By Carley Vinkle – Contributor

We can channel the negative energy of eco-anxiety into positive actions. Eco-anxiety may be a term you have heard before, and initially, it may sound like a pretty depressing concept. The American Psychological Association defines eco-anxiety as “the chronic fear of environmental doom”. As an environmentalist myself, I have recently wondered why caring about and protecting the environment is associated with a term with negative connotations.

I know I am not the only one who has struggled to grapple with the unfortunate events occurring in the natural world. When one Bishop’s University student was asked, “How do you feel about the state of our current climate?” her mood shifted as she stared out the window. “Despaired, discouraged, disappointed, scared, disgusted, anxious, curious, uninformed – this is how I am feeling.” We need to take a step back and ask ourselves, is this how the youth of today should be feeling? 

As a student of environmental studies and someone who is extremely concerned about the environment, I have frequent conversations about global environmental issues in class and with my peers. Though I may use the emotions of “frustration” and “stress” to describe the current situation, I am learning how to direct my energy toward more constructive objectives. 

Instead of feeling frustrated with the state of our environment, I have been using my passion to educate friends and family, make small changes in my day-to-day life and attend climate-related events. Although climate change may be challenging to talk about in group settings or maybe with your older aunts and uncles, it does not have to become a debate. If talking about current issues does not appeal to you, take a step back, and think about what you could do differently. Do you compost? Is there a climate event you could attend? For example, the BU Outdoors Club and the Environmental Club collaborated to host a climate café where students discussed environmental issues through hope instead of fear.

Could you switch out some of your products for more eco-friendly options? Personally, when I started changing the products I used, I noticed a huge difference in my mindset. I started to realize that if everyone makes small changes, or if everyone is a little bit more educated, then that would make a huge difference. 

People often say something along the lines of, “Well, it doesn’t matter what I do. It’s the big corporations that are causing climate change”. While I do not deny that corporations’ environmental impacts are huge, if everyone says that, nothing will ever change. Instead of fixating solely on these big corporations, or becoming anxious when thinking about environmental issues, I challenge you to think about small changes you can make, whether that is changing up your products, educating your friends or attending climate events. I promise you will make a difference, and you will feel better about where your energy is directed. Eco-anxiety will always be present among us, but we can work with that energy in different ways.