Climate Change and Mental Health: Watch out for Stories of Scarcity
By Alexandra Arnold, ACC, MSPsych, Climate Resilience Coach at Alma Coaching & Consulting
The story of “not enough”
One of our most powerful self-sabotaging thoughts is “not enough.” “You are not good enough,” “you don’t have enough.”
This message is reinforced in cultures that promote consumerism and competition and lead us to believe that we always need to acquire more, do more, be more—and faster.
Think of all of the marketing messages that create a sense of scarcity to sell more products and services: “only 3 seats left, sales end in 24 hours, reserve your spot before it’s too late, register NOW!”
In the context of climate change, the biggest cause of distress is thinking that there is not enough: not enough time, not enough people who care, not enough political willpower, not enough large systems change, not enough resources for everyone, and the list goes on.
When we hear such messages telling us over and over that there is NOT ENOUGH, it triggers our natural survival instinct—the fight-flight-freeze mode. In this normal stress response we become defensive, prioritize our own needs, and do whatever it takes to protect the little that we feel is left.
In this state of laser focus and hypervigilance, the brain shuts down all functions that are not essential to immediate survival. Unfortunately, these are the very skills that are most needed to face such a large, complex, and long-term problem as climate change like innovation, creativity, and collaboration. With a scarcity mindset, we limit our capacity to envision the world we want to live in, the vision of the ideal future we actually need to guide rational, reasonable, effective, and sustainable action. If we can’t imagine where we’re going, we won’t know what to do right now.
Messages of scarcity make us feel scared, hopeless, frustrated, angry, lost, overwhelmed, confused, and all sorts of other emotions (referred to as “climate anxiety.”)
Tips to Combat Scarcity
Thankfully, we can choose to buy into a different story and “look at the glass half full,” not in a pollyannaish kind of way, but with calm, perspective, and openness. Here are some tools to resist falling into the scarcity mindset.
Calm down. If you are already in the fight-flight-freeze mode (that could look like frantic action fueled by rage, denial, or paralysis), the first step is to manage stress and soothe the nervous system. Breathing techniques, meditation, exercise, time in nature, or journaling are good starting points. It also helps to talk about it, in appropriate ways, for example in climate cafes (free, often online), or with a climate-aware coach or therapist.
Be grateful. Regardless of circumstances, there is always something to be grateful for even if it is very small. Sometimes it takes the form of a lesson learned from the challenges we are facing. All faiths and disciplines point to gratitude as a major tool to build resilience and improve emotional well-being. What are you thankful that you do have right now? Make this a daily practice and it will soon become an automatic response when you start feeling that there is not enough.
Redefine abundance. When the idea of “not enough” comes to mind, ask yourself “but what is enough?”. What is it that you truly need? Do you really need more things? What is really important? What are simple, free, intangible treasures around you? How rich is your life thanks to your relationships with friends, or your pets? What would it look like to enjoy the time that you do have by slowing down and being fully present? How much abundance can you find by truly savoring a meal?
Tame the Inner Critic. You do not need to be an expert, a psychologist, or a scientist to learn to cope with climate distress and to take meaningful actions. All of us hear that voice that says “you don’t know enough” and “you are not good enough.” That is the Inner Critic, a normal thought process that means to protect us. It is triggered by fear: fear of failing, fear of not being perfect, fear of being rejected or not fitting in, fear of not having the right answer or solution, fear of not being ENOUGH. The Inner Critic is very good at keeping us stuck, always waiting for a better time, better skills, more knowledge, more courage, more money… What we need instead is for everyone to embrace their imperfection and use the strengths they do have to do the little things that they can, so that together the movement will make a significant difference.
Take back time. A common message related to the climate crisis is, there is not enough time. What does that exactly mean, time for what? Is it helpful to look at a countdown while our anxiety goes up? Rather be your own judge and look back at the past year and notice what progress has been made in your own life, in your community, or at a greater scale. Look back in history and major movements, and how quickly something actually can happen. Do you know that 3-D printed houses can be built in less than three days?! This is not to deny the urgency of the climate situation, but to bring some balance to the unhelpful scarcity messages. When you look back at the end of your life, what will make you feel good about what you did with the time that you did have?
Ask for proof. Another strong sense of scarcity comes from the belief that not enough people care. Oftentimes we feel alone because people around us don’t talk about it. Is that really true? According to a study just published by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, 70% of Americans think that global warming is happening, 50% say they have personally experienced the effects of global warming, 64% say they are at least “somewhat worried” about global warming, 62% of Americans say they feel a personal sense of responsibility to help reduce global warming… However the article also reveals that 66% of Americans say they “rarely” or “never” discuss global warming with family and friends, which is not surprising since it is such a complex, personal and emotional topic. Thankfully there are more and more ways to learn to talk about it in safe, non-judgemental ways. If the voice of scarcity is still loud, consider this University of Pennsylvania study that says that the tipping point for a large-scale social change is 25%. Indeed, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” says Margaret Meade.
Moving forward, be mindful of when you are falling into stories of scarcity. When it happens, take a deep breath, find something to be grateful for, and ask, “Is this really true? Can I find evidence of the opposite? What if there was just ENOUGH?”
To learn more tools to manage the stress caused by climate change, consider joining me for VCPI’s 12-week online course: From Climate Anxiety to Climate Resilience, starting September 11, 2024 (CEUs available).