Sitting With Climate Emotions

A practice to befriend your climate emotions and build emotional resilience in times of ecological crisis.

Climate emotions include the whole spectrum of the human emotional experience. While we often speak only about climate anxiety, we do in fact experience a whole range of emotions in relation to the unfolding climate and biodiversity crisis. From overwhelm, despair, grief, hopelessness, and anger to also optimism, hope, meaning, community, love and empathy. As a collective, we have forgotten how to tend to the ones that feel heavy and uncomfortable. 

“Sitting With Emotions is a practice you can try to gently connect with the uncomfortable emotions you feel in relation to the climate crisis, and with that help to soften them somewhat.”

Find a space to get comfortable

Find a comfortable position, close your eyes and allow all the emotions to be present. Notice what you feel. This can be one emotion or a mix of many. Notice, where in your body you feel these emotions. It might be in the chest, in the belly, your head or in any other part of your body.

Where do you feel the emotions in you body?

Breathe deeply into that part of your body and ask yourself:

What does this emotion need from me? What movement could help express or soothe this emotion? It could be gentle rocking, or hugging yourself, sometimes you may feel the urge to scream, to run, or to cry. If you can, allow your body to express that movement or sound and notice how that feels.

Towards the end of your sitting, use journaling and write down all emotions you noticed, and what you have learned about what they need and how you feel after tending to them. Timebox this space. We don’t want to stay here all day. It’s about giving space to these emotions without judgement.

At the end of your practice, you may want to say quietly to yourself: “Thank you for being here. I see you. I feel you. I will go back to my day now, experiencing life at its fullest and also find moments of joy.”

Take note of one thing you are grateful for, before you go back to your day.

Be gentle with yourself. 

Download your copy of this practice to add to your climate anxiety toolbox:

Hi, I am Claudia. I am a Positive Psychologist working at the intersection of climate concerns, meaningful careers, and the emotional side of doing sustainability work. My best work happens with people who understand the importance of resourcing themselves mentally, emotionally and soulfully, so that they can stay resilient, connected and hopeful in their impact work and personal lifes.

Connect with me for career coaching, creative community spaces, team building and tailored workshops on climate emotions, cultivating hope and positive psychology approaches for teams working on climate and social justice.