8 Books for Climate Professionals Nurturing Holistic Wellbeing, Hope and Deep Connection with Earth
With a rapidly increasing demand for climate professionals across all industries and job roles and a push to make every job a climate job, the need for well-rounded professionals equipped with both systemic understanding and emotional resilience has never been more important. As climate professionals navigate the challenges of a rapidly changing world, the importance of nurturing holistic wellbeing, fostering hope, and cultivating a deep connection with Earth becomes a core skill to create and sustain positive impact. In this blog, I present a curated list of 8 transformative books tailored for climate professionals seeking not only to expand their knowledge but also to nourish their minds, hearts and souls. Join me on a reading journey that has had my Positive Psychologist heart feel seen, while stretching my mind into systemic perspectives that build bridges across cultures, generations and time itself. These books go beyond the technicalities of climate science, offering insights into the interconnectedness of human wellbeing, environmental stewardship, and the profound sense of hope required for a sustainable future. They are not just resources; they are beacons guiding you towards a more resilient and harmonious relationship with both your work and the planet we call home. Get cosy in your reading corner and come with me on a learning journey towards an inspiring version of tomorrow.
We are starting our reading journey by connecting with the human origin story, travelling back in time when we roamed this Earth in small numbers and in harmony with everything around us.
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants
This wonderful book by botanist and Citizen of the Potawatomi Nation Robin Wall Kimmerer creates a harmonious combination of ancient storytelling with the Science of Botany. She introduces us to indigenous teachings from the more-than-human world, inviting us to listen to the wisdom of plants, trees and animals and our ancestors who came before us. This book inspires a new connection with Earth and all its inhabitants, and bringing a fresh understanding to our scientific minds. This is a great read for quiet moments inspiring hope and gratitude. It also sparked new perspectives for me around regenerative gardening and growing food in harmony with nature. There is much wisdom in indigenous storytelling that can help pave the way into a more symbiotic future.
Ishmael - A Novel
Ishmael by Daniel Quinn is a rare and unique book. It’s one of these books that will change the way you see the world and stay with you for the rest of your life. It feels like every sentence, every word is in its right place, creating a mind-expanding journey that teaches you more about humankind and our impact on this planet than any course could ever do. The story is written as a fable, with its main protagonist a wise ape, who will become your teacher on your journey of change-making. I read this book on holidays in one day and one long night because I couldn’t put it down. Make sure you have time to read once you pick it up! I am keeping this summary short because I believe this book is best read without too much previous information. Let this be your mystery novel and trust that it will serve you well.
With these two books grounding you in the origins of our world and our species, you are now ready to explore the emotional side of impact work and nourish our need to connect with nature and the more-than-human world for our wellbeing and emotional resilience.
Earth Emotions: New Words for a New World
Our emotional connection to Earth is in crisis. Some say it’s the result of our ongoing exploitation. Others say it’s the very reason for us destroying the foundation for all life on Earth. Either way, one of the most important skills we need to learn, is to recognise our emotions in relation to the climate crisis. To sustain positive impact either through work, activism or personal actions, it is essential that we build emotional literacy, to give these often conflicting emotions a name as well as place to be heard. Glenn A. Albrecht, Philosopher and most intriguing wordsmith of our time, takes us on a journey through the positive and negative emotions we feel with and for Earth. This book is a teacher and dictionary alike, giving us a language to express what we feel in new words that connect our minds and hearts with Earth and the more-than-human-world. Some words have made it into contemporary language, like the Symbiocene, the era of hope and restoration many believe we are entering through finding a more symbiotic relationship with nature and all living beings. This book is a gift for all trying to find a balance between anxiety and hope, despair and meaningful action.
An Irish Atlantic Rainforest - A Personal Story into the Magic of Rewilding
Irish man Eoghan Daltun tells his personal story of reconnecting with nature which ultimately let him to take on the stewardship of a piece of land in the West of Ireland, where he allows nature to do its magic of rewilding landscapes as well as hearts and minds. This is one of these stories that show us what’s possible if we step back from our need to control, into allowing the wisdom of nature be our guide every step of the way. This is a beautiful book that educates about rewilding practices, including creating space for predators to come back as an integral part of healthy ecosystems. At the same time this book entertains and creates an inspiring vision with every page unfolding new immersive details. While reading, I developed a surprisingly clear image of that rewilded lush forest, full of rich life, providing a home for many species and shining like a beacon towards a better future that starts here, today, with us. A hopeful and practical book reminding us that each of us can be that neighbour who does things that little bit differently and in the process we give back to nature and restore ecosystems for future generations to enjoy and thrive in.
