2023 Author: Anita Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-22 03:30
You have certainly heard of Greta Thunberg, this young Swedish activist who, from the height of her 16 years, fights body and soul against global warming. But did you know that this extreme concern for the fate of our planet has a name?
Indeed, eco-anxiety is a growing phenomenon characterized by a kind of existential distress caused by environmental changes. Ecoanxious people therefore feel great pain in life, deep sadness, but also a lot of anger at their own helplessness or the inaction of others with regard to global warming. They fear the future and are extremely concerned by everything that is said in the media on the subject, so much so that they come to question several elements, for example their choice of career or the fact of starting a family given the current state of affairs.
Impact on young people
Unsurprisingly, it is young people who are particularly affected by this new evil of the century; logical, since they are the ones who will have to deal with the effectslong-term global warming.
Add to that the fact that information on the subject abounds everywhere and often includes a degree of sensationalism and you have the perfect recipe for getting an anxious young person lost in this myriad of information that he finds difficult to assimilate on his own.
Suggestions
As with any type of anxiety, it is important first and foremost to move away from any source of negativity in order to focus on the positive, in short to focus on solutions rather than on the problems.
Of course, there will always be things over which we have no control, but that is precisely the reason why there is no point in devoting all our energy to them. It is by concentrating instead on the many actions that it is possible to take concretely in order to improve things and do one's part for the environment that this anxiety can be transformed into a source of motivation and transition to life. 'action.
In short, if your young people suffer from eco-anxiety, first take the time to educate yourselves together on the subject in order to be able to separate the false from the true, to teach them how to develop a critical eye and to help them take a step back from the situation in order to also see what is good. Then encourage them to get actively involved, for example by putting in place an action plan to make your home a greener environment or by proposing projects for their school or for yourneighborhood.
They will regain a certain sense of control that will reduce their anxiety, not to mention the pride they will feel at being part of the solution! After all, just because our beautiful planet is sick doesn't mean it can't be cured; it's up to us to help him get back on his feet!
