What to Do If You Feel Guilt About Climate Change

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Climate Guilt?How Do I Know If I Have Climate Guilt?Climate Guilt vs. Climate AnxietyWhat to Do If You Feel GuiltyActions You Can Take

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

What Is Climate Guilt?

How Do I Know If I Have Climate Guilt?

Climate Guilt vs. Climate Anxiety

What to Do If You Feel Guilty

Actions You Can Take

Close

Guiltandanxietycan be familiar feelings when it comes to climate change. While our earth has always experienced climate change, it has reached a point of rapid acceleration.

As a result, temperatures are rising, droughts are becoming more common, and natural disasters are increasing in intensity.Climate change is a collective issue, one that threatens every one of us and future generations to come.

It isn’t any wonder that we may be experiencing emotional turmoil when considering the state of the world. This is all to say, yourcomplex feelingsare valid.

This article will explore climate guilt, how it is similar to and different fromclimate anxiety, and steps you can take to protect the environment.

Why People Struggle to Stay Motivated in the Fight Against Climate Change

Adverse changes to our earth bring up a myriad of emotions, including anxiety, guilt,paralysis, andanger. Additionally, climate change affects different people in different ways.

For example,Indigenous folkswho rely upon their earth-based practices may experience emotions that are quite different than a city dweller who seldom interacts with the natural world. Climate guilt is just one of the manyemotionsthat can be experienced in response to earth changes.

It isn’t uncommon to feel climate guilt and to witness others experiencing it. You may notice it on yoursocial media feedsor see it come up in conversations with friends. Regardless of how you experience climate guilt, it is immensely challenging.

One person didn’t create climate change. One person shouldn’t shoulder all the responsibility of helping the earth heal.

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Now that we’re clear on what climate guilt is, it can be helpful to determine if it is an issue that applies to you. Take a moment to consider how guiltfeels in your body.

Do you feel yourstomachdrop? Does your face begin to feel hot? Do your shoulderstense up? Now, consider some of the things that bring you guilt.

Perhaps it is when you unintentionally harmed another person. Maybe it is when you realize you took action before thinking through the ramifications.

Holding in mind what guilt feels like for you, explore the below examples to consider if you’re currently experiencing climate guilt:

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Is Climate Guilt the Same Thing as Climate Anxiety?

Climate guilt and climate anxiety do have some similarities, but they are two different terms.

The American Psychological Association (APA) describes eco-anxiety as “the chronic fear of environmental cataclysm that comes from observing the seemingly irrevocable impact of climate change and the associated concern for one’s future and that of next generations."

While guilt is not a pleasant emotion, it actually can be a powerfulmotivator. A recent study states thatguiltcan lead to significant changes in behavior, resulting in environmentally-friendly behavior. If how you are acting and what you are doing is not congruent with how you want to be and show up in the world, guilt informs you of this dissonance and gives you an opportunity to live in greater alignment with yourself.

In fact, collective guilt has been proven to be linked to actions that support the slowing of climate change. This is in stark contrast to climate anxiety, which doesn’t necessarily translate into positive action.

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What to Do If You Feel Guilty About Climate Change

Guilt is a challenging feeling to hold for a sustained period of time, so it is quite important toseek help. Thougha psychotherapistcannot fix the issue of climate change, they can help you develop tools to manage the guilt you’re feeling.

Protecting the climate is a collective effort, not an issue that just one person can take on. If we all commit to more sustainable practices, we can begin to shift the course of climate change together.

The most important thing to have in mind is to keep learning and unlearning, to do your best with the awareness and abilities that you have, and to practice both self-accountability and self-compassion. If something feels unmanageable for your lifestyle, that is OK. Do your best when you can.

Below are some things you can do to help protect our earth:

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A Word From Verywell

You’re not alone if you’re feelingoverwhelmed, hopeless, and angry about climate change. However, remember collective effort is powerful. When in doubt, look for those who are focusing on solutions and join them. Finding like-minded communities that are equally committed to creatingchangeis incredibly important.

Seeking out professional help can be especially crucial if it feels like you can no longer carry these intense feelings alone. Limit yournews consumptionif needed and keep your eye on actionable solutions you can be a part of.

