Solastalgia: The Mental Health Effects of Climate Change
When people think of climate change, they think of the Arctic dwindling away, or the ozone layer. To the large majority of us, these are abstract concepts that are used as examples to make the problem seem just as far away. But there is a secret killer from climate change that is hurting many of us coming from way closer: our own mental states.
Picture a trip back to your childhood home, or any location from your past that brought you joy. Now, picture the nature around it, what has changed? Are the same types of plants thriving, or were they scorched by heat waves? Were the large trees toppled over from ice storms? What about the place you used to call home has been industrialized or has been deprived of its natural beauty? Try to tap into that feeling of a natural change, now think about how natural it actually was? What could have prevented it? What actually caused those damages?
Solastalgia, a term coined by environmentalist Glenn Albrecht to define a sense of longing to a changing environment, specifically in relation to climate change. You are in the same place, but everything is changing, and there is little you can do about it. A homesickness while at home. This is also commonly known as climate doom anxiety. The fear that Earth is becoming irreversibly damaged. This feeling has become more common due to fear-mongering both online and in real life. The more people who become aware of climate change and the nature of it, the more powerless they can feel. This sense of doom and longing — how are we supposed to manage it all? Well, unfortunately, there aren’t simple answers for this. Most people can take this anxiety and use it as a wake-up call or motivator to make a change in their community, which is why some activists use the fear-mongering strategy. But to some, this can be truly debilitating.
All of us should be feeling some level of solastalgia, as significant change in our environment is something we have seen especially recently. In the Pacific Northwest specifically, extreme weather events are becoming more and more frequent. From strong heat waves and wildfires to ice storms, the weather is swiftly becoming unlike what residents remember. Sharing fond memories of past winters and summers and complaining about the weather now is a form of solastalgia. Being an advocate for climate change isn’t an easy act, but it is one you must do if you care for the people and places around you. This isn’t just about the icebergs and the ozone layer, this is about those who fear for a world with less nature, whose future children won’t be able to see certain animals or eat certain fruits. This is about your home, and that feeling of losing your home is one that the average person needs to focus on. This grief and anger towards losing parts of Earth should be your reasoning for trying more. Get active in your community, find what you can do, and do it. But at the same time, make sure to check in with your emotions. Doing something for the planet can ease anxiety around it, but a strong person is a mentally sound person, so caring for this anxiety is just as important as caring for the Earth.
Solastalgia is the feeling of homesickness while at home, so will this home ever be restored? While this is a call for community activism, it is also one of embracing change. Loving the earth for what is still here before it goes away is the appreciation that can ease the mind. Spending time in nature is an amazing way to reconnect with our home and become inspired to help protect it. Learn about our earth, experience its beauty, and become inspired to change it. Stay healthy, stay safe, and keep being a source of positive change.
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