Abstract
Witnessing the rapidly unfolding consequences of climate change, many people feel worried, stressed and anxious. While many suggestions on how to cope with climate anxiety have been proposed, the literature lacks a theory-informed framework that structures and integrates different coping strategies. We introduce the Climate Anxiety Compass: a framework that classifies strategies individuals can use to cope with climate anxiety along three dimensions: (a) problem-focused (targeting climate change and its consequences) or emotion-focused (targeting the emotions and stress caused by climate change), (b) mitigation (reducing or avoiding the stressor) or adaptation (preparing for, adjusting to, and learning to live with the stressor), and (c) individually oriented or collectively oriented. Together, the Climate Anxiety Compass identifies eight distinct types of coping strategies. The Climate Anxiety Compass can help people who experience climate anxiety explore different coping options and help structure future research into which strategies and interventions are most effective.
The consequences of climate change are unfolding, and the window to secure a liveable future for everyone is rapidly closing (IPCC, 2023). Not only are we feeling the physical impacts of climate change, but people's mental health is also affected. Climate anxiety, or persistent and difficult-to-control worrying about climate change (van Valkengoed et al., 2023), is pervading media and public consciousness (Gregersen et al., 2024; Olson et al., 2024). In the US, 7% of people already experience mild to severe levels of climate anxiety (Uppalapati et al., 2023).
How to cope with climate anxiety? A Google search for this phrase yields countless articles recommending actions people could take to manage climate anxiety, such as using a renewable cup (ReachOut, n.d.), taking fewer flights and joining protests (Collier, 2022), taking a break from climate change news (University of Colorado Boulder, n.d.), inviting challenging emotions (Wright and Osterloff, n.d.), noticing and challenging catastrophising thoughts (Tecuta, 2024), visiting nature (Calm, n.d.), talking to politicians (Richardson, n.d.) or friends and family about climate change (Haupt, 2024), and preparing a personal emergency plan (Headspace, n.d.).
Yet, the literature lacks a comprehensive framework that organizes these numerous coping strategies (Crandon et al., 2024). The absence of such a framework complicates structuring scientific work into which coping strategies people use, which strategies are effective, and through which processes different strategies alleviate anxiety. For people experiencing climate anxiety, or the mental health professionals helping them, it is difficult to see the forest through the trees. This article aims to address this problem by introducing the Climate Anxiety Compass: a deductive, theory-informed model that maps the solution space for coping with climate anxiety.
The Climate Anxiety Compass
Coping is defined as ‘thoughts and behaviors that people use to manage the internal and external demands of situations that are appraised as stressful’ (Folkman & Moskowitz, 2004) . We define coping with climate anxiety as thoughts and behaviours people use to manage worries and distress about climate change. The Climate Anxiety Compass identifies the solution space for coping with climate anxiety from the perspective of the individual, that is, it focuses on the actions one person can take to manage their anxiety. The framework does not include societal responses to climate anxiety, such as mental health support programmes or other governmental policies. Yet, as shown below, the model does consider individual actions to support or urge governments to implement such measures.
Following classic theorizing on coping (Lazarus and Folkman, 1984), The Climate Anxiety Compass consists of two sides. The problem-focused side subsumes actions aimed at reducing the problem of climate change and its consequences (Figure 1). The emotion-focused side subsumes actions aimed at reducing or managing the emotions and stress caused by climate change, but that do not address climate change or its impacts (Figure 2). There is some debate on whether emotion-focused coping is a valid strategy to deal with climate anxiety. Some argue climate anxiety can only be resolved by directly reducing climate change impacts (Fyke and Weaver, 2023). However, individual people cannot solve climate change by themselves in the short term (van Valkengoed and Steg, 2023). Emotion-focused coping therefore remains an indispensable part of the solution space for climate anxiety.
The problem-focused coping side of the Climate Anxiety Compass. Examples are illustrative and not exhaustive of all coping options.
The emotion-focused coping side of the Climate Anxiety Compass. Examples are illustrative and not exhaustive of all coping options.