Working on climate means working on the edge of climate anxiety. Making climate work your profession makes it impossible to compartmentalise the pain, destruction and exploitation of ecosystems, people and planet. It is therefore essential to (re)build our inner resourcing in order to sustain positive change. Here are two book recommendations that help you create and sustain positive impact and navigate that balancing act between eco-anxiety and radical hope.
The Climate Optimist Handbook: How to Shift the Narrative on Climate Change and Find the Courage to Choose Change
I love recommending this book because it is for all ages! Anne Therese Gennari has the ability to provide optimistic perspectives and practical exercises for anyone ready to move beyond the doom and gloom. Again, this is a book that can act as a resource beyond the first read, a bit like a recipe book to create more climate optimism in your life and the lives of the people around you - be it family, colleagues or friends. It is best suited for someone in the process of awakening to the multifaceted crisis and who doesn’t have tools yet to manage the emotional and cognitive pain. I recommend this book to help with the initial shift from despair to hopeful optimism and understanding that we can all play a positive role in shifting to a positive future.
Turn the Tide on Climate Anxiety: Sustainable Action for Your Mental Health and the Planet
I recommend this book as an essential read for all climate professionals. It recognises the need for building emotional resilience and an effective toolbox to deal with climate anxiety and all other climate emotions that we encounter daily. Climate anxiety is a life-long mental health issue and this book by psychologists Megan Kennedy-Woodard and Patrick Kennedy-Williams is as much psychoeducation as it is a workbook that helps you to work through your climate emotions, teaching you holistic tools to navigate the emotional side of impact work. I particularly love the integration of some of my favourite tools from Positive Psychology like connecting to our strengths to navigate climate emotions. It also draws from cognitive behavioural approaches which can be very helpful in identifying unhelpful thoughts and limiting beliefs. Reading and working through this book will leave you feeling empowered and moving into meaningful action - whatever that means to you.
Your reading journey has connected you back to our ancestors, helped you with these sometimes difficult Earth emotions and connected you to the land you live on. Let us now shift our horizons towards the future. And what better way to connect with the future through what we can do in the here and now? The next two books are a source of empowerment to create these small ripple effects in the present, trusting that they will grow and influence a new version of humanity that is slowly emerging.
All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis
A powerful collection of essays from women at the forefront of positive climate action, edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katherine K. Wilkinson. This is more than a book: this is a community-building project. What really brings this book to life is a complementary email course you can sign up for while reading through the carefully curated chapters. The weekly emails offer generous reflective questions, that will inspire anyone who loves journaling. Additionally, you can join or create a reading circle, which is a wonderful way to work through this book in community with others. The book is a journey to connect with your motivation to take positive action, reminds you to nourish your head, heart and soul on this journey and weaves in beautiful poems that speak to us on a different level. This is a perfect book for bite-sized reading in between, where you can pick and choose from the essays to inspire, ponder and connect.
How to Talk About Climate Change in a Way That Makes a Difference
This book is dedicated to the one question we all face at some point in our change-making journey: “How the heck do I talk about climate change with my partner, my colleagues, my family, my friends, my children?” Rebecca Huntley expertly combines insight into human psychology and attitudes to help us understand why this topic is so loaded with emotions and can feel impossible to talk about. You will learn practical strategies to change attitudes on the personal and local level and find new ways to inspire hope and exciting visions in others - and yourself. I love how this book focuses on the one thing we can all do, without the need to become a climate scientist or be an expert: how to engage with others close to us on the topic of climate change in a confident and connecting way. An essential read for people at all stages in their climate careers.
Now you know what wonderful books have nourished my heart, stretched my mind and helped me to connect to my soul and planet Earth in new ways. I hope you found inspiration in this list of book recommendations for sustainability professionals. Remember to press pause and take emotional and mental rest. It is essential to mind your wellbeing and is the biggest gift you can gift yourself and our planet. Thank you for the work you do. I see you.
