Identify what is important to you, find the others with the same interest, and focus your collective power.
When I started Happy Eco News six years ago, my intention was simply to help the people close to me. I wanted to show those in my immediate circle what I had seen from working in clean technology: many good people were doing good things to help the planet, and it wasn’t over yet. A dystopian future is not predetermined.
I wanted to persuade my friends and colleagues to take action. If the activists, scientists, and clean tech people have not given up, we should not give up either. We should help and support them instead.
The Happy Eco News concept works, as evidenced by the messages from the audience. Sharing positive news can make people feel better, even if only for a few minutes. But maybe that’s not enough. How can we inspire others to take the next step? To take tangible action and do something.
Eco-anxiety is not crazy; it is a completely reasonable reaction to existential threats like global heating. We have all doom-scrolled through endless news headlines about climate change, deforestation, or plastic pollution. Scientists are now screaming to be heard while oil companies lobby, politicians pander, and the planet and people suffer. We feel alone, helpless, and afraid. The anxiety can be so crippling that it often leads to asking, “Why even bother trying?” It creates inaction when action is the very thing we need to overcome the environmental crisis.
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The traditional approach to environmental awareness often relies on bombarding us with negative data. The well-meaning scientists are freaking out, painfully aware of what the data shows. Logically, highlighting the situation’s urgency should inspire people to take action, but instead, it creates a sense of powerlessness that leaves individuals unsure of where to begin. This information overload, coupled with the lack of clear action steps, fosters eco-anxiety and hinders the action it seeks to inspire.
But what if there was a way to turn that eco-anxiety into a catalyst for positive change? In my years of talking to, writing about, and sharing stories of people taking action, I have noticed a common thread.
For some reason, the action-takers feel like they have the power to make a change, have hope for the future, and are not overwhelmed by eco-anxiety. The people most in the trenches, who are working to make the future they want to see, are the ones with the most hope and optimism.
Which came first? Are the people who have hope the ones who take action, or does taking action inspire hope and reduce eco-anxiety? Time and again, I have read about or met people fed up with feeling bad who decided to do something about it.
Taking action allowed them to move beyond eco-anxiety.
In order to move beyond environmental paralysis, you have to do something about it and for the planet. If you acknowledge the fear and make a few easy changes, your anxiety will reduce to a manageable level and maybe even go away completely.
I believe that if you want to get out of the cycle of eco-anxiety inaction, three simple things will change your life: 1) Find “The Thing You Do,” 2) Find the Others, and 3) Flex Your Power.
Find “The Thing You Do“. Climate anxiety feels so overwhelming because it is huge. Thousands of things need doing, but no person can do them all. This means you must pick one that is most important to you and focus on it. Personalizing and connecting the environmental challenge to your interests, values, or passions is the key. An environmental aspect can always be woven into a love for cooking, gardening, outdoor activities, or simply a desire to live a healthier lifestyle.
For example, foodies could focus on plant-based recipes that reduce their carbon footprint, gardening enthusiasts could explore permaculture and regenerative agriculture techniques, and outdoor adventurers could get involved with conservation efforts for their favorite hiking trails or regions.
You create a stronger sense of purpose and motivation by anchoring environmental action to something you already care about. It transforms an abstract, overwhelming issue into a tangible, personal mission aligning with your interests, values, and lifestyle.
Find the Others: We are social creatures, and there’s power in numbers. Once someone has identified “The Thing They Do,” the next step is to connect with others who share that same interest or cause. This could be through local community groups, online forums, social media communities, or even starting your own grassroots movement by “putting it out there” and seeing what happens.
Seth Godin, a marketing guru who emphasizes the power of communities, has an interesting concept. His oft-repeated phrase “people like us do things like this” means that people are unconsciously driven to act in ways that solidify their membership in a particular group. It’s about shared identity and reinforcing the norms of that group. Great things can happen when the group is aligned toward something good for the planet.
Knowledge and experiences are shared within a healthy community, and camaraderie will develop. Members will find support, encouragement, and a collective voice that amplifies individual efforts.
Suddenly, you’re no longer alone; you are part of a tribe working towards a common goal.
Flex Your Power: With a strong community rallied around “The Thing They Do,” the stage is set for impactful collective action. People like us do things like this, you know. Together with the strength of many, the group can brainstorm and organize initiatives, events, or campaigns that align with their shared mission.
This could involve hosting educational workshops, organizing neighborhood clean-ups or tree-planting events, lobbying local policymakers for sustainable changes, or launching consumer awareness campaigns to influence businesses.
The power lies in leveraging the community’s diverse skills, resources, and collective influence. Perhaps one member has event planning expertise, another is a social media whiz, and another has connections with local government officials. Combining these strengths can create a formidable force for positive change.
Collective action amplifies the impact and fosters a sense of accomplishment and empowerment. As you witness tangible results from your efforts, you reinforce the belief that your actions matter and inspire yourself to take on bigger challenges.
Moreover, success stories from these communities can inspire others to join the movement and replicate similar efforts in their regions or areas of interest.
By following these three steps – personalize the cause, build a community, and empower collective action – you can transform your eco-anxiety into a powerful catalyst for change. You will be part of a passionate movement fueled by shared interests and a collective determination to create a future we want instead of what the powers give us.
