How to Deal with Eco-Anxiety, Eco-Guilt, and Other Eco Emotions

How do we deal with eco-anxiety, eco-guilt, and the many emotions that come with caring about the planet? In this article, I explore the different “eco-emotions” I have experienced—from anxiety and fatigue to hope—and how we can learn to live with them, rather than be overwhelmed by them.

These are questions being asked more and more often. As climate change accelerates and the health of our planet becomes more fragile, new emotional states are emerging. Alongside eco-anxiety and eco-guilt, many people also feel a deep love for the Earth—sometimes expressed through protest, sometimes through other forms of care.

Like all of us, I have been touched by many shades of emotion related to the planet. It felt time to look at these “eco-emotions” more closely.

Research suggests that humans experience a wide range of emotions—far more than we often name. It is beyond the scope of this article to explore all of them in relation to the environment. Instead, I focus on those I and my family have felt most strongly.

What Are Eco Emotions?

Eco-emotions are the range of feelings we experience in response to environmental change—from anxiety and guilt to hope and love. These emotions are increasingly common as awareness of climate change grows.

Black – The Colour of Eco-Anxiety

A 1997 study found that while emotional associations with colours can vary across cultures, black is rather consistently linked with fear. Although in this post I draw on various sources and partly on my own intuition when matching colours with eco-emotions, I chose to keep black as the colour of fear.

Glenn Albrecht speaks of solastalgia—the distress associated with environmental change. Others refer more broadly to eco-anxiety. As Susan Clayton, professor of psychology and environmental studies, notes: “A significant proportion of people are experiencing stress and worry about the potential impacts of climate change, and that the level of worry is almost certainly increasing.”

How to Deal with Eco-Anxiety and Eco-Fear

Patricia Garcia suggests that those living in areas prone to extreme weather events should have a contingency plan in place. She also recommends strengthening social networks and taking small steps to reduce one’s carbon footprint—both individually and together with others.

In my case, I have not experienced this kind of fear very strongly. I tend to have an optimistic outlook, and I do not feel that my life is directly at risk from extreme weather events. Having faith also helps keep me from sinking into fear.

Grey – The Colour of Eco-Aversion and Eco-Fatigue

I chose grey to represent eco-aversion and eco-fatigue. I first encountered these earth emotions through my oldest son, as I describe in my blog article on green parenting mistakes. After a few weeks of our going-green journey, my six-year-old developed a strong dislike—even antipathy—toward anything ecological. Robin Jacobs explores eco-aversion in relation to gender, suggesting that men may be more prone to such reactions.

At times, I have also noticed a milder version of this in myself—a kind of eco-fatigue, or green fatigue, as described by Susan H. Greenberg.

How to Handle Eco-Aversion and Eco-Fatigue

In my eco-parenting blog post, I describe a few steps I took to help my son overcome eco-aversion. When I experience eco-fatigue myself, I try to step back and take a small break.

Jennifer Maxwell-Muir also offers practical suggestions on how to avoid eco-fatigue. Although her advice is mainly directed at businesses, many of her ideas can also be applied to personal experiences of green fatigue.

Red – Passionate Love for the Earth, but Also Anger

After this rather dark beginning, it feels natural to turn to “real colours”—to the rainbow that, for many of us, evokes more positive emotions.

I have often found myself speaking with fervour about the deep love I feel for our home planet. At times, this love has led me into passionate arguments. And yet, I have also noticed how easily it can turn into anger—toward those who do not seem to grasp the urgency of the situation.

I have felt resentment, too, even toward close friends who do not share the same intensity of concern or passion for protecting the Earth.

How to Deal with Eco-Rage

When I notice myself feeling angry or resentful toward someone who does not seem to care enough about the planet, I begin by acknowledging the feeling. Often, simply naming and accepting it softens its intensity.

Then I turn to empathy, trying to understand where the other person’s perspective comes from. In many cases, I have been able to find something that helps explain their viewpoint—and from there, I can move toward tolerance and compassion.

