Coping Strategies for Ecological Grief

Once we recognize that we are experiencing Ecological Grief, the question changes to focus on “what do we do about it?” Part of what makes ecological grief so challenging is the feeling of helplessness that can come with it. Knowing that there is a way to process your feelings and make a positive change for the future is an important part of coping.

Understanding Coping

Coping, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, means "to deal with and attempt to overcome problems and difficulties." In order to cope, we must believe that the problems and difficulties can be overcome. It is helpful to separate coping into strategies that address the source of the stress (problem-focused coping) and those that address the emotional distress we may feel (emotion-focused coping).

Reducing emotional distress can come from feeling heard and validated, practicing techniques that help regulate our nervous system, processing emotions in therapy, and other options tailored to our individual needs. Problem-focused coping can also look diverse and include technological solutions, political activism, making changes to reduce our own ecological footprint, and gaining knowledge and education. The main takeaway is that to cope well, we need to be doing something that specifically addresses either the source of the problem or our emotional dysregulation. The following suggestions expand on a few areas you can explore when it comes to enhancing your coping strategies.

Nature-Based Coping

Allowing yourself to spend intentional time in nature can help you feel connected and regulate your nervous system. Activities that increase our appreciation for the local beauty around us without disrupting the ecosystem can enhance our respect and care for the earth. Noticing the positive impact of a walk in the forest or a swim in the ocean on our nervous system can strengthen our commitment to preserving these beautiful natural environments for the future.

Many indigenous land conservation and stewardship efforts role model how to care for and maintain natural ecosystems for future generations. Supporting or learning from these efforts may also help you feel more connected to the natural world in your local community. Local bands are often already advocating for the preservation of nature on the front lines in our communities, so do a bit of research and see where you might be able to participate.

Local gardening can be another way to provide healthy coping and proactive involvement in preservation. Many communities have local gardens with plots available where you can spend time getting your hands in the dirt, and try your skills at growing your own salad ingredients. If gardening isn’t for you, there are also several sustainable farming initiatives with CSA boxes available. In the local Vancouver area, UBC sustainable farming and Sole Foods Street Farms are notable examples. Urban gardens are critical in combating food deserts and the urban heat climate effect, which causes higher temperatures in urban areas due to the increased pavement and reduced plantlife.

Other nature-based strategies include beach cleanups and curbside garden initiatives. See what is available in your local community, or better yet, collect a few friends and start something new!

Mindfulness and Meditation

Mindfulness and Meditation techniques, especially those that can be used in natural environments, are great tools to regulate your nervous system and reduce stress. If you’re not someone who is keen on traditional mediation, even something like forest bathing can be a great restorative practice. Free apps like Insight Timer offer lots of mindfulness practice options that suit your comfort and skill level. Rhythmic and repetitive activities like running can also create an atmosphere of relaxation and be used as a mindful or meditative strategy. If you’re looking for something more focused on ecological grief, this blog from resilience.org lists some really beautiful meditations.

Social Support Networks

Feeling validated by a community that can process your experiences with you is essential for working through grief. We all need the opportunity to share our stories when grieving and make meaning of them to move through the emotion. One of the main premises of AEDP (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy), a therapy modality in which the clinicians at our collective are trained, is that enduring psychological distress often stems from deeply profound emotions that are too much to hold alone. We are meant to process life together. This not only feels validating but also allows us to support, encourage, and move forward together, working towards shared solutions.

Social support helps us see that while we each play a role in addressing the current climate crisis, we do not need to bear the entire weight individually. The Social Change Ecosystem Framework outlines a variety of roles needed for lasting social change, emphasizing the importance of each person contributing in their own way. These roles accommodate our unique skills and giftings, ranging from frontline responders to visionaries, healers, and even storytellers. Knowing the part you have to play can bring relief and freedom, as then you can feel more empowered to lean into your skills knowing the community around you is doing the same.

Self-Care Practices and Action

When navigating grief in any context, it is important to move with kindness and gentleness. Recognize that the emotions need to be felt and moved through for you to shift into understanding comes next. Gaining knowledge about Ecological Grief can trigger an impulse to act, but this can lead to burnout. Many systems impact us, and lasting meaningful change requires collective effort. Think of this work as training for a marathon—progress will be slow and incremental, and you will need endurance. That means taking care of yourself: resting, feeding yourself nutritious calories, drinking plenty of water, all of these are vital to building the stamina you will need for the long haul.

Educating yourself is another way to take action. The Social Change Library offers a variety of resources to understand what others are doing and how you might fit in. Connecting with your local municipality or nearby university campuses might be another way to get involved in action without requiring you to be the organizer. Start slowly and trust that you will be drawn to actions that align with your unique gifts. If you do discover you’re keen to start a group yourself, UBC has this amazing resource available that walks you through creating a climate grief group step by step.

Professional Support and Therapy

In an ideal world, we’d all have a community and support system to hold us as we process grief and emotions, but this isn’t always the case. If you feel alone in what you are feeling, you don’t have to be, please reach out for support. Finding a therapist who not only experiences the same emotion about the climate crisis, but also has the capacity to hold space for your feelings can help you feel less burdened. Think of therapy as a container where you can release your feelings, allowing you to move towards the actions you are meant to take.

At the Commons Wellness Collective, we take an intersectional approach to our work, recognizing that folks with different lived experiences and identities are impacted in very different ways by the current climate crisis. Whether you choose to pursue therapy with us or elsewhere, it’s important to ensure that the clinician you work with understands this systemic lens. This will help create a safe environment for you to access and process all of your feelings.