Eco Anxiety: How to help kids manage it

Record-breaking temperatures, melting glaciers and increasingly erratic weather are constant staples in today’s news cycle.

And, while these issues are important (and newsworthy), this never-ending influx of climate change news can lead some children to feel anxious about the issue.

Here, we look at eco anxiety and how it may affect your children.

Sometimes referred to as ‘climate anxiety,’ eco anxiety is defined by the American Psychological Association as “a chronic fear of environmental doom,” which can lead to a range of mental health problems including trauma, shock, anxiety and depression.¹

The 2022 Mission Australia Youth Survey found that one in 4 young people in Australia are ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ concerned about climate change.²

“This distress can manifest itself in different ways,” says Bupa Psychologist Nathan McLeod. “An older person may experience distress thinking what impact climate change will have on their children, or their children’s children. A child or teenager may experience distress relating to what their own future may look like due to climate change.”

Images and stories of environmental disasters and dire predictions can be overwhelming, especially if you’ve been personally affected by a natural disaster in the past.

But media exposure alone isn’t the only cause of eco anxiety.

“A lot of anxiety our children feel regarding climate change may come from a lack of control,” says McLeod, “not only over the situation, but also surrounding their ability to manage the emotions that they are feeling.”

It’s important for parents to discuss these concerns with their children without making their fears worse.

To do this, it may help to:

“When it comes to climate change, these fears can be justified,” says McLeod. “If we don’t help our children process and manage these concerns, they can manifest in symptoms that could become increasingly more debilitating.”

“Supporting children in managing these emotions is essential,” says McLeod. “If you’re watching something about climate change on TV, talk to them about the story. This helps them understand that while their fear might be justified, it can also be managed.”

If your child is experiencing any type of anxiety, there are some simple tools that are effective in reducing their symptoms. McLeod recommends:

• practicing mindfulness and relaxation techniques
• limiting their exposure to information that may trigger anxiety, such as news and social media
• being mindful of what your own behaviour is teaching them (if you feel anxious, they may too)
• encouraging them to take action on problems surrounding climate change.

“Empowering kids can be really helpful,” McLeod adds. “It can be as simple as electing to walk or cycle, rather than drive to places, increasing the recycling that the family undertakes or starting to compost more green waste.”

When a child’s concern starts to impact their day-to-day activities, it may be beneficial to get some professional help.

According to McLeod, you may watch out for:

• intense behaviour that lasts for 2 weeks or more
• feelings of worry on more days than not
• anxiety impacting their normal life (such as going to school, making friends, relationships with family or sleeping and eating).

“Your family GP can often provide support or refer you to a specialist to assist with strategies in reducing and managing the anxiety,” says McLeod.

“As parents, we need to keep the conversation going so our children will talk to us about what is impacting them, and we can continue to support them through it.”