Eco-Anxious Stories

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Eco-Anxious Stories

We're holding space for eco-anxious stories in the hopes of normalizing our experiences and supporti

31/10/2024

I've been feeling disconnected and distracted by doom scrolling these days. There's a time and place for all emotions, but if you're like me and you're looking to engage with life a little more fully, here are a few places to start.

This way of reconnecting through our eco-emotions shows up in my workshops and makes for some great activities. Send me a message if you're interested in creating space for this type of conversation.

Have courage, friends - we won't get there alone!

29/07/2024

From Tania: 'Wars, genocides, water and food shortages, and conflicts worldwide demonstrate the urgent need for climate justice. Many people realize now the severity of the climate crisis, and we know this because the climate movement is growing.

"The climate movement may be growing, but ensuring its longevity will require us to keep imagining the world we want. Our expanding voice leads to backlash from those who wish to continue the status quo. Climate justice advocates understand we have power and money against us, yet we persevere."

We can be the change when we work together to challenge systems designed to fail us. That is how we build hope. Thank you for publishing my article, "Building a practice of hope in a hopeless world."'

Browse our story library and share your own eco-anxious story with us 🩵

01/02/2024

Watching a genocide unfold (through my phone, from the comfort of my home) is changing me at a fundamental level. It is causing me to divest from the stories I've been told about global justice systems, about diplomacy and imperialism, about where peace actually comes from. It's making me give up ideas about my future, about my leaders, about the source of meaningful change.

I've shared this quote from Daniel Kwan before because it's a good reminder of how deep these stories are buried within us, especially if - like me - you were raised as a settler in a settler-colony. This is a crucial opportunity to expand our stories and reframe the central characters.

My hope is that eco-anxiety becomes a doorway to deeper understanding of our collective values. I hope that making space for grief will help us to brush away the myths that justify violence and destruction. I hope that only love remains.

25/01/2024

Introducing a new entry to our resource library:
, a climate-themed board game for 8-12 year olds created by Lori McDonald! I first met Lori after a climate storytelling workshop this past fall. Since then, I've had a chance to find out more about what motivates her to create experiential learning tools for kids.

Earth Matters is a beautifully-designed game that is meant to spark curiosity, conversation, and action among young people. It brings climate conversations to the surface without being prescriptive. Lori is a champion for the power of play, and I hope you check out the game and think of how it could benefit your own kids, your classroom, your library, your community, or a young person in your life.

04/01/2024

We are capable of so much more than this. It should not be easier to imagine the end of the world than it is to imagine a world without exploitation, oppression, and ecological destruction. My hope is found in our collective imagination - the simple notion of a world aligned with the values so many of us share. Tell your story, speak your truth, inspire others to see a future beyond the death spiral.

22/12/2023

Happy Solstice friends 💙

Every life is valuable, every degree of warming counts, and I truly believe that it’s worthwhile to build up our capacity to care in these times. After all, this may be the only place in the universe where meaning exists 💫

16/10/2023

I don't have words for the violence, the feeling of witnessing genocide, of seeing the symptoms of decades of injustice, of being so far away and yet so intertwined.

I'm coming back to this interview I did with Reza last year about his time with Doctors Without Borders in South Sudan, where he touches on many interconnections between climate change, colonialism, and global conflict. He reminds us to grieve, to honour our feelings, and to build capacity to continue seeing, caring about, and intervening upon suffering.

Don't let this harden your heart or overwhelm your compassion. Let it radicalize your love and crystalize your vision for a future where every child is free.

29/09/2023

Amplifying a call for youth stories and art-based projects!

Solastalgia Zine is looking for submissions youth ages 15-30 across Canada for their 2nd volume. Their theme this year is "Eco-Engagement and Climate Action", a celebration and exploration of how young individuals find resilience, hope, and empowerment in these challenging times. Submit your stories and share daily eco-friendly habits, climate action, or artistic expressions amplifying hope.

Accepting all forms of artwork and creative expressions such as visual art, short stories and essays, poetry, photography, collages, songs, videos and any creative expressions you can think of.

Youth submissions are accepted on a rolling basis ending on November 27th at 11:59 PM PST. Ten (10) selected submissions will receive a $150 honorarium each! The zine will feature these submissions and will be featured on Solastalgia Zine's website, social media and planned in-person events. Artists must be between the ages of 15-30 inclusive and currently reside in Canada. All featured artwork will be credited.

