Why War Can Intensify Climate Anxiety
You may be following recent and current wars around the world with growing anxiety about the environmental cost of these conflicts. War often leads to environmental destruction, pollution, habitat loss, and other long-term ecological consequences. Often, wars require large quantities of carbon emissions through fuel use and the combustion of bombs and munitions. Even maintaining military forces in times of relative peace consumes vast quantities of resources and contributes to pollution, carbon emissions, and ecological destruction.
You likely recognize the current human toll of these events, while also feeling great concern for the future of the land, animals, and people from an environmental standpoint. It’s possible to grieve both the current human toll of war while also mourning the environmental destruction and long-term ecological impacts brought by war.
Why You May Feel Guilty Caring About the Environment During War
You may struggle with guilt when you find yourself focusing on the environmental cost of war. How can you focus on the climate and environment when people’s lives are being impacted right now? However, recognizing the environmental damage brought by war does not minimize the simultaneous human suffering.
Being able to name environmental damage by war shows that your compassion extends wider than this moment – you are not only able to feel for the people suffering under war conditions, you are also able to feel for the plants, animals, and future generations impacted by these conflicts. Like zooming out a camera lens, you are widening your perspective to include all forms of suffering that are caused by wars.
Holding Multiple Truths at the Same Time
You may feel conflicted over whether you should be focusing on the human or environmental cost of war. This is a sign you care – your conflicted conscience shows that you want to focus on whatever will end the suffering, and you’re feeling uncertain if it’s ok to focus on both human and environmental suffering at the same time.
It’s important to recognize that caring about one form of suffering does not detract from other forms of suffering. And often caring about one will have a positive impact on the other. Imagine a group of people all shoving at a big rock at the same time – some may shove on one side of it, while others shove on another side – but all the work being done is for the same purpose of moving that rock. Opposing war is the same way. Whether you focus on bringing attention to human or environmental suffering, you’re playing a part in highlighting the damaging impact of war.
How Constant News Exposure Can Increase Anxiety
As a person who cares about the impacts of war, it makes sense that you may get caught up in doomscrolling and repeatedly checking the news. However, repeated exposure to distressing images of ecological destruction, upsetting forecasts about the climate, and continual threats of further escalation in conflicts all add up and take a toll on your mental health.
Exposure to distressing climate and war news can lead to feelings of helplessness, overwhelm, and anxiety. While it may feel in line with your values to keep up with the news, if you reach a point of numbness or mental paralysis, you are less likely to have the capacity to connect with and act on your values around protecting the environment.
When Staying Informed Starts Affecting Your Mental Health
It’s important to pay attention to how much your exposure to climate and war news is impacting your mental health. Here are a few signs to look out for:
- Increased feelings of hopelessness, anger, or frustration
- Fatalistic thinking, such as thinking that it’s too late to do anything about the climate
- Obsessive thoughts and behaviors, such as continually checking the news, or becoming very rigid about reducing your environmental impact
- Guilt or shame around your own impact on the environment or around the limits of your climate activism
- Depressed mood, frequent crying spells, or difficulty sleeping
- Difficulty relating to others who are less informed about the environmental impact of war
Coping With Climate Anxiety During Times of Conflict
Coping with climate anxiety during wars and conflicts can feel overwhelming. However, there are a few ways you can take action to protect your mental health so that you can stay connected to your values around protecting the environment.
Here are a few steps you can take to care for your mental health:
- Set social media and news boundaries to limit your exposure to distressing images and news
- Connect with local community groups taking action to protest war and protect the environment
- Practice self-compassion, such as forgiving yourself when you fall short of your climate activism goals and being gentle with yourself when you need a break
- Focus on values-based action, such as finding ways in your community to protect the environment
When Therapy Can Help
Climate anxiety and overwhelm can be challenging to work through on your own. If you’re noticing signs that you’re reaching your emotional limit, working with a therapist can help. Therapy for climate anxiety can help you process grief, find coping skills for anxiety, understand your emotions, and build climate-related resilience to fortify you for the long haul of caring for the environment. Therapy for climate anxiety is not about distracting from your valid feelings about climate and war, but instead it’s about helping you to get unstuck and move towards the values that underlie your distress.
If you’re in Texas, I’m a licensed professional counselor specializing in climate distress as well as political stress brought on by war and other global crises. I offer virtual sessions for people throughout Texas, and in-person sessions in my Houston office. If you’re interested in working with me, schedule a free consultation call at the link below.