We are constantly confronted with the reality of climate change, and this has an effect on our mental health. We talk to psychotherapist Rosemary Randall about what climate anxiety is and how we might cope with it.
In the age of the climate crisis, bad news is no longer news. We are constantly confronted with the reality of climate change – with all of its consequences, and with the fact that greenhouse gas emissions are still rising, despite everything.
It doesn't come as a surprise that this situation is having an effect on our mental health. More and more people are suffering from "climate anxiety" (sometimes called "eco anxiety" or "eco anxiety disorder"). In this episode of the Ecosia podcast, we talk to Rosemary Randall, a psychotherapist and author who's been working on people's psychological response to climate change for the past 15 years.
Climate anxiety denotes distressing feelings that people experience when they let themselves understand what climate change is. It is, according to Randall, a life-changing experience, as well as an appropriate response. Fortunately, there are things we can do to manage climate anxiety.
This podcast episode addresses some of the following questions: How does climate change lead to climate anxiety? How do we know if we have climate anxiety? How can we cope with climate change anxiety in creative ways?