This Fancy Scientist podcast episode is quite literally years in the making. I first got the idea when one of my students in the Successful Wildlife Professional, which is my signature wildlife career group mentoring program, asked me about dealing with the feelings of depression involved in her work.
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Alanna Street was conducting research on the Great Barrier Reef, which has lost some estimates, up to 50% of its coral cover and might even completely disappear within decades, Alanna asked me how to maintain hope and a positive outlook while working amidst such negativity.
When I answered this question in the mentoring session, I realized my answer was long and complex. In fact, I even wrote it down first with bullet points of the things that I wanted to cover. Across the years of running the Successful Wildlife Professional, I realized other students had similar feelings and were suffering in the same way. Therefore, I thought this would be a great podcast episode for so many people too.
Eco-anxiety, often described as a feeling of chronic fear of environmental doom, conservation depression, and/or hopelessness in the face of environmental challenges, is increasingly common in our field, not only in our field but amongst the general population, especially younger generations. Eco-anxiety is not just an academic concept; it affects people’s daily lives. It’s a distress caused by a perception of loss and destruction in nature.
These emotions can be debilitating, but the good thing is that they’re also a testament to how deeply many people care about this state of the planet and what’s going on. Throughout this episode, I’ll unpack some of these emotions and offer you tips and perspectives on how to take care of yourself, not let eco-anxiety weigh you down, but still care about the planet enough to take action and inspire others.
If you have been following me for some time, you know that I’m huge on mindset. Growing up in what I thought was a normal household, I later realized I had been programmed with a negative outlook. I’ve worked hard to reverse this programming and overcome depression. Having been diagnosed with depression and anxiety since my early 20s, I understand how debilitating these feelings can be in general – even independent of eco-anxiety. But I recently learned that it doesn’t have to be this way. For the past seven years, I’ve worked intentionally on my mindset and worked hard to overcome my own negative thought patterns, and it works. I’m here to tell you that you have a choice in what you choose to focus on, that there’s hope, and that there are ways to cope.
Remember, your passion for nature and wildlife is a strength, not a burden. The Earth needs your passion, your dedication, and your hope. By addressing these emotions head-on and equipping yourself with coping strategies, you are not only taking care of yourself, but you are becoming an even more effective advocate for the planet.
I encourage you to listen to this episode, reflect on your own experiences, and try out some of the strategies I discuss.
Specifically, I go over:
- Understanding and defining eco-anxiety and conservation depression
- The power of perspective and finding the ‘good’ in challenging situations
- Letting go of control and trusting in nature’s resilience
- Healthy ways to process emotions related to environmental concerns
- The importance of building a supportive community in conservation
- Practical steps to take positive action and combat anxiety
- Cultivating gratitude and joy through connection with nature
- And more!!!
