Giving Compass' Take:

• Rebecca Ruiz, writing for Mashable, describes five approaches that can help address climate change anxiety in adults. 

• How is philanthropy helping address climate change anxiety? Are these approaches feasible for your lifestyle? 

• Read how climate anxiety became a pop culture trend. 


A recent survey, conducted in December by The Harris Poll on behalf of the American Psychological Association, found that more than two-thirds of respondents experience at least a little "eco-anxiety" and more than a quarter feel a lot of that stress. The APA defines eco-anxiety as anxiousness or concern related to climate change and its effects.

Respondents between ages 18 and 34 — who are probably contemplating what it means to inherit an earth increasingly on the brink of environmental collapse — were most likely to report worrying about climate change, and nearly half said that anxiety affected their lives everyday.

The online survey of 2,017 U.S. adults asked participants about eco-anxiety and whether they changed any habits to reduce their contribution to climate change. The survey results were weighted to be reflective of the national adult population, taking into account factors like age, sex, education, region, household income, and race and ethnicity.

Sixty percent of the respondents said they had made changes in response to climate change. The most popular, adopted by more than three-quarters of participants, included reducing waste through reusing and recycling items; upgrading their home's insulation; limiting use of utilities like water, heat, and electricity; and consuming less in general.

Instead of letting that doomsday scenario overwhelm you, Evans recommends getting a handle on your eco-anxiety with the following approaches:

  1. Get educated about climate change.
  2. Find concrete ways to make a difference.
  3. Reframe negative thoughts.
  4. Address all the stressors in your life, not just climate change.
  5. Build your resilience.

Read the full article about climate change anxiety by Rebecca Ruiz at Mashable.