The coping strategies within each side of the Climate Anxiety Compass can be further characterized along two dimensions. First, we distinguish between mitigation and adaptation strategies (IPCC, 2022a). Mitigation refers to taking actions to reduce or avoid the overall problem of climate change (problem-focused coping) or the psychological stress caused by climate change (emotion-focused coping). Adaptation actions refer to actions to prepare for, adjust to, or learn to live with the consequences of climate change (problem-focused coping), or the psychological stress caused by climate change (emotion-focused coping). Second, while the Climate Anxiety Compass focuses on the actions individuals can take, these actions can still be considered as individually oriented, meaning they can be completed by a single person without interacting with others or collectively oriented, meaning they contribute to collectively organized efforts requiring action by multiple people. We propose these two dimensions (mitigation-adaptation and individual-collective) can help to further differentiate problem- and emotion-focused coping strategies by splitting them into four quadrants each (Figures 1 and 2). We discuss each of these quadrants below.
Problem-focused coping: Addressing the causes and consequences of climate change
What can individuals do to address climate change and its consequences? Top of mind may be individually oriented mitigation actions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from people's personal choices and behaviours (Steg and Vlek, 2009). There are four domains where individual pro-environmental action is most impactful: energy use (choosing sustainable energy and using energy sparingly), diet (less meat and dairy and avoiding food waste), transport (flying and driving less, walking, cycling and using public transport more), and the use of goods (buying fewer new products, using items for longer, borrowing and lending items more) (IPCC, 2022b). Collectively oriented mitigation entails reducing greenhouse gas emissions through group efforts. For example, people can start or participate in community initiatives like energy cooperatives or carpooling/car-sharing (Jans, 2021). Citizenship includes actions that support environmental organizations or political groups that aim to protect the environment, such as voting, donating, volunteering, or signing petitions (Stern, 2000). Activism refers to collective action to pressure governments or companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including protests, boycotting, or writing letters to politicians (Stern, 2000).
Problem-focused coping also entails adaptation actions that aim to avoid or reduce the impacts of the negative consequences of climate change, such as heatwaves, floods, and tickborne diseases (van Valkengoed and Steg, 2019). Individually oriented adaptation entails preparing yourself for climate hazards (preparing an emergency kit, flood proofing your house), seeking information about climate-related risks, taking protective measures during a hazard (taking measures to stay cool during a heatwave), purchasing insurance against climate-related damages, and evacuating from disaster zones (van Valkengoed and Steg, 2019). Similar to mitigation, collectively oriented adaptation includes starting or participating in community initiatives (greening gardens together), citizenship (volunteering for an adaptation-focused NGO), and activism (joining townhall meetings to advocate for more trees in the neighbourhood) (Carman and Zint, 2020; Mees, 2022). Collectively oriented adaptation also entails helping others adapt successfully, for example, by checking on vulnerable people during a heatwave (Brink and Wamsler, 2019; Juhola et al., 2022).
Some behaviours can be categorized as both individually and collectively oriented. For example, people can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by convincing or inspiring others to act pro-environmentally (Brouwer et al., 2022). This action reflects an individual action that requires interacting with and persuading others. Similarly, some behaviours contribute to mitigation and adaptation simultaneously. For example, installing solar panels reduces greenhouse gas emissions needed for energy production, but also makes households more adaptive by increasing resilience during hazard-induced black- or brownouts (Amin et al., 2021).
Emotion-focused coping: Reducing and adapting to the stress and negative feelings caused by climate change
No one person can resolve the stressor of climate change by themselves (van Valkengoed and Steg, 2023). We must therefore also consider ways in which individuals can mitigate and adapt to the psychological stress caused by climate change (Pihkala, 2022). Mitigation in this context refers to reducing or avoiding psychological stress or negative emotions caused by climate change. Individually oriented mitigation includes reducing exposure to stressors that remind you of climate change, such as the news or social media (Agoston et al., 2022; Doherty, 2018; Pihkala, 2022). Other options are shifting your attention away from climate change by engaging in activities such as sports, hobbies, or work (Agoston et al., 2022; Pihkala, 2022), or altering the contents and patterns of thoughts through techniques such as mindfulness or cognitive behavioural therapy (Doherty, 2018; Lindhe et al., 2023; Mah et al., 2020). Collectively oriented mitigation of climate-related stress and negative emotions includes spending time with friends and family, seeking social support, or participating in social events and communities, for example, by joining a sports or social club (Bell et al., 2021; Bingley et al., 2022; Pitt et al., 2024).
