Our Brains on Climate Change

At its core, climate change is an environmental issue. However, something that is often overlooked is the fact that climate change is also a psychological problem. While climate activists and environmental scientists are often the people we see giving us information, updates, and suggestions regarding the movement to fight climate change, psychologists also play a big role in addressing climate change and the public’s perceptions of the issue. Unfortunately, it is much easier to find psychological research on effective communication methods and how people perceive risk than it is to find information on the mental health effects of climate change, but it is becoming clear that we are in need of such resources, and some psychologists have begun to brainstorm (Clayton, 2020). Here are some of their findings and suggestions:

1. While it is good to talk to each other about our fears and find ways to comfort one another, climate anxiety is not a mental health problem in and of itself, but rather a logical, widespread emotion that can be important to feel and even motivating (Clayton, 2020). 

2. In addition to a link between climate anxiety and mental health, there is also a connection between mental health and behavior. While in some cases it can motivate people to take action, it can also cause eco-paralysis, doing the exact opposite and inhibiting people from taking action (Clayton 2020).

3. Psychological barriers such as optimism bias, environmental numbness, general uncertainty, and more can inhibit us from taking action or even acknowledging climate change. When we discount threats to our safety so as not to worry about them, become numb to information we have heard too many times, or just feel uncertain about what we are supposed to do and therefore freeze and stop trying, it is really difficult to do the work (Gifford, 2011). 

4. It is important to process the hard feelings we have about this scary threat to our planet, and learn to deal with them. Britt Wray references Hickman’s use of the term “internal activism”, and asserts that it is just as important as what we usually think of as activism - if we don’t continue to work and move through our dark feelings, they can swallow us up (Wray, 2022).

5. Therapy helps! Wray suggests community or one-on-one therapy for those on the “front lines” of the climate crisis (Wray 2022). Many therapy resources are catered towards upper or middle class white people, so we must decentralize this traditional model of therapy in search of ways to reach and take care of people from all areas and backgrounds (Wray).

6. Finally, self care practices such as meditation or taking time to do things that relax you or bring you joy go hand in hand with social connections and finding community (Wray, 2022). Finding the balance between taking time to look inward and centre yourself and reaching out to connect and relate to others in a similar position to you is a difficult process, but if we collaborate, it is possible to do both (Wray 2022). We are human, and our connections to ourselves and others are what keep us afloat. Let’s uplift, love, and support one another as we navigate this uncertain time.

young people protest climate change together

References:

Clayton, S. (2020). Climate Anxiety: Psychological responses to climate change. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, Volume 74. 1-7. 102263

Gifford, R. (2011). The Dragons of Inaction: Psychological Barriers that Limit Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation. American Psychologist, Volume 66, Number 4. 290-302. 10.1037/a0023566

Wray, B. (2022). Generation Dread: Finding Purpose in an Age of Climate Crisis. Unabridged. New York, Knopf Canada. 105-131.

Photo Credit:

Image from presentation by Dr. Britta Thiemt, presented to The Psychology of the Climate Crisis module at Trinity College Dublin