7 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Bulkeley H.Cities and Climate Change. 1st ed. England, UK: Routledge; 2013.Ágoston C, Csaba B, Nagy B, et al.Identifying types of eco-anxiety, eco-guilt, eco-grief, and eco-coping in a climate-sensitive population: a qualitative study.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(4):2461. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19042461Mallett RK.Eco-guilt motivates eco-friendly behavior.Ecopsychology. 2012;4(3):223-231. doi: 10.1089/eco.2012.0031American Psychological Association.Mental health and our changing climate: Impacts, inequities, responses.Van Rensburg ML, Nkomo SL, Dube T.The ‘plastic waste era’; social perceptions towards single-use plastic consumption and impacts on the marine environment in Durban, South Africa.APPL GEOGR. 2020;114:102132. doi: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2019.102132Moglia M, Cook S, Tapsuwan S.Promoting water conservation: where to from here?Water. 2018;10(11):1510. doi: 10.3390/w10111510Niinimäki K, Peters G, Dahlbo H, Perry P, Rissanen T, Gwilt A.The environmental price of fast fashion.Nat Rev Earth Environ. 2020;1(4):189-200. doi: 10.1038/s43017-020-0039-9

7 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Bulkeley H.Cities and Climate Change. 1st ed. England, UK: Routledge; 2013.Ágoston C, Csaba B, Nagy B, et al.Identifying types of eco-anxiety, eco-guilt, eco-grief, and eco-coping in a climate-sensitive population: a qualitative study.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(4):2461. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19042461Mallett RK.Eco-guilt motivates eco-friendly behavior.Ecopsychology. 2012;4(3):223-231. doi: 10.1089/eco.2012.0031American Psychological Association.Mental health and our changing climate: Impacts, inequities, responses.Van Rensburg ML, Nkomo SL, Dube T.The ‘plastic waste era’; social perceptions towards single-use plastic consumption and impacts on the marine environment in Durban, South Africa.APPL GEOGR. 2020;114:102132. doi: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2019.102132Moglia M, Cook S, Tapsuwan S.Promoting water conservation: where to from here?Water. 2018;10(11):1510. doi: 10.3390/w10111510Niinimäki K, Peters G, Dahlbo H, Perry P, Rissanen T, Gwilt A.The environmental price of fast fashion.Nat Rev Earth Environ. 2020;1(4):189-200. doi: 10.1038/s43017-020-0039-9

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Bulkeley H.Cities and Climate Change. 1st ed. England, UK: Routledge; 2013.Ágoston C, Csaba B, Nagy B, et al.Identifying types of eco-anxiety, eco-guilt, eco-grief, and eco-coping in a climate-sensitive population: a qualitative study.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(4):2461. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19042461Mallett RK.Eco-guilt motivates eco-friendly behavior.Ecopsychology. 2012;4(3):223-231. doi: 10.1089/eco.2012.0031American Psychological Association.Mental health and our changing climate: Impacts, inequities, responses.Van Rensburg ML, Nkomo SL, Dube T.The ‘plastic waste era’; social perceptions towards single-use plastic consumption and impacts on the marine environment in Durban, South Africa.APPL GEOGR. 2020;114:102132. doi: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2019.102132Moglia M, Cook S, Tapsuwan S.Promoting water conservation: where to from here?Water. 2018;10(11):1510. doi: 10.3390/w10111510Niinimäki K, Peters G, Dahlbo H, Perry P, Rissanen T, Gwilt A.The environmental price of fast fashion.Nat Rev Earth Environ. 2020;1(4):189-200. doi: 10.1038/s43017-020-0039-9

Bulkeley H.Cities and Climate Change. 1st ed. England, UK: Routledge; 2013.

Ágoston C, Csaba B, Nagy B, et al.Identifying types of eco-anxiety, eco-guilt, eco-grief, and eco-coping in a climate-sensitive population: a qualitative study.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(4):2461. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19042461

Mallett RK.Eco-guilt motivates eco-friendly behavior.Ecopsychology. 2012;4(3):223-231. doi: 10.1089/eco.2012.0031

American Psychological Association.Mental health and our changing climate: Impacts, inequities, responses.

Van Rensburg ML, Nkomo SL, Dube T.The ‘plastic waste era’; social perceptions towards single-use plastic consumption and impacts on the marine environment in Durban, South Africa.APPL GEOGR. 2020;114:102132. doi: 10.1016/j.apgeog.2019.102132

Moglia M, Cook S, Tapsuwan S.Promoting water conservation: where to from here?Water. 2018;10(11):1510. doi: 10.3390/w10111510

Niinimäki K, Peters G, Dahlbo H, Perry P, Rissanen T, Gwilt A.The environmental price of fast fashion.Nat Rev Earth Environ. 2020;1(4):189-200. doi: 10.1038/s43017-020-0039-9

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