenging is its scale. Our brains are wired to respond to direct, immediate threats—an angry email, a flat tire, a sick child. But when the threat is global, abstract, and long-term, we feel paralyzed. We struggle to process suffering that touches millions, and so our hearts and minds shut down or spiral.
The media and politicians, often with good intentions—or sometimes ulterior ones—compound this spiral. Apocalyptic headlines, doomsday predictions, and sensational soundbites keep us in a heightened state of alert. Fear sells, fear votes, fear spreads.
But here's what fear doesn’t do well: sustain hope. And without hope, we lose the motivation to act wisely and faithfully.
Here’s some perspective:
Over the last 30 years, the ozone layer has been steadily healing thanks to international cooperation.
Global deforestation rates have slowed in key regions, with net forest gain in places like Europe and Asia.
Renewable energy is now cheaper than coal in most of the world, and global investment in clean energy hit record highs in the past year.
The world is not ending—but it is changing. And we’re not helpless passengers. We're participants. If we shift our mindset from fear to comfort—not comfort as complacency, but as grounded peace—we can engage from a place of stability. We are better stewards when we're not panicking.
Eco-anxiety is real, but it doesn't have to rule us. Let’s choose informed hope, not helpless dread. Let’s fight for the earth not because we’re afraid, but because we love what we’ve been given.
