Eco anxiety in Perth

[Bookgirl]

Hi, we are in the middle of a horrible heatwave here and its causing me a lot of anxiety thinking about the future and generally just stressing out about it all.  Just seems so insurmountable and i feel overwhelmed.  My 15 year old son gets angry at me for being pessimistic but its hard to be optimistic when its over 40 degrees for a long time.  I just feel like i am sinking right now.

[Bookgirl]

My son definitely helps calm me down. Feel on a bit of a spiral at the moment. Keep looking at weather and even though it's not hot I worry it's still not normal. I agonise over the weather report whreras last year I couldn't have told you what the average temp was and never looked at the bom. Now I can tell you it updates at 4.20pm every day. My pysch tells me to resist the compulsion to look but then I worry about what I don't know which is a vicious circle. I just wish I could cope better. It just is totally overwhelming some days and I don't want to get out of bed. My son told me once he wished he didn't have a mum who was sad all the time and it broke my heart.

[Croix]

Dear Bookgirl~

Yes the need to look at the BOM and weather reports can indeed seem too hard to resist, and as you say it becomes a spiral. Simply telling you not to look is not enough. As with many addictions (yes I realise  it is OCD) help of another person is needed right at the time the need is overwhelming.

Do you think your son, even though a trifle young can understand your predicament and be one you can call on when needed. It may be preferable to have an hand in mum not being "sad all the time"

Also are there others? Ideally a network with someone always to hand and maybe a list of tasks or activities you can do right then to distract you.

I would think that simply relying upon your own powers not to look is expecting too much, and sets you up for failure , leading to feeling bad about yourself.

Croix

[Bookgirl]

My pysch says try to resist the compulsion even for 5 minutes and build up that way. Most days I am ok with this. It's just one comment on the weather will send me spiralling. I think if temp goes down I will be happy but it has and I an still not happy as I think it should be lower. My family get frustrated with me. I understand that because I am in this cycle where I get over one thing and cycle on to the next thing to worry about. It's why anxiety is so exhausting for everyone. We usually go away for Easter and every year I have had severe anxiety over some worry that didn't eventuate. I am trying to look back on that and calm myself down. I think when I have less to do it gets worse so sometimes holidays don't help. Not sure if other anxiety sufferers have this issue.

[Croix]

Dear Bookgirl~

I can see what your psych is getting at, perhaps it might be a good way, I guess each has a different technique that might help.

I also find it as if the mind has a built-in capacity for a certain level of worry, and if one matter is no longer relevant then the mind wil devote the same amout of worry to something else. For me distraction, be it another person or some activity (preferably involving some physical movement)  helps.

I can see why your family might gets frustrated when you are still worrying, but it has moved on to something else. I would imagine holidays coming up are themselves sources of worry. I hope in time you get to realise the things you were anxious about never happen during them.

Certainly for me not keeping the the mind busy with some task will leave it open for more worry

Croix

[blondguy]

Hi Bookgirl! ...You and I cant really do much about a climate shift that has been occurring on and off for many thousands (millions) of years. I do understand your concerns on this BG yet its just my very humble opinion that its only a normal climate shift.

Just for your information, in the 1970's the scientists/experts were warning the public about another 'Ice Age'

I admire your strength and ability to speak from the heart as well as you do BG

my kindest always

Paul

[Bookgirl]

It seems really hot still for this time of year in Perth and it freaks me out. I am not doing well at all.  There is a lot going on in my life with new job, husband's job contract needs extending, my son's mental health, my elderly mother's health too.  I feel overwhelmed and sometimes i feel like i just can't keep going.  The weather seems to be the hardest to cope with.  I just feel like its all too much. Had trouble getting out of bed on the weekend again.  I just feel like i cant' deal with the climate change as its so insurmountable and it will lead to society breakdown etc etc.

[Bookgirl]

Am feeling really down.  Have to take my mum back to specialist today as her blood results apparently not good. Can't get others in my family to help which puts pressure on me at work.  My husband is on a contract for work and that expires in May and I am terrified he will lose his job. Weather still seems really warm.  Can't read the news or the weather now. Every day its sunny i freak out. I hate this.

