5 Ways To Keep Your Eco-Anxiety In Check

To support the running costs of Moral Fibres, this post contains affiliate links. This means Moral Fibres may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to readers, on items purchased through these links.

Is eco-anxiety keeping you awake at night? Here are my best tips to help keep your anxiety in check.

For those interested in green living it can be challenging at the best of times to keep your morale up. There’s always a bad news story about climate change doing the rounds.

Sometimes there are good news stories about climate change, but you really have to seek these out. But the bad ones? It feels like these are in your face as soon as you pick up your phone. And sometimes it feels like although you’ve made some environmentally friendly changes in your life, that’s just not enough. Eco-anxiety is a very real condition.

So how do you deal with climate change-induced anxiety? As someone who has made sustainability my career, and been immersed in all things climate change since I started university way back in 1999, I’ve got some useful tips up my sleeve.

How To Keep Your Eco-Anxiety In Check

Collection of house plants on a window ledge, with a blue text box that reads top tips to help keep your eco-anxiety at bay.

Use the quick links to jump to a specific tip, or keep scrolling for the full post:

Stay Informed, But Set Boundaries

I like to stay informed about environmental issues. However, I’ve found that constant exposure to distressing news can definitely exacerbate my anxiety. Instead, I try to set boundaries for myself by limiting my media consumption – particularly on social media. I also look for reliable news sources that offer balanced perspectives.

I also find that seeking out sites that focus on good news climate and environment stories, such as Positive News, can help provide a useful counterbalance. If I’m feeling anxious, I make a cup of tea and have a read for 20 minutes. I find that I always come away feeling energised that there is good in the world.

Work Out What Matters To You

It can be tricky to keep your eco-anxiety in check when green living has so many grey areas.

You could spend hours at the supermarket trying to decide if locally grown fruit packaged in plastic is better or worse than an organic and plastic-free mango flown in from Mexico.

The same goes for trying to decide which is best – natural fibres versus synthetic vegan fibres – when both have their impacts.

Because of this, you can constantly feel like you’re not doing enough, or what you’re doing isn’t good enough.

Yet, there is zero black and white. In fact, Jen Gale, the writer behind Sustainable(ish) describes it as “50 Shades of Green“. It’s impossible to do everything. And as Jen describes it: “We’ll probably be different shades of green in different areas of our lives – whether we’re rocking it with our diet, but not so great at transport. Or maybe we’re prioritising reducing plastic right now, or food waste, or something else.”

In short, work out what matters most to you. It might be adopting a more plant-based diet. It might be avoiding flying where possible. You might want to try cutting down on plastic waste. Or you might want to try buying less.

Whatever you do, know that it’s impossible to do it all – eco-perfection is a myth after all – so pick one area and go with that. You’ll feel less overwhelmed and far less frazzled.

Keep Things In Perspective

Instead of obsessing over the things I don’t do so well at, I like to remind myself of the things I do well at. It certainly 100% improves my eco-anxiety when I know I can’t possibly be THE best at every single aspect of green living, but I can do MY best specific to MY individual circumstances. That’s what keeps me going. Knowing I’m doing what I can, and that where and when I can do more, I will.

However, keep in mind that individual actions aren’t the be-all and end-all. Climate change writer Mary Annaïse Heglar has written a magnificent essay on why you should stop obsessing over your environmental “sins” and fight the oil and gas industry instead.

In it, Mary writes “The belief that this enormous, existential problem could have been fixed if all of us had just tweaked our consumptive habits is not only preposterous; it’s dangerous. It turns environmentalism into an individual choice defined as sin or virtue, convicting those who don’t or can’t uphold these ethics. When you consider that the same IPCC report outlined that the vast majority of global greenhouse gas emissions come from just a handful of corporations — aided and abetted by the world’s most powerful governments, including the US — it’s victim blaming, plain and simple.”

I find keeping this in mind helps to keep things in perspective.

Engage in Community Activism

We can’t solve the climate change crisis as individuals, so I also recommend getting involved with a local environmental charity or community climate change projects that align with your values.

I’ve found that working or volunteering alongside like-minded individuals towards a common goal can be empowering and fulfilling. Plus, real change often stems from collective action. By joining forces with others who are passionate about protecting the environment means that you can amplify your impact and inspire meaningful change on a larger scale.

Seek Support If You’re Still Struggling

If you’re still feeling overwhelmed, no matter what you do, then it’s important to reach out for help. Whether you reach out to friends, family, a therapist, or support groups who share your concerns about the environment, having a support network can provide comfort and validation, and help you find ways to cope.