In addition to avoiding or minimizing stress, people can adapt to the psychological stress of climate change. This entails learning to accept and live with the stress, or working through the stress to derive meaning from it and achieve personal growth. In the coping literature, the latter is called ‘meaning-focused coping’ (Folkman and Moskowitz, 2007). Individually oriented adaptation includes particular types of therapy (acceptance and commitment therapy, grief-processing therapy) and creative expressions to process feelings related to climate change (through art and writing) (Bingley et al., 2022; Pihkala, 2022; Pitt et al., 2024; Randall, 2009). Collectively oriented adaptation includes group-based therapy (Bingley et al., 2022), or climate-focused talking groups to meet like-minded others to share experiences and collectively find acceptance and meaning in climate anxiety (Agoston et al., 2022; Ojala et al., 2021; Pihkala, 2022).
Some actions can be individually or collectively oriented. Spirituality and religion can be both deeply personal and collectively oriented ways to adapt to the psychological stress of climate anxiety (Pihkala, 2024). Similarly, some actions contribute to both mitigating and adapting to the stress of climate anxiety. For example, meeting up with like-minded others can help to find meaning in experiencing climate anxiety, but simultaneously offers opportunities to socialize (Agoston et al., 2022). Spending time in nature can offer relaxation (Doherty, 2018; Stollberg and Jonas, 2021), but can also lead to a confrontation with difficult feelings experienced when a familiar landscape or environment is altered by climatic changes (Bingley et al., 2022; Galway et al., 2019).
The next steps in navigating climate anxiety
Table 1 demonstrates how the Climate Anxiety Compass can be used to classify the many coping strategies for climate anxiety found in popular and scientific articles. The Climate Anxiety Compass also offers concrete directions for future research. First, we recommend using the Climate Anxiety Compass to develop a measure to assess which coping strategies people use, which can be used to test which strategies to cope with climate anxiety are more or less common, and to identify relevant individual predictors of different coping styles. Second, future research can examine the psychological mechanisms through which different coping strategies reduce anxiety. For example, mindfulness meditation can reduce anxiety by redirecting people's attention away from distressing thoughts to the current moment (Wielgosz et al., 2019), while engaging in collective action may strengthen people's hope and sense of collective efficacy in solving the climate crisis (Schwartz et al., 2022). This can help to identify when and why strategies may be more or less effective. Third, experimental studies can examine how coping strategies can be best introduced via intervention programmes, and for whom and when such interventions work best.
Overview demonstrating how coping strategies for climate anxiety discussed in popular and scientific articles can be classified within the Climate Anxiety Compass.
Note: Listed strategies are exemplary and not exhaustive of all strategies discussed in the listed articles
In practice, the Climate Anxiety Compass can be a useful tool to help climate-anxious people identify which domains of coping they rely on most, and to identify new coping options. The Climate Anxiety Compass does not prescribe which strategies generally represent the best or most adaptive ways of coping with climate anxiety. Except for coping strategies that harm the self or others (e.g. alcohol or drug abuse), individual strategies cannot readily be classified as adaptive or maladaptive. Their impact and consequences will depend on the specific circumstances and person in question (Folkman and Moskowitz, 2004) , and whether people are employing other coping strategies simultaneously. Given the enormity of the challenge that climate change represents and its long timescale, it is likely that a balanced approach employing different strategies is most effective in coping with climate anxiety (Asbrand et al., 2024; Ojala et al., 2021).
Climate change represents an existential threat that challenges the mental and physical resolve of entire generations. Finding ways to individually and collectively face this threat is imperative. The Climate Anxiety Compass represents a first effort to theoretically structure the coping strategies available to us. We hope this framework will help researchers, practitioners, and people experiencing climate anxiety to find ways to protect people's mental and physical health as we face the climate crisis.
Footnotes
Declaration of conflicting interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.