Eco-anxiety, climate anxiety, solastalgia — whatever you choose to call it, there’s no doubt that the climate crisis can trigger feelings of doom, worry, and helplessness.
Here in Canada, we’re experiencing the impacts of climate change and it’s disproportionately harming Indigenous, racialized, rural, and low-income communities. From our health and our safety, to our economy and our futures, the climate emergency has become impossible to ignore.
Our newsfeeds are filled with stories of wildfires, floods, and record-breaking heat. Home insurance premiums are climbing, food prices are up, and uncertainty looms large.
And it’s taking a toll on our mental health. After the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat dome, research found a 13 per cent rise in climate anxiety among folks in British Columbia. [1]
What are the symptoms of climate anxiety?
Climate anxiety can manifest as different symptoms in different people. According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada, symptoms can include:
- Obsessive thoughts about the climate
- Guilt related to your own carbon impact
- Anger toward older generations or government officials who haven’t done enough to curb climate change
- Grief and sadness over the loss of natural environments
- Trouble sleeping or concentrating
- Changes in appetite
While eco-anxiety isn’t an officially diagnosable mental illness, it can be severe enough to impact a person’s day-to-day quality of life. Those most at risk include:
- Young people
- Marginalized communities
- Indigenous peoples
- Individuals living or working on the frontlines of climate disasters.
How common is climate anxiety in Canada?
Because eco-anxiety isn’t formally recognized as a medical diagnosis, it’s hard to pinpoint the exact numbers. But research shows that it’s widespread.
- About one-third of people in Canada exhibit symptoms of climate anxiety such as fatalistic thinking (“What’s the point?). [2]
- 75 per cent of Canadians report worrying about climate change and its impacts.[2]
- Among young people aged 16-25, a 2023 found that 78 per cent say climate change impacts their overfall mental health, and 56% per cent feel afraid, sad, anxious, and powerless.[3]
5 ways to manage eco-anxiety
If you are struggling, know that you are not alone — and there are ways to cope.
The Mental Health Commission of Canada recommends the following strategies for managing symptoms:
- Get the facts — but don’t over saturate.
While it’s useful to be informed, too much exposure to negative headlines or doomscrolling can make eco-anxiety worse. It may help to limit your screen time, or find your information from a few, trusted news sources or organizations.
Want to stay informed without doomscrolling? Subscribe to Ecojustice updates for practical actions and hopeful stories about climate solutions.
- Acknowledge your feelings.
It’s natural to feel grief, worry, or anger about the climate crisis. Allow yourself to acknowledge the severity of the crisis and how you’re feeling about it — they’re valid feelings and are a sign of compassion are care for the planet.
- Connect with others.
Building community can help reduce the mental health impacts of climate change. Talk with your family and friends, or find local groups of like-minded people to share your concerns or take collective action.
- Focus on what you can control.
Regain a sense of agency by focussing on what action you can personally take —through activities like education, volunteering, or activism.
Even one action, like adding your voice to an Ecojustice action, can help transform anxiety into empowerment.
- Seek additional help if you need it.
If eco-anxiety is affecting your daily life, reach out to a health or mental health professional. Support is available across Canada.
- Find out what’s available in your province here.
- For Indigenous communities, Hope for Wellness offers a 24/7 helpline and chat service.
Know that you are not alone
Eco-anxiety is not a weakness — it’s a powerful emotional response to environmental injustice and a planet in crisis. The key is not to suppress these feelings, but to channel them into connection, collective action, and radical care — for yourself, your community, and the planet. Together, we can imagine and build a future rooted in justice, sustainability, and hope.
References
1. The 2021 Western North American heat dome increased climate change anxiety among British Columbians — The Journal of Climate Change and Health
2. 75% of Canadians Worry about Climate Change and its Impacts; 21% Having Fewer or No Children as a Result — Global Newswire
3. Climate emotions and anxiety among young people in Canada: A national survey and call to action — The Journal of Climate Change and Health
