“Burnt-out people aren’t equipped to serve a burning planet.” - Susi Moser
Feeling worried about the climate crisis is adaptive, and understandable, not pathological. Just as we would expect to grief the loss of a loved one. This very real existential threat excludes no one, disproportionately impacts those who already have less resources, and will only worsen in our lifetimes. These feelings or dread, anxiety, despair, or even denial can also be paralyzing and prevent meaningful action. And you are not alone. A December 2021 study published in The Lancet the scientific journal found 59% of children and people ages 16 to 25 are “very or extremely worried” about the climate, and 84% were “at least moderately worried” about climate change. These numbers are increasing as extreme weather encroaches on areas previously considered “safe”. Time Magazine stated “A Sept. 27 report from the Yale Program for Climate Communication found that an all-time record 70% of Americans are now very or somewhat worried about climate change, with a significant increase after a summer in which the U.S. faced an onslaught of heatwaves, wildfires, floods, and hurricanes. …The percentage of those “very worried” increased 10 points since March.”
In a recent Dharma talk for members of the Climate Psychology Alliance, I heard Zen Buddhist teacher Kaira Jewell Lingo poignantly ask that if I accept the scientific warnings about the crucial few remaining years to reduce the of this climate catastrophe, “How do I want to live my life with this limited time?”
How can we care for our hearts even as we face these unbearable truths? Bringing mindfulness and compassion to fuel trauma resilience becomes even more important when we are all in some level of a constant state of a traumatic reaction as this existential threat is not going away.
How can we come together and care for each other in new ways?
How can we improve our own self-regulation to increase our adaptability?
How does this existential threat change how we want to show up? And how we relate to ourselves and others?
