my transition from a state of climate-anxiety
towards ENVIRONMENTAL GREATNESS
I have experienced first hand what it is like to suffer from climate anxiety and eco worry. In 1999 when my eco-anxiety peaked I was very close to becoming sick with worry, anger and frustration.
Since then I have meditated, studied the mind and our emotions for insights and understanding on how to become more effective in my environmental work and how to cope better mentally and emotionally.
During this time I noticed the following relationship:
Since then I have meditated, studied the mind and our emotions for insights and understanding on how to become more effective in my environmental work and how to cope better mentally and emotionally.
During this time I noticed the following relationship:
- When I think and obsess about the environmental problems, I actually help them continue to exist and all the worry and anxiety makes me sick. When I think and focus on the solutions, I start creating a way forward and I feel empowered and hopeful.
- When I think in terms of “us and them”, I help to create division and conflict in the world. When I manage to step into unity where there are no "they", only "us", I start to create dialog, bridge building and green peacemaking in the world.
- When I have an attitude of judging, shaming and blaming I help to foster non-respect in the world, the very energy that plays a major part in the environmental crisis we are in. When I instead manage to separate between the human being and the subject matter, I become an agent for peace, respect, compassion, equality and acceptance.
I had been my own worst enemy on my quest towards a green, clean and flourishing planet.
I have to admit that this realisation took some time to both accept and to process. However, after the initial shock, I started asking myself: How can I can assist the turning of this ship (the planet) and its crew (humanity) around from a path of degeneration towards a path of regeneration and harmony, by not only integrating sustainability into my life but also by taking responsibility for the power of my mind?
I started cleaning up doom and gloom thoughts and beliefs in my head, and started changing the habits of my mind by using meditation, healing and mental training techniques. A practical example of one of the things that I did was to consciously shift my focus from previously spending about 95% of my time and energy on the problems, and 5% on the solutions, to instead start spending the majority of my time and energy on the solutions.
As I did this, I started to feel less anxious and more hopeful. My connection to the Earth deepened. My energy increased and I felt environmentally inspired from a place of joy!
I am not saying that we should deny the current state of the environment nor become complacent but rather start taking responsibility for what we are doing inside our heads.
The old researcher within me couldn’t help but to check out some current literature and research in the area of eco-anxiety and psychology. It showed that my personal insights and current research do go hand in hand (please see the list of references below for further reading).
I started cleaning up doom and gloom thoughts and beliefs in my head, and started changing the habits of my mind by using meditation, healing and mental training techniques. A practical example of one of the things that I did was to consciously shift my focus from previously spending about 95% of my time and energy on the problems, and 5% on the solutions, to instead start spending the majority of my time and energy on the solutions.
As I did this, I started to feel less anxious and more hopeful. My connection to the Earth deepened. My energy increased and I felt environmentally inspired from a place of joy!
I am not saying that we should deny the current state of the environment nor become complacent but rather start taking responsibility for what we are doing inside our heads.
The old researcher within me couldn’t help but to check out some current literature and research in the area of eco-anxiety and psychology. It showed that my personal insights and current research do go hand in hand (please see the list of references below for further reading).
conclusion
Based on my own personal insights and today’s research, I made the following conclusion:
When we start to incorporate the power of the mind into the recipe of creating a sustainable future, it will reach a tipping point, and life as we know it will start to shift quickly. Eventually we will see big results and changes for the efforts we are putting in! Yay!
By working in both the physical dimension and the dimension of the mind simultaneously, we become part of the solution - fast tracking towards a green, clean and flourishing planet that is endlessly regenerating, abundant and full of life.
When we start to incorporate the power of the mind into the recipe of creating a sustainable future, it will reach a tipping point, and life as we know it will start to shift quickly. Eventually we will see big results and changes for the efforts we are putting in! Yay!
By working in both the physical dimension and the dimension of the mind simultaneously, we become part of the solution - fast tracking towards a green, clean and flourishing planet that is endlessly regenerating, abundant and full of life.
Isn’t it fantastic that we live in a time when we have the correct recipe, as well as having access to all the ingredients required, which will enable us to transform this massive environmental crisis into something wholesome and beautiful for the benefit of all living beings on Earth.
I am ready to do the work. Are you?
Reflection: Are you using your mind as an instrument of destruction or an instrument of creating a happy and healthy planet?
List of references to supporting literature
Cheavens, J.; Scott, M.; Eliott, S. (2005). Interdisciplinary perspectives on hope. (pp. 119-132). Hauppauge, NY, US: Nova Science Publishers, xii, 296 pp.
Feldman. D., & Dreher. D. (2011). Can hope be changed in 90 minutes? Testing the efficacy of a single-session goal-pursuit intervention for college students. Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011.
Ojala, M. (2007). Hope and worry. Exploring young people's values, emotions, and behavior regarding global environmental problems. Doktorands avhandling. Örebro Universitet.
Pugliese, A. & Ray, J. (2010). Fewer Americans, Europeans View Global Warming as a Threat. Gallup. Hämtat 7 augusti 2012 från www.gallup.com/poll/147203/Fewer-Americans-Europeans-View-Global-Warming-Threat.aspx
Trygg Hansa & WWF. (2012). Världens chans. En rapport om barn och föräldrars tankar om klimatförändringar. Länk: www.wwf.se/nyhetsbrev/source.php/1469905/V%E4rldens%20chans%20-%20en%20rapport%20fr%E5n%20Trygg-Hansa.pdf
Wikipedia. (2012b). Placeboeffekt. Hämtat 15 januari 2013 från http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placeboeffekt
I am ready to do the work. Are you?
Reflection: Are you using your mind as an instrument of destruction or an instrument of creating a happy and healthy planet?
List of references to supporting literature
Cheavens, J.; Scott, M.; Eliott, S. (2005). Interdisciplinary perspectives on hope. (pp. 119-132). Hauppauge, NY, US: Nova Science Publishers, xii, 296 pp.
Feldman. D., & Dreher. D. (2011). Can hope be changed in 90 minutes? Testing the efficacy of a single-session goal-pursuit intervention for college students. Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011.
Ojala, M. (2007). Hope and worry. Exploring young people's values, emotions, and behavior regarding global environmental problems. Doktorands avhandling. Örebro Universitet.
Pugliese, A. & Ray, J. (2010). Fewer Americans, Europeans View Global Warming as a Threat. Gallup. Hämtat 7 augusti 2012 från www.gallup.com/poll/147203/Fewer-Americans-Europeans-View-Global-Warming-Threat.aspx
Trygg Hansa & WWF. (2012). Världens chans. En rapport om barn och föräldrars tankar om klimatförändringar. Länk: www.wwf.se/nyhetsbrev/source.php/1469905/V%E4rldens%20chans%20-%20en%20rapport%20fr%E5n%20Trygg-Hansa.pdf
Wikipedia. (2012b). Placeboeffekt. Hämtat 15 januari 2013 från http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placeboeffekt