Here's the form to submit: https://forms.gle/8srDVXf5QqHpY3CL6 (also can be found on our LinkTree)

19/08/2023

It's been weeks bearing witness to forest fires that are destroying lives, homes, lands, and causing overwhelming chaos and anxiety. In Hawai'i, in NWT, in Kelowna, and all the communities fleeing danger, there are so many people suffering. The fires feel so close to me, with friends and family directly affected, but I'm also personally very far from immediate danger. Unlike them, it's a choice for me to feel, to distract, to engage, to really pay attention to what's happening, to do something in response.

Perhaps you feel angry, frustrated, anxious, horrified by what happening. Perhaps you feel fatigue, an emotional drain, making it hard to keep up and show care in a meaningful way. I think both of those responses make sense. But one thing I'm reflecting on today is that these are climate-exacerbated disasters, and we ought to connect the dots between the root cause of climate change, which all lead back to systems of power, and the very real material impacts of those systems on our lives (which we're all feeling, though certainly not equally).

I hope your anxiety leads you to love. I hope your love leads you to outrage. I hope your outrage moves you seek justice. I hope it moves you to care for your community. At the very least, I think it's becoming more clear that it's worth it.

10/08/2023

Address change for next week's workshop! We'll be meeting at the Volunteer Victoria office instead. Hope to see you there! Online options are also available - just register and we will send you the link.

29/07/2023

There's still space available in our August youth workshop! Share with a young person in your life who isn't on this app for millennials :)

Eco-anxiety and climate grief are widespread, but community-based supports are just beginning to take root. Through this workshop series, we are hoping to gain a deeper understanding of how to design resources, events, workshops, and programs to fill the gaps.

Visit www.ecoanxious.ca for more info or registration for online or in person participation.

12/07/2023

We need you to tap into your experience - not just your expertise - to help shift the narrative on climate change. Our stories have the power to shape how others perceive what matters, what's at stake, what we want, and what it will take.

Check out the source of this quote, a video by and , on our website.

06/07/2023

Eco-anxiety is a complex topic, and researchers help us understand climate emotions in a deeper way by creating models that explain different connection points.

Panu Pihkala is an eco-anxiety researcher from Finland who has written extensively on eco-anxiety and published many notable articles. His new Process Model of Eco-anxiety is drawing attention throughout the climate mental health community.

In Panu’s model, meaning-making about our climate emotions is a multifaceted process. It includes activities related to Distancing, a key aspect of self-care, as well as Engaging with our emotions. It also includes chronological and thematic aspects. This model has a lot of similarities with our own storytelling approach here at Eco-Anxious Stories, especially the dynamics related to meaning.

Panu contributed a blog to our site to bring further insight into the model and what it can teach us about our eco-anxious stories. Find it through the link in our bio!
– RMC

05/07/2023

Youth in Greater Victoria, BC! Join us for an upcoming workshop where you can:

- Explore your climate emotions and learn about the role our feelings play in building capacity for change.

- Connect around our fears and concerns for our collective future, and hear about stories and tips for channeling our anxiety into action.

- Hear from climate storytellers and local climate action champions about their experiences, and leave with a stronger sense of how to get involved in solutions.

This summer and fall, we are co-hosting hybrid workshops with virtual and in-person options. These workshops are designed for youth and teens. Parents, caregivers, and teachers are also welcome! Note that we do not focus on or address clinical anxiety.

Our first workshop is August 15th, 6:00pm-7:30pm. The location is TBD!

Sign up via the website to be notified about the details of the August 15th event, as well as information about workshops held in October and November, or send us a message here and we'll add you to the list.

29/06/2023

Jothsna () has become a dear friend to Eco-Anxious Stories over the last year, and I’m constantly in awe of her warmth and determination when it comes to uplifting the voices of others – especially those on the frontlines of climate impacts. She brings a clear focus on the stories of Black people, Indigenous people, and People of Colour as they navigate the climate crisis in the context of white supremacy and colonialism.

We linked a new video resource on our site from Project Drawdown where Jothsna points out that we absolutely need to be listening to the voices and experiences of people on the frontlines of climate impacts – that means people who have been historically cut off from access to power and privilege due to their race, ethnicity, ability, gender, income, location, or other social factors. These stories are a pathway to solutions, and without them, we risk entrenching the same power dynamics that got us into this mess. Don’t miss Jothsna’s video and check out her work! ecoanxious.ca

17/05/2023

Inspired by thinkers like Renee Lertzman and Britt Wray, this idea has become a driving force behind Eco-Anxious Stories.

