Do we recognise the impact of climate change on mental health enough?
Great news – you are reading JustBeing! The first ever edition to the bi-monthly newsletter by Beingworks!
Today, we are going to be opening the discussion by talking about all thing's climate change and climate anxiety.
On socials last week, we passionately shared and spread the word about World Bee Day 2022. So, we want to recap and keep that connection and discussion going!
With the official start of summer just around the corner, the bright mornings and sunny lunch time walks, it is the perfect time say ‘Honey, I’m home!’.
So, why do we care about Bees so much? 🐝🌼
Well, what many of us don’t realise is that bees and other pollinators are a key part to our environment and way of living. They essentially help to maintain our food supply and support our ecosystem.
But sadly, bees are being negatively impacted more and more by climate change. Especially with the less predictable season shifts, and more frequent weather changes e.g., increased heatwaves and heavy rainfall. And because of this, bees and other pollinators are lacking the synchronicity with the plants they forage on, as well as the diversity of the flowering plants.
Those little yellow fuzzy friends of ours are facing stressful times. They essentially don’t have the habitat they need to survive.
The great news is that there are some things we can do to help to save the bees!
Ranging from planting nectar rich flowers, to spreading awareness of bees to all ages, as well as supporting honey from local bee keepers, there are so many little changes we can do which will help the bees immensely. Check out our post over on LinkedIn for the full list of tips and tricks!
But... What about climate change on mental health? 🧠
Well, eco-anxiety otherwise known as climate anxiety is a global issue which is more common than we think.
This is expressed in so many different ways and is essentially down to the current concerns of the environment.
What many of us don’t realise, is that this can range from worries about the uncertainty of the future, the loss of natural habitats, lack of global action and overwhelming feelings of helplessness.
And what's even more worrisome, is that eco-anxiety has been seen to impact young people aged 16-25, who are becoming more anxious, fearful and worried about the future of the planet.
Shockingly, as found in recent research, 59% of young people are very worried about climate change, where over 45% have noticed these anxious and worrying feelings negatively affecting their everyday lives. It brings feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, lack of power and shame for own contributions to climate change and damaged caused to the environment overall.
And a mix of these world and personal events have resulted in a variety of psychological stressors.
This just shows how much eco-anxiety needs to be addressed and discussed more!
Thankfully, there are some simple ways which can help to make a difference...
🌍 Understand what your impact is as a human on the planet
💬 Speak to people not educated about the climate
🪣 Regularly check and empty your stress bucket
✔ Reach out to community leaders and groups to understand how you can volunteer
🏃 Take part in regular exercise
And just a quick positive note to finish off, the IPCC notes there is a little window of hope. Being that if we act now, we can limit and mitigate the worst risk.
Hope is the key that can help us become more motivated to make that positive change.
Here at Beingworks, we are so passionate about spreading awareness and recognising how someone can support individuals facing mental health and wellbeing concerns. Reach out to discuss or talk about this further!
So over to you – tell us your thoughts and opinions around climate change and climate anxiety? What resonates with you most?👇