Chronic fear for suffering an environmental cataclysm, stress because of the latest environmental crisis data, worry about the kind of world your children are going to heritage? If you feel like this, it is likely you are experimenting eco anxiety.

During this week, I was seeking help from psychologist to assist me, because I was feeling overwhelmed for various reasons, but the main one was the stress caused by the lockdown. So, whilst the section was going on I also   explain my concerns and fears about climate issues and how I extremely feel down for our currently damaged environment.  Then, my psychologist dived into  a new topic for me, eco anxiety, so immediately I thought on and it made sense to my life. I am struggling with Eco anxiety. In this article, I want to share with you some information about what it is, the symptoms and what to do to deal with.                    

   In 2017, according to the American Psychiatric Association (APA) described “eco-anxiety as a chronic fear of environmental doom”1. This term is used within the field of ecopsychology, “a branch that deals with people’s psychological relationships with the rest of nature, and this impacts to their well-being”2 during these decades it seems that our generation, specially, is facing this psychological consequence of environmental issues. For example, due to the frequency of terrible news regarding nature make us feel worried and afraid of future, and as a result it creates stress to our mind. In my experience, for instance, every now and then I get frustrated when I listen to leaders talking that the future belongs to us. What future?  I point out, the polluted future you will leave us? What are you waiting for to act right now? Or Do you want us to be in charge years later? How dare you, be mature enough! As Greta claimed. Currently, I am not the only one, eco anxiety is increasing over the world, some people even do not want to have biological children because they assume the future life will not be secure enough. Take the case of, Blythe pepino, a British musician, for her the latter is a reality. Her fears about climate change are so strong 3 and she decided to join to the Birth Strike “ I love my partner and I want a family but I don’t feel like this is a time that you can do  that” 4 she says. Those illustrations showed  how eco anxiety is an genuinely issue to take into account.   

However, How can you identify if you are suffering from chronic eco anxiety?  According to Health Canada, there are no  clinically defined symptoms of eco anxiety because it is a recent topic. But people usually show symptoms like: excessive worry, feeling irritable or easily annoyed and muscle tension, which can include headaches and soreness5. In my case I have experienced excessive worry. One thing to mention, having some stress is not a bad thing because it is an adaptive behavioural response but it becomes a health problem when it debilitates you mentally and physically. Then, if you are being affected I strongly recommend to ask for psychological assistance.    

On the other hand, what can you do to deal with this situation? My psychologist  gave me three advises to reduce this eco anxiety:  the first one was, come back into the present moment because  the future is  uncertain. According to studies the key symptom is worrying about the future, the only moment we can control is the present, right here and right now. So, try to be in calm.  Second, have gratitude for what you have, to be grateful for having  unless simple things will give a   positive mindset and, in turn, a feeling of calm. Finally, turn your anxiety into action. We might feel helpless but do not doubt small actions can make great changes. For example, if you really care about environment try join to green movements. You will not feel alone in this path, anymore.     

I hope you find this article interesting, and please comment if you think you might have this issue.

  Referwnces:

1.MedicalNewsToday. (2019). What to know about eco anxiety. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327354#overview

2.Idem.

3. CNN. (2019).BirthStrike: The people refusing to have kids, because of 'the ecological crisis'. Retrieved from https://amp-cnn-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2019/06/05/health/birthstrike-climate-change-scn-intl/index.html?amp_js_v=a2&amp_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQFKAGwASA%3D#aoh=15917105900687&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2019%2F06%2F05%2Fhealth%2Fbirthstrike-climate-change-scn-intl%2Findex.html. 

4. Idem. 

5.Huffpost. (2020).Eco-Anxiety Is On The Rise. Here's What You Need To Know. Retrieved fromhttps://www-huffingtonpost-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/amp/entry/what-is-eco-anxiety-climate-change_uk_5d7f7c1ce4b03b5fc886cc16/?amp_js_v=a2&amp_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQFKAGwASA%3D#aoh=15917141853399&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.co.uk%2Fentry%2Fwhat-is-eco-anxiety-climate-change_uk_5d7f7c1ce4b03b5fc886cc16