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

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 💙

21/03/2023

A new IPCC report was released this week, and it's hard to engage with it without feeling anxiety bubble up. I know how crucial this moment is for action, but I feel desensitized to these scientific realities. I feel betrayed by governments for being so so far from their commitments and I feel cynical about them doing anything differently anytime soon.

But even in my anxiety and cynicism, I feel determined. know we wont stop taking care of each other. I know we wont stop trying to prevent every preventable harm, every bit of warming we can stop. Because it all matters, even when it feels like no one cares - even when it feels too hard to care.

Eco-anxiety is just the beginning of the story. Let's deepen our capacity to care collectively.

23/02/2023

Why do we focus on eco-anxiety instead of other eco-emotions?

Every area of focus has its strengths and limits, but we like to use eco-anxiety as an entry-point for conversations about climate change, mental health, and storytelling, because anxiety is a rationale response to Act 1 of the climate narrative we are all a part of. It make sense, when confronted with the reality of the planet's warming and the systems causing it to warm, to be fearful, worried, and even overwhelmed with anxious feelings. It's not a bad thing to wake up to this reality. However, it can be a problem to get stuck in Act 1.

Instead of turning away from this story and shutting down before we explore these feelings more, we can make space for people to sit with Act 2 of the narrative. To us, that means recognizing what choices we have - and perhaps do not have - in light of the reality and severity of the problem. It means getting in touch with the values, the love, and the capacity that underlies our deep grief about the state of things. When we allow people space and support to experience their eco-anxiety, we can lead people to a deeper understanding of collective power, solidarity, and the need to create strong and resilient communities.

By inviting people into Act 1 and leading them through the dark discomforts of Act 2, we can begin to imagine an Act 3 worth living for. We create space to dream, to rest, to be cared for, to respond meaningfully and forget better choices for those that follow us. Act 3 is where anxiety can transform into attunement - to listening, to leaning into solutions and new possibilities.

Telling our eco-anxious stories is a chance to move through our feelings without ignoring them. It's a chance to bring others face-to-face with the high stakes we all face, and recognizing that none of us is alone in this story. We all have a role to play in shaping how it turns out!

14/02/2023

Embrace the cycles of your capacity to care.

Invest in the spaces, places, and people who build capacity and courage to care for ourselves, our communities, and our home.

Remember that caring is a kaleidescope of meaningful movements.

08/02/2023

Stories are the language of meaning. Climate storytelling is a powerful and under-used tool for shaping other people’s perceptions of what is happening, what is worth doing, and what is possible when we work together. Don't underestimate the power of your story!

Join us February 21st at 1 pm EST, for a workshop with Story Strategist and Co-Founder of Eco-Anxious Stories, Rachel Malena-Chan, for a workshop to help you:

- Put eco-emotions into context so that you can respond to them with compassion.
- Craft your own personal “climate story” around the themes and characters that mobilize you.
- Communicate with others about the climate crisis from a place of personal clarity and empowerment.
- Apply story as a powerful tool for organizing, connecting, and changemaking.

Link to register is in the bio, or visit https://crowdsourcingsustainability.community/

Here’s more about Crowdsourcing Sustainability and their awesome new community platform:

Crowdsourcing Sustainability is beloved by over 200,000 people across 150+ countries who care deeply about the climate crisis and are committed to acting to create positive change. Their new community platform is a (free) place to learn and grow together, connect with people who share your care and commitment, and take meaningful action together. Whether you're new to the climate space and want to find your place in it, have a project that you need support bringing to life, or are a seasoned climate worker who's ready to support others on their climate journey - the Crowdsourcing Sustainability Community is for you! With live events, tool and resources, project sharing and collaboration tools, discussion forums, and curated support for wherever you are on your climate journey, the CS Community is here to help maximize our collective impact for a safe, healthy, and just future for all.

07/02/2023

Eco-anxiety is not an isolated feeling - it is echoed by eco-rage, eco-joy, eco-love, and any other number of emotions that might characterize our relationship with the planet we call home. As we make sense of our eco-emotions, it helps to use storytelling to gain a wider view on the context and characters at hand.

When I do eco-anxiety workshops, I encourage folks to reflect on this quote by Britt Wray to demonstrate how our eco-anxiety is rooted in a story that is about "more than molecules". This is about our relationship to other characters in the story, and our relationship to power over the choices that define the outcome of the story.

As you follow your feelings toward a deeper understanding your climate story, consider:
- How do I feel about the climate crisis?
- Who are the key characters of my climate story?
- How do I feel about each individual or group within my core cast of characters?
- What kind of power dynamics exist between me and the other key characters in my story?

Filling out the narrative can give you a clearer picture of your feelings and where they might lead you. Take care friends, and reach out to someone you trust for support if your feelings become too overwhelming.

