#5 Care: cultural therapy & social aid

Your declaration and action plan might focus on helping people attain wellbeing, or develop coping strategies for eco-anxiety and the pressures of a changing world. This includes aid to those most affected.

Wellbeing for people affected in different ways

  • Enable wellbeing and immunity in brains and bodies, through play, sport, dance, outdoor exploration, and work on diet and addiction. Access to biodiverse nature reduces stress and improves wellbeing.
  • Support activists: culture and creativity can hold people at the low point of despair when leaders have failed or we must rise to action and compassion.
  • Offer cultural therapy for people affected by eco-anxiety in anticipation of trauma. Create supportive frameworks where people can come together to listen to speak openly and share their fears, concerns and grief about the emergency.
  • Work with appropriate services to support traumatised people (e.g. displaced by climate impacts and conflict).

Practice towards a Regenerative Culture in relations with others

  • Help change attitudes to our fellow beings, to be more generous and less materialist.
  • Teach and implement the changes we want to see in society; challenge power and privilege; support each other in tending to grief as we face the truth about this emergency; build a culture of care into our daily lives – care for ourselves, each other and the Earth; change the paradigms by which we design, grow, make and trade so that the living planet can be regenerated.
  • Memorialise lost species, cultures & places; giving space to spiritual activities and support grief at loss.

Consider your own and team wellbeing

  • Ensure that you find ways to support each other with the psychological impacts of Declaring Emergency and facing the truths of the situation.
  • Hold an active listening session for staff, including volunteers or freelancers.
  • Create supportive frameworks where staff and your wider community can come together to listen and speak openly. share their feelings about the Earth crisis and how it affects them.

Inspiration and Resources

Climate Psychology Alliance

A group of psychologists that engage with climate trauma and eco-anxiety.

University of Derby

Using art therapy for eco-anxiety – read the article.

The Happy Museum Project

Case studies on wellbeing and sustainability.

Climate Coping Strategies

Tools from Climate Museum UK.

Good Grief Network

10-Steps to Personal Resilience and Empowerment in a Chaotic Climate.

Remembrance Day for Lost Species

November 30th each year – a chance to explore the stories of extinct and critically endangered species, cultures, lifeways, and ecological communities.

Explore more

Pathways to action