What is Eco-Anxiety?

Eco-Anxiety is an unhealthy obsession with the environment. Some people who experience it have panic attacks every time they see a trash can in the driveway or see a tree that they think is dying.

Energy consumption has become a hot topic in recent years, and while we’re always looking for ways to conserve energy, few people talk about conserving energy in harmful, environmentally-destructive ways. While protecting the planet, some people become so anxious that they start worrying about pollution, waste, and global warming-and even go out of their way to limit their carbon footprint. This form of anxiety is known as eco-anxiety, and people who experience it, along with the environmental causes they’re concerned about, are known as green activists.

What Are The 5 Main Symptoms Of Eco-Anxiety?

Anxiousness about the impact of our behavior on the environment

This feeling is called eco-anxiety. We may hear environmental news and feel helpless or guilty about the impact we are making. The sensory experience of the natural world may be changed, causing us to feel disconnected.

Uncertainty about the future

Our future is a scary thing. It is both undefinable and uncertain. The planet we live on is in trouble, and we’re already feeling the effects of climate change. People are living longer, and more of the time, they’re living beyond what once was considered a normal life span.

Stress about the present

The terms eco-anxiety and eco-existentialist have been coined by mental health researchers, who have observed a link between feelings of loss, such as death, extinction, and disappearance, and concerns about climate change. Any prolonged symptoms can lead to serious problems that could affect different areas of a person’s life. You could alleviate much of the symptoms of anxiety through a variety of natural methods like meditation, regular physical activity, and specific type of cannabis derivatives such as cannabis flower (know more about them here), CBD oil and edibles to name a few.

Anxiousness about future environmental disasters

As climate change raises global temperatures, intensifying storms, droughts, fires, and other disasters, some experts predict that eco-anxiety will become widespread. This heightened anxiety is fueled by the fear of environmental disasters resulting from climate change, including hurricanes, floods, heatwaves, and rising sea levels, which amplifies concerns about the future of our planet. Furthermore, human interventions tend to exacerbate climate change and environmental problems. These interventions can have severe consequences on the environment; for instance, stormwater, which is runoff that contributes to erosion, is primarily caused by human activities such as urbanization and deforestation. This interference disrupts natural landscapes and increases the impermeability of surfaces, leading to a higher volume of runoff during storms. As a result, stormwater carries sediment and pollutants, intensifying the erosion process and adversely affecting ecosystems. This is just one instance, and there are numerous climate change disasters that can heighten eco-anxiety.

Needs to be ‘rescued’ by other people, organizations, and ideas

Eco-anxiety is a newer term used to describe the anxiety that stems from our growing need to feel connected to nature. It’s commonly seen in people who fear the impact of climate change and who want to be “rescued” by other people, organizations, and ideas. Even though eco-anxiety may feel extreme, there are tips that can help.

How Do I Stop Eco-Anxiety?

Connect the nature.

Eco-anxiety is a disorder related to our fear of climate change and natural disasters. Our forests and oceans are changing, and it’s sometimes hard to know what to do about it. Turns out that connecting with nature can help.

Medication

It goes without saying that eco-anxiety can be difficult to deal with at times, much like every other mental health issue. But there are many ways to tackle the issue, and medication is one of them. Consult a therapist, or a psychiatrist so that you have perspective and a proper understanding of what you’re going through. If necessary, they will prescribe medication based on the severity of your issue.

Alternatively, you could consider using cannabis products. As stated by many studies, marijuana has shown effectiveness in dealing with anxiety and stress-related issues. Besides, there are many products which you can buy at the leiffa dispensary or one that is closer to you. However, it is advisable that you seek the expertise of a dedicated professional as he or she would be able to give you a prescribed product based on your needs.

Get involved with your community.

While anxiety triggered by environmental issues is relatively new, it’s one that cannot be ignored. If you’re worried about the fate of our planet, you’re not alone. And one thing you can do to help is get involved. Take action in your community, spend time with like-minded individuals, and support nonprofits focused on protecting our environment.

Remember, you’re not alone.

For as long as any of us can remember, we have been taught to be educated, ambitious, self-sufficient, and-most importantly-independent. We were never told to be vulnerable and ask for help-how embarrassing! But in recent decades, we have begun to realize that to be truly fulfilled, we must learn to accept help.

Explore alternate lifestyles

Living a life free of eco-anxiety means living a lifestyle that contributes to conservation and is less harmful to the environment. It also means experimenting with new things and making yourself open to calming solutions. Many eco-lovers use weed and CBD as a means of coping with anxiety. Because it is easy to get the stuff delivered to your home from stores like HealingNug and others, you can explore it safely. Other than that, you could also explore living in the woods or in a commune, becoming vegan, and so on.

Limit your media consumption

In a world full of anxiety, it is increasingly important to value the things in life that are truly important to us. These ideals are supported by research that suggests limiting our media consumption is an effective strategy to reduce our anxiety levels. While you might only be able to cut social media out of sheer willpower, there are other things you can do to limit your consumption.

Who Is Affected By Eco-Anxiety?

Eco-anxiety is a mental condition that affects people or anyone, regardless of age, gender, or background, who fears their ecological footprint is too high. Imagine being overweight, worrying about constantly having to buy new clothes, but being unable to stop eating because shopping is your outlet. Well, that’s eco-anxiety in a nutshell. Having said that, a person feels anxiety over environmental destruction, which leads them to feel panic and shame, as well as the inability to change their behavior. While anyone can experience symptoms of eco-anxiety, this mental condition is especially prevalent in women. Women are more likely to develop eco-anxiety because of their natural maternal instincts to care for the environment, which leads to a fear of destroying the earth’s resources by having children.