01/02/2023

Hi friends, Rachel here - I run the Eco-Anxious Stories account with the help of a team of creative folks behind the scenes. Big thanks to for creating the wonderful look and feel of our feed and to for bringing the designs to life week to week.

Eco-Anxious Stories has been my passion project for many years. These days, with eco-anxiety rising in the public consciousness, Eco-Anxious Stories is taking up more and more time, no longer staying contained to the side of my desk :)

We're starting to offer services, lead collaborative projects, create more consistent content, and aim to bring more tools and reflection to the folks who follow us. It's exciting, and a tad overwhelming, to think of all that we could do together if more people were supported to sit with their eco-emotions and tell their climate stories!

reminded me via Twitter this week that, while self-promotion feels gross most of the time, "the actual self-centered thing is to believe that people will just flock to your work (based on talent/"merit") without you having to say anything about it/support readers in finding it". In this spirit, we'll be sharing more in the future about who we are and what we do, and we encourage you to sign up for our newsletter to hear more about upcoming events, collaborations, calls for content submissions, and more. We have a newsletter coming out in the next week or so - sign up today!

Be gentle with yourselves, and have courage.

18/01/2023

Happy new year friends, hoping that you had time to rest and reflect over the last few months.

The days are slowly getting longer, but we don't have to speed up just yet :) take it easy and remember to honour the time that care takes.

Release and relax, focus on what you already have to offer.

17/09/2022

It's that time of year! Kids are back in school, and they may be encountering climate change in their studies. Take the opportunity to talk about eco-anxiety and how we can use our stories to influence change.

Check out our My Climate Story curriculum - free for teachers and parents to download - where we draw on the public stories of real-life climate activists and show how powerful it is to share your perspective, especially as a young person. Pair this storytelling activity series with your science lessons, your civics lessons, or your art classes. Climate storytelling is for everyone!

15/09/2022

Tell me, how does your anxiety and grief move you into deeper connection with those around you? How does it deepen your courage? What do you do with all that love?

Watch this video at ecoanxious.ca

09/09/2022

I'm always grateful when someone sits down with me and is willing to talk about how they plug in with big, scary issues of our time. How can we care for each other in the midst of all these overlapping crises? We end up talking about how it IS overwhelming, it's unavoidably tricky and uncomfortable. There are waves of celebration, but also many waves of struggle. So what keeps us in the water? A sense of responsibility to keep having the hard conversations - about climate, about racism, about the future we want for the next generation.

- Rachel with

Listen to Rachel and Kayla's conversation on the Eco-Anxious Stories site through the Stories portal. Link is in the bio!

08/08/2022

How can you talk about climate change if you're not an "expert" in climate change? Tell your eco-anxious story.

Here are 8 reasons to tap into your narrative power.

18/07/2022

Teach kids that their climate feelings matter, and help them see that their voice can make change!

I'm so excited to finally share My Climate Story with you all. It's a tool for teachers, parents, and kids who are learning about climate change together. We developed this tool on partnership with to pair with their climate change curriculum. It outlines an 8-part lesson plan for exploring our climate stories, geared at Grades 3-6, but adaptable for all ages.

This resource brings a storytelling approach to discussions about eco-anxiety, climate action, and our agency in the context of overlapping ecological and social crises.

We approached this tool understanding that children are likely already picking up on the issues and tensions surrounding climate change. They deserve spaces to process their feeling as they make sense of what they’re learning and experiencing.

You'll be hearing more about it in the weeks to come! For now, it's available for FREE on our site under the Resources tab.

15/07/2022

Feeling eco-anxious? Deep breaths.

Here are a few things to remind yourself as you make your way through your feelings.

1. Eco-anxiety makes sense. What you're feeling is normal, and it's not your fault. If you need help connecting the dots, do some reading about the systemic causes of the climate crisis.

2. Eco-anxiety is widespread. You're not alone. Millions of people - if not billions - are seeing what you see, and they too, are not ok with our collective trajectory.

3. Eco-anxiety is mobilizing. These feelings don't have to stop us in our tracks (at least not permanently!). We can open ourselves up to immense capacity for change when the stakes are this high.

4. Eco-anxiety is long-term. There are no quick fixes here. Countless solutions and opportunities for action exist, and they require us to work together and sustain our efforts for multiple generations. That means we're shifting culture, baby! Find communities that care about you, that nurture your rest and your roles. Contribute to building robust care networks that anticipate the long, challenging road ahead.💙

11/07/2022

If you've visited ecoanxious.ca lately, you'll see that we've got a new look and a new site! Browse our story collection or check out our growing list of eco-anxiety resources. Big thanks to for helping us create a beautiful space to explore these ideas.

This quote from Sharmarke's story still sticks with me - calling on us to think about how we can make change within systems. As a refugee and a city councillor, Sharmarke knows first hand what it means to create systems that serve us all - not just those already at the top. Addressing climate change means addressing all the oppressive social structures behind it, and that's no small feat. But we all have a part to play!

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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.