What are your thoughts on eco-anxiety? How do you keep yours in check?

Found this post useful? Please consider buying me a virtual coffee to help support the site’s running costs.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Join The Mailing List

Be part of the community and get all the latest articles, news and tips on green living from Moral Fibres straight to your inbox, once a month, free of charge.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

20 Comments

  1. Hi Wendy,
    I’ve just found your blog and wanted to say how refreshingly honest it is. I recently wrote a feature on my blog about the big fur debate highlighting the flaws in the arguement for buying fake fur. You’re so right to say that there’s no perfect answer to this amongst other green issues, but yes, we can just try our best. I buy the majority of my clothes from charity shops and send them back there once I’ve done with them. My daughter has become a recent convert too, which is great news as I know she will influence her girlfriends to this joyful and interesting resource.

    Thanks for a great read x
    Anna
    http://www.annasislandstyle.com

  2. Hello, this is a wonderful blog post. Thank you for not giving up and doing the best you can. I think this is the most important thing – to do the best we can is the circumstances we are living. We can change the world one person at a time, and we should start it from ourselves. We need more inspiring people to show us the way. Thank you again and best wishes, Agnieszka

  3. Brilliant blog post that makes me feel much better about my own failures to have a perfect green lifestyle. I wish sometimes I could do much more but I simply can’t afford to or it means giving up hobbies and things I’m passionate about. But I’m getting there. So far I’m mainly proud of myself for becoming vegetarian but it looks like vegan is a step too far for me sadly.

    This is certainly something I advocate on my eco blog, trying your best, doing what you can and accepting sometimes you can’t do everything and occasionally slipping up doesn’t mean giving up being greener altogether.

  4. What a great post. I found your blog a couple of months ago and have been reading avidly since. I think your sentiment is spot on. I really appreciate your honesty about the aspects you’ve struggled with and how you’ve come to compromises. It’s impossible to be 100% green all the time. In fact, if anything, I think that idea turns people away from ethical living. Trying our best and being accessible is, in my opinion, much more likely to result in more people making small steps in the right direction. I have certainly been inspired by your blog to continue on my green journey (and extend it in some areas). In part that is because of how honest, open, non preachy and approachable your blog is. So, thank you!

  5. This is exactly what me and my wife have been talking about recently. We want to make all the right choices from ethical and environmental points and we do our best to find out things (like signing up to Ethical Consumer). But sometimes even that doesn’t work and we subsequently find that that favourite company that we thought was green and ethical isn’t so great. It’s quite disheartening. But I’ve tried to also bear in mind that we can’t get away from the fact we live in the UK, in the 21st Century, and that comes with a lot of baggage you cannot change on a personal level (except in the power of democracy…hmmm) – I cannot change the fact that the buses in Guildford run once an hour, I can’t change the fact that coal is used in some power stations, I can’t change the fact that our part of town has very few if any greengrocers, and I can’t get away from the UK being a often cold and rainy place which puts strains on a greener lifestyle compared to living somewhere where you don’t need heating/clothes! It’s great to read the others’ responses here. We can make our own choices at our own level, try our best as you say, vote for or complain about things on a national and international level that we would like to be done better, and don’t beat ourselves up when we’re the ones actually trying :-)

  6. You’re so right. I love your blog and I love the motto ‘be the change you want to see in the world’ personally. Making any effort is better than making none! Glad to see you don’t let the criticism get you down.

  7. Really great honest post. I remember one of the first talks I gave on climate change for Climate Reality I tweeted how well it had gone at the local primary school. I was then trolled by some horrendous denier (he was horrendous for what he said to me, not his denial) and to be honest I have done very few talks since. It completely undermined my confidence so I moved away to far less public ways of trying to make a difference. I try every day to take the wider world into consideration for every decision but my goodness it ain’t easy. Not that I want life to be easy!! But I do think you are right that we need to celebrate every positive decision – apparently it’s one way of ensuring behaviour change. Doing anything out of guilt or negativity (your own or other people’s) won’t have long term impacts. My way of trying to keep up morale is by reminding myself as often as I can that there are loads of ‘us’ out there. Perhaps they aren’t in the mainstream media (the recent chat about haddock is one example), or even in your immediate social groups but we are there and there are more all the time. I firmly believe creating and improving community is the way to build our morale and our ability. And that community can be whomever and wherever you need it to be.

  8. Thanks for sharing this. I’ve been fortunate to not receive a lot of unhelpful criticism to date, but I am very critical of myself, and I’m constantly worried that my occasional meat consumption or lack of a zero waste lifestyle will make people go after me.

