BaCCC/About/Resilience

Although building resilience to climate change impacts will be covered generally in Module 6, let’s talk for a moment about your resilience and emotional health.

Recent research in Canada and around the world revealed that a great many young people are increasingly feeling sad or depressed, anxious, abandoned, powerless, helpful, guilty, fearful or full of dread about climate change.

Introductory Readings

The following readings may be useful:

• Climate Emotions and Anxiety Among Young People in Canada: A National Survey and Call to Action

• Climate Anxiety in Children and Young People and Their Beliefs about Government Responses to Climate Change: A Global Survey

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“No matter your age, if you’re tuned in, some degree of dread probably is your experience. Young people today are faced with the inevitability of planetary impacts. Our minds have to grapple with that knowledge on top of pandemic disorientation and the other looming unknowns (what jobs will our robot overlords permit us?), all while glued to devices generating algorithmic angst.” — Chris Hatch The advice, if you are feeling these things, is to just be with your feelings, to sit quietly with them, perhaps in meditation (or, better yet, take them for a walk with a friend). It is in recognising and validating what we are feeling – and then allowing ourselves to lament what we are losing through climate crises and extreme weather – that we can get to the other side of those feelings and take action.

“Ecological anxiety is a thoroughly sane response to planetary crisis; it may also be necessary to finding a way through the climate era. In fact, one way to understand the rise in eco-distress is a measure of breakdown in our defence mechanisms. We won’t make uncomfortable changes if we’re feeling comfortable.” — Britt Wray, PhD (https://www.brittwray.com)

“We need to engage with others in the work of transforming the world while recognizing there is no short-term fix. There may not be a ‘fix’ at all. But there is a lot we can do.” — Chris Hatch

“I think people think of climate work in general as a depressing thing. I want people to know that I’m very happy to be a part of it, and I feel most hopeful when I’m working for climate justice. It isn’t something that has to be sad, depressing, or anxiety-inducing. I am definitely more hopeful than I was before joining [a youth environmental activist group]. Just feeling like I’m doing something definitely lessens my anxiety about the future. — Maria, Climate Generation’s YEA! Program student

Reflect in your journal

Becoming a Climate Champion is, definitely, an up and down journey, and tears are common amongst climate change activists. That you are doing something is enough. If everyone did a little bit, no one would have to feel like they must do it all.

In closing, here is a powerful piece of wisdom:

“	The antidote to climate despair isn’t necessarily finding hope but generating gratitude.Don’t let your mind stick too tight on results. Let go, but don’t give up.	”
—Tibetan Buddhist teacher Mingyur Rinpoche

You can use your Learning Journal as a place to write down what you are grateful for in this beautifully diverse biosphere on this still very precious planet.