This is awesome Britt - thank you for an excellent piece!!
I've definitely been one to say that action is the antidote to despair in the past so this was a great read for me.
So to make sure I'm understanding this right, I'm curious if you'd agree or what you'd tweak about the following. Would you say that external actions / activism are important/needed but aren't the antidote if they are the only thing that you do? And that the key point here is that you need to do the internal, emotional work first in order to handle eco anxiety/despair comprehensively?
Appreciate the help if you have time - no worries if you don't!
I recently discovered your blog through the NYT and it is truly the words and insight that I have been seeking but didn't know where to look. At this moment, I feel energised by being able to put my finger on the sore spot and identify it. Through therapy and a meditation practice, I've been able to reflect and process a lot of feelings, as well as allowing them to simply be. I've been overcome with anxiety about the climate crisis, and your articles are like a light in the darkness to illuminate the challenging path that I need to walk. Thank you for your well written articles, looking forward to reading many more and sharing with friends and family.
Yes, beautiful. I love what you’re putting out here and the tone through which you’re doing it. Learning how to build our capacity for the dark emotions, the challenging sensations, the tension, anxiety and pain. How that brings us towards more wholeness, and the potential for human/social development that comes from that. Awesome!
Britt, (Dr. Wray?) I just heard your brilliant presence on Andy Revkin's podcast.
SustainaClaus in ConscienceLAND has been focusing on youth be'Claus in all the schools, universities and climate conferences attended, youth activism is "tolerated", in some cases "accommodated" and "listened to" (but not really heard) by the parents, educators and especially politicians - who are truly dismissive and disrespectful of young people's absolutely justified concerns. (SustainaClaus has attended every COP since the Paris Agreement in 2015, including the Glasgow disaster last year along with bringing the People’s SDG’s up Mt. Everest in 2017/18 and up the Swiss Alps with youth protesting the WEF in DAVOS 2020).
In the ConscienceVERSE we are taking an approach much closer to what I understand you to be doing... Honouring and giving young people their space - on their terms - to be upset, to grieve and to be validated and demand authentic, caring action from adults in power.
Wake-Up, Stand-Up, Speak-Up
ConscienceLAND is in the process of encouraging the "Summer Of L.O.V.E." (Lifestyle Of Voluntary Effort) this critical year with the low-key SDGx.LIVE …a bit like TEDx, but more of a TikTok vibe. Free-form LIVE short speeches standing up at the SDGpicnic in the “Ring of Truth” along with “ConscienceLARP” Live Action Role Playing theatrical skits to communicate concerns, feelings and share solutions.
Decentralized #EARTHmobilization
True,it's only a drop in the bucket, but for almost 20 years the "3fingerw" Sustainability Symbol (Society, Environment, Economy in Balance) has been shared every Change Wednesday around the planet by all ages and positions in life as our "ISR" or Individual Social Responsibility reclaiming agency in the People's Sustainable Development Goals…. Clearly the urgent counter strategy to make up for time wasted and the poor behaviour and track record of corporate CSR and the current “voluntary” ESG "governance" scam.
As a clear advocate for youth, and in constructive hope of your acceptance as a Citizen of ConscienceLAND, we welcome you as an ExtinctionFighter. and part of the ExtinctionSolution.com - SustainaClaus@gmail.com
Interesting article but I’m not sure I agree. I’m a clinical psychologist trained in psychoanalytic psychotherapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and now a full-time volunteer organiser with the Extinction Rebellion.
I’m also one of the people who says “activism is the best therapy”.
But I do very much agree that activism shouldn’t be used to squash emotions that arise. In my previous work life I was doing group therapy with severely self harming and suicidal people with severe early trauma. Our approach was “Accept your thoughts and feelings and be present (*all* feelings are welcome); Choose action based on your values; Take action (it’s what you *do* that counts).
The way I think about it is if I do *everything* I can (looking after myself so I don’t burn out) I can celebrate any wins and even if things turn out badly I can live without regrets knowing I did all I could.
It’s similar to the acceptance state of mind when working with severely suicidal people - do everything you can but let go of trying to ‘push the river’.
Thank you very much for writing this. I have been struggling with how to incorporate climate action into my art practice for years. I have stopped painting in order to work on this part time. I've started on many ideas over the years got nothing going. In hindsight I think my own anxiety has been factoring in a big way, impeding me in ways I wasn't aware of. I am currently working on something new, an illustrated essay about climate psychology and creativity and activism, trying to incorporate things like what Renee Lertzman talks about on her youtube video. Covid-19 coming along has messed with that project though, moving countries and working at home with kids doing online learning has definitely messed it up. Hopefully I get this one done sometime.
This is awesome Britt - thank you for an excellent piece!!
I've definitely been one to say that action is the antidote to despair in the past so this was a great read for me.