    I agree with you that we MUST choose baby steps, and we must also allow for personal experience, gray area, and change. I no longer buy the idea that MY personal consumption choices will change the world. We need lots of people who aren’t afraid to make small changes, not a dozen people who are living the perfect life. Eventually, we’ll all get there together.

  9. I do love this post. Rather than pretending it’s possible to be perfect, I think it’s really important that people who promote green lifestyles admit that they can’t and don’t get things 100% right. The main reason I hear from people who don’t try as hard as they could is “What’s the point? It’s too hard to figure out how to get it right; it’s too hard to change everything all at once” – more voices need to say that baby steps are better than nothing.

    1. Thanks Sarah! I agree, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing, although I do think terms like “zero waste” aren’t particularly helpful as they do imply an all or nothing approach, when even zero waste can be approached with baby steps.

  10. Having just had a child, this is just what I needed to hear – I was overwhelmed with how many gifts we were given that aren’t in line with my style of thoughtful living and shocked at the amount of disposable waste in hospital (where we stayed for 5 days – so we alone would have accumulated a lot). But, by accepting these gifts and giving into disposable waste, doesn’t mean that I have failed in life! I just need to continue making conscious, informed decisions where I can! Sorry you were criticised, there are always people who are negative. I absolutely love your blog!!

    1. Huge congratulations on your new arrival Rachel! Oh gosh, when I had my first child I was completely overwhelmed with the amount of stuff we were given. Possibly THE thing I struggle with most is around gifts, especially when you have kids and family and friends want to spoil them. It’s such a tricky area to navigate without offending/upsetting anyone. But yes, it doesn’t mean that you’ve failed by any stretch – it sounds like you are doing a great job! And thanks so much for your nice words!

  11. I’m not sure veganism is the answer anymore, I’ve been vegetarian for 18 years and vegan on and off during that time. I now have M.E. and most of the stuff I’ve read about diet is that animal protein and calcium are really important to get better. I’ve reluctantly started to eat fish two or three times a week and have started consuming dairy again. In a perfect world I’d grow all my own veg and not consume animal products, but I’m too ill to do any gardening at my allotment. I think your blog is amazing for inspiring people to do their best, you are never preachy, and always open to debate.

    1. Sorry to hear about your M.E. Some of my friends suffer from it and it’s no walk in the park. You’ve got to do what works for you, and if dairy helps you to get better then go for it! And thanks so much for your kind words C, much appreciated!

  12. We all struggle with some aspects of being green, I am employed in this sector and struggle with vegetarianism and still have a car. It is a case of figuring out the alternative to find out the best way of being greener that will stick. I know a lot of people that work as Environmental Managers that don’t even think of cutting down meat and still fly whether for holidays or business – they justify this in many ways, none of which is really more than an excuse. So, I think you are doing a great job, and pointing out that some things like veganism are hard, but doing the next best thing is a brilliant thing to do. Keep up the good work as it is all baby steps.

    1. Yes, I have met many environmental managers and climate change experts that think nothing of flying for business halfway around the world at least once a month! Apparently it’s essential?! And thank you for your kind words!

  13. “It’s not the best, but right now it’s my best.”

    This is really important to remember. I know first hand (as a vegan) that people have a tendency to scrutinise you more than anyone else when you label yourself as vegan/minimalist/zero waste/etc. They criticise every little detail and call you out on tiny things you’re “doing wrong” even though there are many ways you have made changes to reduce your impact on the environment.

    If you slip up just once, you’re berated for it despite everything else you have done to change your lifestyle.

    I think we all have to do our best and recognise it’s not always going to be perfect; and not sugar coat it when we’re not trying as hard as we could be either. “It’s my best” is an easy excuse when we want a get out card for not pushing ourselves but it’s also a valid point when we are.

    1. Yes to all of this! I don’t understand the scrutiny and criticism that comes when you label yourself as something. I’ve often wondered if some people think that when you label yourself as zero-waste, for example, that you perceive yourself as superior to others who aren’t zero waste, and that causes the friction?

  14. Thanks so much for talking about this, and sorry that you have had to deal with criticism like that. I am in complete agreement that everyone should be doing what they can, and figuring out where their own goalposts are. Haranguing people like you who are doing such amazing work to get this issue into the mainstream is so counterproductive! Thanks again and keep doing what you’re doing!

    1. Oh, I’m fine with criticism when it’s constructive – it keeps me on my toes! It’s just when it’s plain criticism for criticism’s sake that I’m not really into. It’s not helpful for anyone. And exactly, everyone has their own goalposts, and everyone’s journey is going to look a bit different. And thanks for your lovely words Caroline!