Youth Climate Anxiety and How to Help Your Kids

As if being a teenager wasn’t hard enough, kids today are keenly aware of the jeopardy the planet is in, and are watching in slow motion as governments, businesses, and yes- parents- seemingly do nothing.

A February YouGov poll from the Woodland Trust has been making headlines this week, as it provides a UK representative sample of the impact climate anxiety is having on the population- particularly young people. 31% of those aged 16–24 said they were “very worried” about climate change, and 33% said hearing about climate change scared them. A staggering 91% reported not feeling like they have a great deal of influence on decisions about climate change.

These findings echo an Imperial College London study published in the Lancet last September, which found that young people were more concerned about the climate crisis than the recent pandemic, even among those with lower general anxiety. 52% of those surveyed reported worry over climate inaction, compared to 37% being worried about the pandemic’s impact. When questioned on choices, actions and impact, researchers found that young people had more guilt, shame, and disappointment around potential contributions to climate change versus the spread of Covid-19, with more feelings of powerlessness too.

Kids are right to be worried, and as grownups, we need to acknowledge that those feelings are a natural, empathetic response to a global crisis.

So how can we help?

The World Economic Forum suggests three different coping strategies to help children and young people manage eco-anxiety:

1. Problem-focused coping: Actively taking steps to address climate change.
2. Emotion-focused coping: Dealing with the negative thoughts and feelings around climate change.
3. Meaning-focused coping: Acknowledging and managing the negative feelings while also stimulating positive ones (hope, empowerment, justice) by actively combating climate change.

Meaning- focused coping has been shown to have the greatest positive impact on eco-anxiety, but each of these coping strategies will help empower your child and teach them important problem solving, communication, and organisational skills which they can use across their lives.

Listen to your child

(Emotion- focused, Meaning- focused)

Start by talking to your child about climate change, prioritising what they already know and what they feel about it. Remember, most young people have seen doom-posts and climate disasters online, and there is every chance that how they consume alternative media means they actually are better versed on climate issues than you, so let them teach you. By actively listening and engaging with what they say, you’re validating and empowering them, reinforcing that they do have a voice and they can have an impact.

Work with your child

(Problem- focused, emotion- focused, meaning- focused)

Find out what their priorities are and then help them achieve them. This could be small, like helping them transition your household away from single use plastics, or bigger, like helping them organise a community event or canvass for political action. Kids want their parents to be on their side, and having your support will have huge mental health benefits.

Take action yourself

(Problem- focused, meaning- focused)

Don’t put all the responsibility on younger generations- it’s massively overwhelming and not particularly fair. Kids may not vocally celebrate your actions, and teenagers might even dismiss them or call them inadequate, but children do notice what their parents do, and it does impact their sense of safety, wellness, and self to know you take their concerns seriously.

Practical Actions you can take for your Family

(Problem- focused, emotion- focused, meaning- focused)

There’s been a lot of focus on big-ticket transitions like insulating your house, installing solar panels or transitioning to an electric car, and though all of those actions are great- they aren’t attainable for most families right now. So what can you do affordably?

1. Reduce your meat and dairy- This has the added benefit of also being cheaper and healthier. Bulk up pies and soups with lentils, and use mushrooms instead of meat in your favourite pasta sauce or wrap. Many alternative milks (soy, oat and nut) come in cardboard packaging which helps reduce your plastic waste as well.
2. Reduce single-use packaging- Most of us now carry our own shopping bags, but try to buy produce without wrapping and pantry items like beans and rice in bulk. Consider switching to bars of soap, shampoo, and deodorant- and look at replacing house cleaning supplies with vinegar and bicarbonate of soda.
3. Mend and Recycle- You can make cleaning rags by cutting strips out of old clothes, and if you’re missing a wardrobe item, head to the charity shop first. Many old clothes are actually repairable. You can make patches out of discarded items (like with dishrags) and there’s a real movement towards “visible” mending right now, so you don’t even have to do it well to keep wearing what you already own.
4. Turn to your community- Would it be helpful to have a neighbourhood sharing economy for school uniforms and kids’ shoes? Start one! Is there green space for local kids to play in? Organise and head to the council. Are local businesses prioritising sustainability? Start an initiative to help them.
5. Spend time in nature- That same Woodland Trust survey found that 86% of people surveyed reported feeling better after being outside and in nature. That means you can actively help the mental health of your children by taking them outdoors- whether it’s playing in the park, hiking through the woods, camping in the mountains or adventures in the sea. Whatever outdoor space you have access to, take advantage of.
6. Contribute to projects and organisations- Is there a local environmental group that needs donations or volunteers? Is there a charity you believe in that could use some help? Can you afford to take out an offset subscription?

For more resources and solutions visit Switch2Zero.