Newsletter #2 of the AStA Working Group Mental Health: How to cope with climate anxiety in a healthy way 🌏 🧠
Last updated 19. April 2022 | Webmaster
Dear students,
with this newsletter we would like to give you some thoughts on how to deal with climate anxiety. On March 25th, we occupied the streets again to demonstrate for peace & (climate) justice. During such global climate strikes, we often feel a special energy: we feel less alone with our fears and despair, briefly forgetting our feelings of powerlessness. This gives us strength and hope again ✊
But it can certainly happen that we feel overwhelmed and lame in the face of the climate and biodiversity crisis, as well as other major crises of our times (not least the pandemic and the war in Ukraine).
- What to do when all of a sudden it becomes too much?
- What coping strategies do I have at my disposal?
- Where can I ask for help when my personal resources are not enough?
A comprehensive answer to these questions would go beyond the scope of this newsletter, but it is important to us to provide you with some resources and basics tips to take care of yourself 🤗
Climate anxiety, “solastalgia“, “Weltschmerz” (“worldsuffering”) & Co: the psychological consequences of the climate & biodiversity crisis.
In recent years, various terms have become widespread in an attempt to describe the range of psychological issues caused by environmental change and destruction. Recently, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emphasized in its latest Assessment Report (February, 2022) that climate adaptation measures must take into account, among other things, the psychological consequences of climate change, since it leads to increasing psychological challenges, stress, and anxiety.
The climate crisis is already leading to post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, especially among communities affected by extreme weather events or evictions. MAPA (“Most Affected People & Areas”) face direct traumatic experiences such as destruction, loss, or abandonment of their homes. The word “solastalgia” accurately describes the pain and grief of losing one’s environment and its security (Albrecht, 2006).
➡️ What is MAPA? (@fridaysforfuturemapa)
In particular, people who are intensely concerned with the climate and biodiversity crisis, climate justice and sustainability often feel burdened by various unpleasant feelings: hopelessness, overwhelm, anger against inaction, sadness, powerlessness, despair…. These various facets of climate anxiety are often triggered and reinforced by information overload. Therefore, we think it is important to point you to these tips for conscious and targeted consumption of news. 📲 These tips are in German but here you can find a similar and more specific article in English How to Deal With News Anxiety – Headspace
🎬 Klimaangst & Co. – Die psychischen Folgen der Klimakrise – Hannah Klenk – Public Climate School (in German)
📄 Klimaangst: Wie wir emotional mit der Klimakrise umgehen – Spektrum der Wissenschaft (in German)
Doubts about studies & activism
From conversations in our circles, we have noticed that insecurities and fears about our present and future often lead people to question the meaning of their own studies, commitment and activism. Why am I doing / learning this for? Especially among students who deal a lot with sustainability and questions of the great transformation, climate anxiety and similar emotions are becoming more and more present 🤔 If this is also the case for you, you can, for example, turn to the university’s Student Counselling Service service or take advantage of one of the assistance and counseling services offered by the Psychologists and Psychotherapists for Future (see below).
Personal experience & tips for dealing with global crises.
“The worst moments for me are when I realize that all of our crises are somehow connected. It’s that complexity, which overwhelms me. The feeling of being stuck in a dead end. Sometimes I have the impression that the more I inform myself about the state of our planet and our society, the more hopeless I become. In the last few months, I have learned to identify my coping mechanisms to such uncomfortable feelings: for example, I love listening to podcasts, yet I don’t feel like listening to podcasts about sustainability or climate. I’m afraid I’ll get triggered by them again, even though some podcasts actually have positive messages. Basically, I avoid dealing with the climate & biodiversity crisis any further. That’s why I want to find a way to deal with global crises and information overload. How can I turn this fear into power to engage further? I feel this is a process, which will accompany me my whole life. So far, I have identified the following aspects that are important to me in a healthy approach to the climate crisis and other global crises.”
⚠️ Disclaimer: these coping strategies are in no way a substitute for professional guidance, but are intended as a low-threshold self-care. It is important that everyone finds their own approaches that are good for them and can best help them.