When we make it normal to be outraged, worried, horrified, hurt, and fundamentally not ok with how things are, we gain a deeper capacity to come together for change. It's why sharing our experiences - not just our expertise - is so important to shaping the chapters to come. We can hold space for these feelings and guide the trajectory to care - to compassion, resilience, love, and solidarity - at a systems level.

22/04/2023

Words for wisdom from Rebecca Solnit's Washing Post article from a few weeks ago. 💚🌿

Embrace your eco-anxiety as a longing for the abundance of restoration, the bounty of biodiversity, the exponential potential of courageous care.

13/04/2023

Friendly reminder that ecoanxious.ca has a library of resources to help work through eco-anxiety and connect around our authentic climate stories. Some are home-grown and some are curated from elsewhere online. Check it out and let us know what we should add!

A while back we focused on adding resources for parents and educators, people who serve as a source of wisdom and support for young people as they navigate being alive in 'an era of climate crisis'. This year, we're also working with local organizations here in Victoria BC, Canada, to design a program that brings eco-anxiety workshops and storytelling activites to schools and youth clubs. Contact us if you'd like more information about participating in our pilot program this fall, or if you'd like to bring this program to your community in the future.

Lastly, just a quick not that April is often a month where eco-themes get special attention, and this can come with a mixed bag of emotions for those of us working on climate full time. Be gentle with yourself and your community, and consider sharing your experience with us if it helps you stay present to your feelings.

Love and solidarity 💙

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Videos

Our second episode of our @msfcanada podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube - you can find the link on our profile page. This episode features host Rachel Malena-Chan and Faith Toran, the Communications Coordinator for Climate Smart MSF. Faith tells us about how she found herself working at the intersection of climate action and humanitarian care, and the embodied experiences that motivate her on the hard days. Faith has a strong vision for how Communications Specialists and Climate Scientists can work together to prepare people most at risk of climate health impacts. Faith weaves together local and global perspectives, and she gives us great tips for working through eco-anxiety and eco-anger. Listen now! #ecoanxiety #communitycare #humanitarian #climatechange #climateaction #climateeducation #climatestories #storytelling #mentalhealth #environment

⭐3 reasons to get to know your climate story Join us Feb 21 at 1pm EST for an online workshop with Rachel about climate storytelling. We'll be exploring tips, tools, and frameworks for climate stories at all levels. Big thanks to Crowdsourcing Sustainability for hosting! Check the link in our bio for information about how to register. #climatestories #storytelling #climatecrisis #climatesolutions #ecoanxiety #climateanxiety #ecogrief #workshop

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by your worry about climate change? This podcast is about making space for the stories that bring meaning to the climate crisis and reckoning with our personal and collective role in transforming the chapters to come. I'm your host, Rachel Malena-Chan, Story Strategist and Creator of Eco-Anxious Stories. Join me and Doctors Without Borders in exploring our climate emotions, the humanitarian and mental health impacts of climate change, and the opportunities we have to care for each other in a changing world. Episode 1 features Canadian physician and MSF team member, Reza Eshaghian. #ecoanxiety #podcast #humanitarian #climatejustice #ecogrief #climatechange #climateaction

Join us Thursday evening for another Eco-Anxiety Webinar. All are welcome and it's free! Register at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/ecoanxiety-webinar-tickets-100349126940

Climate journalist and meteorologist Eric Holthaus joined us for a conversation about how eco-anxiety shows up in his life, and how he finds meaning in amplifying the stories of others. Find this five minute episode on the site (link in the bio!) under "Stories" #ecoanxiety #ecoanxious #climateanxiety #climatechange #climsteaction #climatesolutions #passthemic #antiracism #environmentalism #mentalhealth

Caring at the End of the World, a video-zine project with @meghanmast and @j.m.sss See the full video on the Eco-Anxious Stories site - link in the bio! #ecogrief #Ecoanxiety #climateaction #climatesolutions #climatechange #climategrief #mentalhealth

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Welcome friend, you’re not alone.

Feeling worry and fear about the climate crisis?

You’re not alone. Instead of getting stuck in a sense of powerlessness, we’re supporting each other to transform our eco-anxieties into meaningful action grounded in courage and compassion.

Inhale. Exhale.

Eco-anxiety refers to a sense of worry and dread about the climate crisis, overlapping with other feelings like climate grief, powerlessness, or environmental melancholy. It can make you feel helpless and overwhelmed, but together we can learn to cope with these feelings long-term and use them as starting points for powerful change.