Our bodies and minds are connected so deeply in our everyday life that we don’t even recognise it! It’s at the core of what we drink, eat, breathe and, how we move around. And a healthy environment is essential for us to be healthy too. If we are worrying about the our planet, our health could be affected. So how do we change that?
Eco-anxiety is a reasonable response to a real problem. With all of the negative stories that we hear, it’s easy for our minds to go to the worst outcome. Sometimes, worry can stop us from seeing the big picture, applying some balanced thinking and taking steps to care for our mental health.
Exploring Eco-Anxiety
This Climate Action Countdown challenge, from Eco-Schools in collaboration with the Bupa Foundation, will get you talking about your hopes and fears about climate change with friends and family.
Download, print, and get to know the ‘Anxious to Active’ conversation cards here. This simple tool will help you understand and talk about your eco-anxiety.
Let’s talk!
Cut out the ‘Anxious to Active’ conversation cards so they can be slotted together like jigsaw pieces during your discussion.
Place them into piles on a table.
Let everyone know that this is a safe space to talk about their worries and support one another.
You might want to make sure everyone has drinks and snacks to help them relax.
Talk!
Use the ‘Anxious to Active’ conversation cards to guide your conversations.
Did you know?
One in three young people in Britain are scared (33%), sad (34%) or pessimistic (34%) about climate change, with 28% feeling “overwhelmed”
Want to do more? Spotlight on Eco-Schools
For 30 years, the Eco-Schools programme has given nurseries, schools and colleges a seven-step framework to increase environmental learning, make their sites more sustainable and empower pupils to become tomorrow’s climate leaders. The programme is pupil led and upon completion, schools can apply for an international accreditation – the Eco-Schools Green Flag award.
This activity is one element of Eco-Schools’ ‘Healthy Summer toolkit’, which supports pupils to make positive impacts on the health of our planet, bodies and minds. You can see more from the Healthy Summer toolkit from Eco-Schools here.