So to make sure I'm understanding this right, I'm curious if you'd agree or what you'd tweak about the following. Would you say that external actions / activism are important/needed but aren't the antidote if they are the only thing that you do? And that the key point here is that you need to do the internal, emotional work first in order to handle eco anxiety/despair comprehensively?
Appreciate the help if you have time - no worries if you don't!
I recently discovered your blog through the NYT and it is truly the words and insight that I have been seeking but didn't know where to look. At this moment, I feel energised by being able to put my finger on the sore spot and identify it. Through therapy and a meditation practice, I've been able to reflect and process a lot of feelings, as well as allowing them to simply be. I've been overcome with anxiety about the climate crisis, and your articles are like a light in the darkness to illuminate the challenging path that I need to walk. Thank you for your well written articles, looking forward to reading many more and sharing with friends and family.
I just stumbled upon this excellent piece. Thank you Britt.
Very much aligned with the questions we've been mulling over at Dark Optimism:
https://www.darkoptimism.org/2011/06/15/is-activism-therapy/
Excellent. Do you know of any climate-aware therapists in the DC area?
Thank you for writing this. Full of insight and a real call for internal activism.
Yes, beautiful. I love what you’re putting out here and the tone through which you’re doing it. Learning how to build our capacity for the dark emotions, the challenging sensations, the tension, anxiety and pain. How that brings us towards more wholeness, and the potential for human/social development that comes from that. Awesome!
Britt, (Dr. Wray?) I just heard your brilliant presence on Andy Revkin's podcast.
SustainaClaus in ConscienceLAND has been focusing on youth be'Claus in all the schools, universities and climate conferences attended, youth activism is "tolerated", in some cases "accommodated" and "listened to" (but not really heard) by the parents, educators and especially politicians - who are truly dismissive and disrespectful of young people's absolutely justified concerns. (SustainaClaus has attended every COP since the Paris Agreement in 2015, including the Glasgow disaster last year along with bringing the People’s SDG’s up Mt. Everest in 2017/18 and up the Swiss Alps with youth protesting the WEF in DAVOS 2020).
In the ConscienceVERSE we are taking an approach much closer to what I understand you to be doing... Honouring and giving young people their space - on their terms - to be upset, to grieve and to be validated and demand authentic, caring action from adults in power.
Wake-Up, Stand-Up, Speak-Up
ConscienceLAND is in the process of encouraging the "Summer Of L.O.V.E." (Lifestyle Of Voluntary Effort) this critical year with the low-key SDGx.LIVE …a bit like TEDx, but more of a TikTok vibe. Free-form LIVE short speeches standing up at the SDGpicnic in the “Ring of Truth” along with “ConscienceLARP” Live Action Role Playing theatrical skits to communicate concerns, feelings and share solutions.
Decentralized #EARTHmobilization
True,it's only a drop in the bucket, but for almost 20 years the "3fingerw" Sustainability Symbol (Society, Environment, Economy in Balance) has been shared every Change Wednesday around the planet by all ages and positions in life as our "ISR" or Individual Social Responsibility reclaiming agency in the People's Sustainable Development Goals…. Clearly the urgent counter strategy to make up for time wasted and the poor behaviour and track record of corporate CSR and the current “voluntary” ESG "governance" scam.
As a clear advocate for youth, and in constructive hope of your acceptance as a Citizen of ConscienceLAND, we welcome you as an ExtinctionFighter. and part of the ExtinctionSolution.com - SustainaClaus@gmail.com
Interesting article but I’m not sure I agree. I’m a clinical psychologist trained in psychoanalytic psychotherapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and now a full-time volunteer organiser with the Extinction Rebellion.
I’m also one of the people who says “activism is the best therapy”.
But I do very much agree that activism shouldn’t be used to squash emotions that arise. In my previous work life I was doing group therapy with severely self harming and suicidal people with severe early trauma. Our approach was “Accept your thoughts and feelings and be present (*all* feelings are welcome); Choose action based on your values; Take action (it’s what you *do* that counts).
The way I think about it is if I do *everything* I can (looking after myself so I don’t burn out) I can celebrate any wins and even if things turn out badly I can live without regrets knowing I did all I could.
It’s similar to the acceptance state of mind when working with severely suicidal people - do everything you can but let go of trying to ‘push the river’.
Thank you very much for writing this. I have been struggling with how to incorporate climate action into my art practice for years. I have stopped painting in order to work on this part time. I've started on many ideas over the years got nothing going. In hindsight I think my own anxiety has been factoring in a big way, impeding me in ways I wasn't aware of. I am currently working on something new, an illustrated essay about climate psychology and creativity and activism, trying to incorporate things like what Renee Lertzman talks about on her youtube video. Covid-19 coming along has messed with that project though, moving countries and working at home with kids doing online learning has definitely messed it up. Hopefully I get this one done sometime.