Green Mind: Learning to Deal with Climate Anxiety

With increased CO2 levels, rising oceans and a higher frequency of extreme weather events, it’s no surprise many of us are beginning to feel anxious about climate change – especially in the younger generations. It’s important, therefore, to address this anxiety and take measures to help yourself and the environment.

Dealing With Anxiety

Anxiety is considered the most common mental disorder but it’s also one of the most treatable. If you find yourself dreading the future, worrying about previous encounters or feeling just generally overwhelmed, you may have anxiety and it might be necessary to take action. The best help you’ll receive is from a professional and you can seek assistance using one of the many available talk services or non-profits.

There are also plenty of measures you can take independently that may help to alleviate symptoms of anxiety and generally improve your mental health. A good starting point is to learn breathing exercises – these are often simple and easy, involving breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. You could also adopt a more long-term response by changing your diet and exercise routine and cutting out any stimuli that trigger an anxious response, such as a messy home, family gatherings, sleep deprivation, or caffeine.

Tackling Climate Change

When your anxiety is specifically tied in with the climate, it can sometimes help with mental wellbeing to tackle the issue head-on. Of all the things you can do to affect climate change, the most significant is voting – make sure you’re registered to vote and pay close attention to the policies (not personalities) of politicians. Remember, it’s actions and not words that bring about meaningful change.

After voting, the next best step to helping protect the environment is to change your lifestyle itself. It’s believed that the global food system contributes as much as 30% of greenhouse gas emissions, with most of that percentile attributed to livestock production. Veganism, therefore, is a sound option for those wanting to reduce their footprint and, if you can’t go all the way, just cutting out red meat can make a hugely significant difference.

Another major factor is transport and, if you haven’t already, just switching to buses or trains will mean you’re emitting less and getting up on your feet more. In the year 2022, there are a good number of cycling cities in the USA, and by getting on wheels, you’ll often beat the traffic and release some of those ever-important endorphins that help with anxiety.

Starting a Business

Whilst climate change is proving increasingly costly, it’s also given rise to entire markets of sustainable business. If you have an idea for an eco-friendly product, now’s the time to capitalize – in 2020, the global green technology and sustainability market size was valued at $10.32 billion. If you’re thinking about how to structure your new business, take the opportunity and register as a Limited Liability Company (LLC) – this will provide you with reduced personal liability, tax benefits and less paperwork.

The new sustainable market is strengthened by the shared and singular direction of its advocates. Instagram is an excellent way to link up with other like-minded business people. How to quickly resize an image for Instagram? There are now plenty of online tools to help you do this and better convey your message. By joining this thriving ecosystem, you’re sure to find like-minded souls who are driven to profit and to save the planet from certain disaster.

Anxiety is a natural reaction to the world’s most pressing issue but there are plenty of coping methods you can adopt that will help you to persevere through the worst symptoms. Remember to always seek help if you’re finding things are getting too much.

The Sustainable Leadership Program has insightful, market-based education to help local leaders within the community drive impact through sustainability. Learn more, at: www.sustainablelivingassociation.org