Orange – the colour of eco-shame

“At first rosy blush, shame most certainly seems to be red,” writes Melanie Lynn Griffin. Since I already used red to speak of passionate love and anger, I chose orange to write about eco-shame. Louise Bredholt, in her article on 10 Trends to Look out for in 2020, writes that as “eco-shame reaches new heights,” “we will see consumers seek out products, services and experiences that help them alleviate rising eco-shame in 2020.”

I do not really feel much such eco-shame. In my case, it was more eco-guilt that made me to turn towards greener living. But as discussed in my blog post on greener coffee and tea habits, I have felt shame on a few occasions, because as an adolescent, I used to think that frugality meant being “less than.” Practicing frugality in some social contexts can stir this old belief in me, making me feel shame, even if it is just for a short moment.

How to handle eco-shame

Dr.David Sack writes about 5 Ways to Silence Shame. Although his post is not related to eco-shame, I find his suggestions useful when I find myself feeling shame in relation to my behaviour towards the Earth.

Yellow: the colour of joy and pride

After starting my going-green journey, the last five months, I have mostly experienced profound feelings of joy and pride in the changes I have made. I write about these feelings in my blog post on eco-friendly grocery shopping. It feels like serenity and happiness have deepened and taken on an additional dimension. There is a great term, holistic wellness, that also incorporates environmental wellness—a theme that I also touch on in my post on water recycling. These emotions also increase biophilia, the wish to affiliate with other forms of life (a concept introduced by Edward Wilson).

How to embrace eco-joy

When I experience eco-joy, I try to meet it with gratitude and allow myself to fully enjoy it. These are moments to be cherished when they arise.

The practice of living awake helps me notice and deepen these feelings—inviting me to embrace them more fully rather than let them pass unnoticed.

Green: the colour of eco-guilt

Elizabeth Eberly writes about green: “Green, similarly to in room decoration and psychology, symbolizes nature and relaxation. It can also, in literature, symbolize guilt.” Eco-guilt affected me quite a lot last few years, before I began my green transition. This negative earth emotion was very painful, but it also led me to take action.

How to manage eco-guilt

I like Liz’s blog post on How to deal with eco guilt that, among other suggestions, calls upon us to use this guilt as a motivator and look back to give ourselves credit for the steps we have already taken!

Blue: the colour of sorrow

Grace Huguelet, in her article The Rainbow of Emotions, mentions that “blue is the color of sorrow” and that “everyone has a little blue in their life.” Eco-sadness is what I felt when we had extremely hot summers during the last few years, and many trees that I loved in my garden died despite my care. Eco-sadness is what I feel seeing images and reading about fires in Siberia, Brazil, and Australia. One can also read about “ecological grief.” Steve Simpson writes: “Melting glaciers, coral reef death, wildlife disappearance, landscape alteration, climate change: our environment is transforming rapidly, and many of us are experiencing a sense of profound loss.”

How to cope with eco-sadness and eco-grief

Grace Huguelet writes: “With sorrow comes understanding, just as wisdom does with age.” When I feel a “negative” emotion, I try to embrace it, feel it a bit, and look at what it wants to tell me. Sadness and sorrow often signal that I need support to deal with whatever brings this heavy emotion.

Purple: the colour of hope

I’d like to finish this blog post with the colour purple, which Huguelet calls the colour of hope in her article The Rainbow of Emotions. As so much negative news about the environment floods the media, it is not always easy to maintain a hopeful mindset.

When I sometimes share negative news about our home planet, some people tell me that they do not want to hear about it and that one needs to be positive and hopeful. In my view, practicing climate change denial should not be confused with feeling hopeful for the future of the Earth. I think one needs to learn about climate change and accept it, do the best they can to mitigate the change, and still keep up a hopeful outlook. Not to be in denial, yet hopeful – this is a challenge.

I feel that reading positive news about our planet gives me hope. This piece, written by various scholars for The Conversation, is one good example. And the Good News Network has a section called Good Earth that I recommend. Moreover, when we look at many collective actions, such as Fridays For Future, we have reasons to be hopeful.

United we stand, divided we fall.

Aesop