[Eagle Ray]

Hi Bookgirl,

I don’t know if this will help but I’ll try to explain how I’ve come to terms with climate change. I’ve been very aware of it for sometime as I spend a huge amount of time in the natural environment and I’ve seen the changes occurring. 10 years ago now it really hit home when I saw significant impacts in areas I’d known well since a child. It was initially a shock when I grasped the changes and then there was a period of grieving and then acceptance. So instead of feeling overwhelmed now I have come to a point of accepting it is happening and it is having impacts and will continue to do so. But I also know from the huge amount of time I’ve spent in nature that there is a great deal of resilience in living systems as well. Nature will do its best to adapt. I cannot singularly solve or prevent climate change so I know fretting will not help. I’ve allowed myself to grieve instead. With acceptance I am not becoming constantly hypervigilant about it. I am just observing and aware and then do what I can in my own small ways to act in a climate-conscious manner. 

We humans have been very belated in our response including a severe lack of leadership in government on the issue, but gradually that is also changing and we are being forced to adapt anyway now. I have a strong interest in the adaptations humans are implementing such as those through regenerative agriculture, and there are significant changes already underway in these areas. There is much reason for hope even if we cannot all together halt climate change. I’ve bought a copy of Charles Massey’s Call of the Reed Warbler. He is a farmer and scientist leading the way with far more ecologically and climate-sensitive agricultural methods that are also proving to be more economically sound in the long term. I find focussing on where solutions are coming from is encouraging.

So while I still have concerns they are not paralysing me. I’ve grieved some of the things already lost and those being lost as we speak. I grieve for future losses as well. But I also have hope. There are new, more climate-sensitive narratives emerging. I wonder if focussing on some of the positive initiatives that are happening would help you and maybe you could share that learning with your son which will create some hope for him too? I’ve found in so many areas of life that self-education is often the best antidote to anxiety.

I also wonder if you can find ways to connect to this moment now and just be present through your senses with what is around you? Perhaps some time in nature? Not projecting into the future but just feeling this moment. When we can connect with nature and our fellow humans in this moment then better future moments tend to unfold. So instead of worrying about the future we create a better future by being connected with this moment now, if that makes sense? It means you are likely to be more present with loved ones too such as with your mum with her health issues. Sometimes it just helps to take things one thing at a time.

Take care,

ER

[Bookgirl]

Thank you for this. It does help. My oh so wise son who is 15 tells me the same thing.  I think i am in the grieving stage and its just that i hate change. I think that comes from my up bringing and so anything that suggest big time change just sends me into a spiral.  This kind of change is huge and scares me and i think most people but as you and my son say, nature adapts. 

I am definitely trying to take it one day at a time and not ruin easter (my son says i ruin all the holidays with my worry).  Its a beautiful day here and even though i am worried about rain, i am ok.  Also my mum got good news today about her specialist results so i am relieved about that.  Just trying to take one day at a time and thank you for writing that because it did really help me today.  

[Eagle Ray]

Dear Bookgirl,

You are welcome and I do understand the feelings of overwhelm. 10 years ago when the reality of climate change really hit home and my system kind of freaked out, a friend of mine said, yes it’s an issue but if you become overwhelmed by it you won’t live and enjoy your life. He had the same concerns but also was still living and enjoying his life. So I’ve kind of learned to acknowledge the reality and feel the sadness about the impacts but also continue with life and look towards hopeful initiatives as well. If anything, climate change has been a great instigator of change in many sectors - agriculture, technology, business etc. And finally after overlooking Indigenous fire management knowledge for decades authorities are finally listening to and implementing Indigenous fire practices that are far more sophisticated and ecologically sensitive than the ones employed previously. There is a huge amount of wisdom in the cool burns that have been used for millennia to sensitively manage country in relation to the seasons, plant flowering times, movement of animal species etc.

I’m in WA too and I’m also very aware of the lack of rain and the persistence of dry weather well into autumn. I think the reality is ecological systems will, and already are, making adaptations. Some losses will be inevitable while systems struggle to adapt. I can see the impacts in bushland across the road from me where the plants with the softest foliage are suffering the most. A bit like a human body under duress from an illness, ecological systems are already shifting and changing in various ways so that life continues even if there is some significant change within the system. So I guess I’ve accepted and processed that reality now, whereas before it used to feel kind of paralysing. I now try to think of ways I can be part of the solution and take an interest in the many positive things many people are doing across multiple sectors to change things for the better in the future. There are regenerative agriculture initiatives across this region with numerous conferences and meetings being held, carbon neutral and even carbon negative companies, renewable energy projects etc. It’s actually exciting to see the people who care and are really making a difference.

So I hope maybe you can see some of those positive changes and feel better for it. I’m really glad too your mum’s specialist results were good. I hope you can have a restful and lovely Easter break with your family.

All the best,

ER