🚦 Pay attention to my resources: Where do I put my energy? How can I balance things by taking breaks and spending my free time? It’s not selfish at all to withdraw and leave tasks to others. “Self-care, of course, does not exclude caring for others and the planet” (from the episode “Self-Care” from the podcast “Klima im Kopf”)
Introduce an “energy level check“, paired with a specific action in your everyday life: e.g. if you have to wait at a red traffic-light, ask yourself what your energy level for different activities is at the moment.
🖐️ Experience self-efficacy: Where can & do I want to get involved? At the local, regional, global level….
🔝 Setting priorities in one’s own commitment: How much of my time do I want to dedicate to a project? I don’t have to get involved in all kinds of actions when I realize it’s going to be too much. In this case, quality is more important to me than quantity.
📻 Paying attention to my news consumption: Where & how long a day do I inform myself? Pay attention to unconscious coping mechanisms such as avoidance / repression!
✍️ Process feelings e.g. through mindfulness exercises, journaling, artistic pursuits (collage, crafts,…), spending time in nature,…
In this thorough introduction to climate anxiety you can find more thoughts on how to deal with anxiety, not only on the individual level, but also on the group and societal level. As we wrote in the first newsletter on exam anxiety, “shared stress – half the stress”. Especially when you feel overwhelmed, just having the courage to share your fears with others can help. Especially in engagement groups, the time for sharing can be too short, when you are busy with planning, orga, requests, public relations & Co. Therefore, it can be very helpful and reassuring to consciously take time to talk about worries and uncertainties. You will soon learn that you are no longer a lone-warrior 🤝
Here’s some more helpful info: “Self-Care for World-Care.”
Leuphana’s Student Counselling Service offers open office hours on Wednesdays & Thursdays, as well as individual consultations.
The Psychologists & Psychotherapists for Future (Psy4F) have collected numerous tips for dealing emotionally with the climate crisis, as well as specific questions for self-reflection
📝 Strengthening Climate Resilience – 14 Strategies for Dealing emotionally with the Climate Crisis.
Here’s an introduction to self-care and a worksheet to help you pay attention to your basic needs and regenerate your energies for your commitment
Events
Open discussion groups from Psychologists for Future: on the 21st of each month (via Zoom).
Info & Registration ➡️ Support for Activists and engaged people – Psychologists for Future.
If you would like to organize a workshop or talk in your groups, please feel free to contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. ➡️
Ressources
💬 Free consultation on climate and activism issues (no diagnosis is made and it does not replace therapy). Consultation request to
📲 Telegram channel (in German) Achtsamkeit für Engagierte Every two weeks, engaged people meet to share thoughts about mindfulness & activism and discuss about topics like resilience & self-care.
📩 Newsletter – Psychologists for Future (from the German group)
🎙️ Podcast: Klima im Kopf – Der Psychologists for Future Podcast General podcast recommendation: Danke gut! Der Podcast über Pop & Psyche (Miriam Davoudvandi).
📗 Book (in German): Climate action – Psychologie der Klimakrise: Handlungshemmnisse und Handlungsmöglichkeiten. Verfügbar über Lux. Both podcasts and book-recommendations are in German, so if you know some podcasts dealing with these topics in English, feel free to drop us an email with the suggestion.
Last but not least: in case you missed it, you can catch up on our take-over in the Leuphana College Account Stories under “Mental Health”!
First places to go:
Studentenwerk: Psychologichal counselling
Telefonseelsorge: 24 h available at (0800) 111 0 111 or (0800) 111 0 222 [international helplines here]
University: Student counselling
AStA: Studium Minus Barriere
In emergencies please turn to:
Psychiatric clinic (Portal), Am Wienebüttler Weg 1 (Lüneburg)
Tel. (04131) 601 16 00 or (04131) 601 16 22
Further contact points
Evangelische/Katholische Hochschulseelsorge
Join us!
This newsletter is compiled by the Mental Health Working Group of the AStA. Do you want to get involved with the topic of mental health and inform other students about it? Then please contact us! We are happy about everyone who participates!
Contact
AStA Universität Lüneburg
c/o Arbeitskreis Mental Health
Universitätsallee 1
21335 Lüneburg
Website: www.asta-lueneburg.de/arbeitskreis-mental-health/
