By Ben Anderson
“There is a certain consideration, and a general duty of humanity, that binds us not only to the animals, which have life and feeling, but even to the trees and plants.”
I don’t know about you, but the climate’s on my mind. The dreadful climatic news swirls around me left and right. I don’t know what to do. The more I investigate it, the more afraid I get. As such, I often feel stuck or paralyzed about what I should or even could do. Should I walk to school instead of taking a car? How do I best conserve water? Did the food I’m eating come from a sustainable farm? We are constantly faced with environmental dilemmas, but we often follow our habits—sustainable or not. At home in Colorado, if I ever need to go shopping, I make sure I grab our reusable grocery bags, but while I’m at college in Utah I default to using plastic grocery bags—fully aware of the harmful environmental impact it causes. Even though I’m anxious about and fear for the environment, I refrain from acting in a way to alleviate those uncomfortable feelings.
“Avoidance is the best short-term strategy to escape conflict, and the best long-term strategy to ensure suffering.”
What I experience is a phenomenon called climate anxiety: worry or fear for the future because of climate change (Clayton 2020). Current research suggests that those who suffer from climate anxiety are at heightened risk for symptoms of depression, anxiety, insomnia, and daily functional impairment (Boluda-Verdú et al., 2022). Unfortunately, young adults are most at risk for experiencing climate anxiety. Tasked with a myriad of climatic issues, I feel paralyzed, “what can I even do about this?!?!?” The longer I wait in inaction, the worse I feel, the more anxious I become. It’s a pretty nasty cycle. So, how do I break free from this?
I would like to tell you about my attempts to free myself from climate anxiety. They revolve around this idea called engaged living. Engaged living, put simply, is moving towards your values. Once you identify the values you want to seek, your task is to engage and to put consistent effort towards attaining them. I like to think that engaged living is like putting your best foot forward, for all you do. Whether I falter or succeed, I regain my balance and put my best foot forward.
“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.”
Even though I’m scared and anxious, I need to put my best foot forward, or else I won’t get anywhere… literally. I try to walk everywhere I go. Of course, that doesn’t always work. In those cases, I try to ride the bus. I find this process to be quite helpful. Not only do I enjoy walking, but I often walk and admire the beauty of the earth around me. Surely, my walks don’t compare to the beautiful landscapes you’ll find in national parks, but as I try to live an engaged life, I find the beauty in the little things around me. It takes consistent effort to commit to engaged living, but as I’ve made that commitment, I’ve felt significantly more peaceful. I didn’t tune out the dreadful climate news—in fact, it seems to be getting worse each day—but I feel assured. I am doing the best I can in my situation.
I also tend to study nearby this tree which helps me feel connected to nature!
Positive psychology research tells us that engaged living can bring assurance and well-being into our lives (Barrett et al., 2019; Vella-Broderick et al., 2009). Not only that, engaged living principles can aid us in a variety of situations (Frinking et al., 2019; Froh et al., 2010). In research done in Australia, Vella-Broderick et al. (2009) found that engagement significantly predicted life satisfaction. Even if you don’t feel climate anxiety, participate in engaged living, it will change your life for the better. In a time when we are inundated with information, entertainment, and distractions, it’s important we commit to engaged living. Whether you are feeling lonely or are mired in stress, put your best foot forward—ENGAGE!
I found assurance for my climate anxiety through engaged living. As I did so, I kindled a greater appreciation for the world we share. If you’re on this page, I figure that you’ve seen the beautiful photography and landscapes all over the My Best Self 101 website. If you haven’t seen it, take a few minutes and scroll through the different modules. You could learn so much more about engaged living from the aptly named “engaged living” module. Furthermore, if you want to learn more about climate anxiety, the research done by Boluda-Verdú et al. (2022) and Clayton (2020) are excellent places to start. While you may not feel the same way I do about the environment, there will always be stressors and anxiety-inducers. Certainly, we can avoid our problems to reduce short-term conflict, but in the long run, it will only cause suffering. What climate anxiety is to me could be your job to you, the lesson remains the same: ENGAGE in life! Even though the climate is on my mind, I take solace as I walk through nature’s beauty, every day.
Learn more about engaged living in its module on the MyBestSelf101 website.
“I firmly believe nature brings solace in all troubles.”
References
Barrett, K., O’Connor, M., & McHugh, L. (2019). A systematic review of values-based psychometric tools within acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). The Psychological Record, 69(4), 457–485. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-019-00352-7
Boluda-Verdú, I., Senent-Valero, M., Casas-Escolano, M., Matijasevich, A., & Pastor-Valero, M. (2022). Fear for the future: Eco-anxiety and health implications, a systematic review. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 84, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101904
Clayton, S. (2020). Climate anxiety: Psychological responses to climate change. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 74https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102263
Frinking, E., Jans-Beken, L., Janssens, M., Peeters, S., Lataster, J., Jacobs, N., & Reijnders, J. (2020). Gratitude and loneliness in adults over 40 years: Examining the role of psychological flexibility and engaged living. Aging & Mental Health, 24(12), 2117–2124. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2019.1673309
Froh, J. J., Kashdan, T. B., Yurkewicz, C., Fan, J., Allen, J., & Glowacki, J. (2010). The benefits of passion and absorption in activities: Engaged living in adolescents and its role in psychological well-being. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 5(4), 311–332. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2010.498624
Vella-Brodrick, D., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2009). Three ways to be happy: Pleasure, engagement, and Meaning—Findings from Australian and US samples. Social Indicators Research, 90(2), 165–179. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-008-9251-6