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Worsening environmental problems are contributing to an increase in climate anxiety, and for good reason. The future does not look good for our planet, especially if we stick to our current path. Feeling anxious about climate change is a normal response to the profound harm being done to the environment. However, climate change emotions can be so overwhelming that they paralyze us and prevent us from taking action. Here are some tips from The State Street Renegade to help you cope with climate anxiety and stand up for our planet.
Accept How You Feel
Trying to suppress your climate anxiety won’t make you feel better. Everyday Health explains that climate anxiety is not an anxiety disorder, but a natural and rational response to a real threat. As a result, you cannot reduce your anxiety by reframing the issue as less terrifying than it is. Rather than attempt to fight your feelings, try to embrace your emotions so that they can be tolerated. Focus on learning how to cope with the distress you’re feeling. Practicing mindfulness is a great way to learn emotional acceptance and stress-coping skills.
Much of climate anxiety stems from a lack of control over the situation. Many people find that taking action helps to alleviate these feelings of helplessness. Let’s explore a few impactful ways you can make a difference.
Launch a Business to Fight Climate Change
If you’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur, launching an eco-friendly business could be a great way to blend your professional interests with your passion for the planet. You could start a business that seeks to solve a specific environmental problem or offers an eco-friendly alternative to customers. Whatever business you have in mind, take advantage of online tools that will help you get up and running quickly.
Use Your Consumer Power
Another way to support the planet is to use your power as a consumer. Your spending decisions can help shape the behaviors of big corporations, which have a far greater impact on the planet than individuals. Choose to shop from companies taking environmental initiatives across the board, from manufacturing to product packaging. Just avoid giving your money to brands participating in greenwashing—or deceptive advertising designed to persuade consumers that a business is eco-friendly. Do your research!
You can also flex your spending power by purchasing eco-friendly upgrades to your home, like low-flow toilets, drought-tolerant landscaping, and solar panels. There are incentive programs for some of these purchases, so look into those as you research which options are best for your house. Going solar can be a great way to save energy and money. You can complete an online assessment to get an idea of what you would pay to get solar panels installed. Use that information compared to your current energy bill to factor in how much you will save. Plus, the solar company can usually tell you how large of a carbon footprint your choice has offset.
Shop Second Hand
Buying secondhand is even better than shopping from eco-friendly businesses. When you buy a gently used product, you save it from the landfill and reduce the demand for new goods, saving all the resources that would be needed to manufacture that product new. Shopping from local thrift stores also means that your products don’t have to travel very far, further reducing your carbon footprint.
Earn a Degree Online
Earning an online degree is a great way to take part in the fight against climate change. By taking classes and gaining educational qualifications remotely, we can make a difference by reducing our carbon footprint. Studying online eliminates the need for long commutes, cutting down on carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by cars and buses. If you’re planning on earning a bachelor of computer science, for example, an online program also offers affordability and flexibility.
Make Conscious Food Choices
The types of food you buy from the grocery store can also have an impact on the environment. Growing and producing food—especially meat and commodity crops like corn, soy, and wheat—requires a significant amount of water and energy. Your grocery shopping decisions can help reduce demand for these damaging foods while supporting more sustainable, local farms. Try going meatless at least one day every week, eating more plants, buying local produce whenever possible, and reducing your food waste by only purchasing what you need.
Climate anxiety can be overwhelming. The best way to alleviate anxiety over the climate crisis is to step up and take action like installing solar panels, earning a degree online, and making eco-conscious food choices. While you may not be able to turn things around on your own, our collective effort can make a difference in the fight against climate change!
~Lacie Martin
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