If you’ve ever felt a pit in your stomach watching the news about floods, wildfires, or rising temperatures, you’re not alone. More and more people are struggling with climate anxiety—a sense of fear, grief, and helplessness about the planet’s future.
It’s not just worry about the environment; climate anxiety can deeply affect your mental health, daily routines, and even your outlook on life.
You might find yourself doomscrolling about the next natural disaster, feeling guilty for using plastic, or struggling to plan for a future that feels uncertain.
But while climate anxiety is real, it’s also manageable.
Understanding it is the first step toward finding peace, purpose, and balance in a changing world.
How to fix climate anxiety?
The truth is, you don’t “fix” climate anxiety by ignoring it—you work with it. This kind of anxiety often stems from care, empathy, and awareness. It means you care deeply about the world around you, which is a strength, not a weakness.
To begin managing climate anxiety, try these approaches:
- Focus on what’s within your control.
Channel your concern into small, sustainable actions—recycling, reducing waste, supporting local conservation, or volunteering. These steps create a sense of agency and reduce helplessness.
- Limit exposure to distressing news.
Constantly consuming alarming headlines can intensify climate anxiety. Stay informed but set boundaries—like checking updates once a day or following solution-focused accounts instead of doom-laden ones.
- Practice grounding techniques.
The 3-3-3 rule for anxiety (explained below) can help calm your nervous system when your mind spirals into worst-case scenarios.
- Connect with others.
Talking about climate anxiety in community groups, therapy, or even with friends helps you feel less isolated. Shared concern can transform worry into collective action.
Remember, the goal isn’t to “cure” climate anxiety—it’s to develop resilience and balance so you can live meaningfully while caring for the planet.
What is the 3-3-3 anxiety rule?
The 3-3-3 rule is a simple, evidence-based grounding technique often used to ease climate anxiety and other stress responses. Here’s how it works:
- Look around and name 3 things you can see.
- Listen carefully and name 3 things you can hear.
- Move your body and name 3 parts you can feel moving.
This exercise gently pulls your focus back into the present moment, where your body is safe—even if your mind feels overwhelmed.
For people with climate anxiety, the 3-3-3 rule can help interrupt spirals of fear about the future and reconnect you to the here and now. Over time, using this rule regularly trains your nervous system to respond to fear with calm awareness instead of panic.
How many people have climate anxiety?
You’re far from alone in this. Surveys show that climate anxiety affects millions globally, with younger generations reporting the highest levels.
In a 2021 study published in The Lancet, over 59% of people aged 16–25 said they were very or extremely worried about climate change. Many reported that climate anxiety affects their daily functioning—impacting sleep, motivation, and even decisions about having children.
Adults, too, are experiencing climate anxiety in growing numbers.
Therapists worldwide are seeing more clients expressing grief, guilt, and fear about environmental collapse. This shared emotional response reflects something deeply human: our instinct to protect what we love.
The rise in climate anxiety isn’t just a mental health trend—it’s a sign of collective awareness. And with awareness comes the potential for change, advocacy, and healing.
How to calm severe weather anxiety?
For some people, climate anxiety peaks during storms, floods, or extreme weather events. This can trigger physical symptoms like a racing heart, tight chest, or intrusive thoughts.
Calming severe weather anxiety starts with grounding both body and mind:
- Prepare, don’t catastrophize. Have safety plans for severe weather so you feel empowered, not helpless. Preparation helps reduce panic.
- Breathe intentionally. Use deep breathing or box breathing (inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4) to lower your body’s stress response.
- Create calm spaces. Soft lighting, soothing sounds, or comforting rituals can remind your body it’s safe during turbulent weather.
- Talk to someone. Processing climate anxiety with a therapist can help you distinguish between realistic concern and fear-based overthinking.
By addressing climate anxiety both psychologically and physically, you can restore a sense of agency even when the world feels unpredictable.
Final thoughts: Finding peace while caring deeply
Climate anxiety shows that you care deeply about our planet and its future—it’s a sign of empathy, not weakness. The challenge lies in learning how to hold that care without letting it consume you.
Therapy can help transform climate anxiety into empowerment—teaching you how to regulate your emotions, act meaningfully, and live with hope rather than despair.
At Annapolis Counseling Center, we support individuals experiencing climate anxiety through mindfulness-based therapy, cognitive approaches, and nervous system regulation. Together, we can help you build emotional balance, find peace in uncertainty, and turn your concern into compassionate, sustainable action.