As the climate crisis intensifies, it is not only our environment that is under pressure, our mental wellbeing is too. Feelings of fear, helplessness, and overwhelm are increasingly common, especially among young people who are deeply concerned about their future. Terms such as eco-anxiety and climate anxiety are gaining recognition, highlighting that this emotional toll is not limited to activists on the frontlines but shared by many across society.
In response to this growing challenge, CALM-EY was created to provide tools, guidance, and supportive spaces that help young people, youth workers, and communities build resilience, find hope, and better cope with the emotional impacts of climate change.
With increasing environmental awareness most of us are quite familiar with the consequences of climate change, yet comparatively little has been said about the impact it is having on our own on mental health across all age groups. Eco anxiety and climate anxiety are terms which are starting to make an impact as we realise that they are not felt exclusively by activists on the frontline, but rather by many who feel overwhelmed and often helpless in a situation where we see and hear about global negative impacts on a daily basis.
- Improve youth workers’ knowledge competences through a Training Programme and Handbook
- Equip youths self-help methods to further develop their personal and social competencies through a Self-Help Workbook
- Help youths feel heard and supported through several guided Support Group sessions
- Raise citizens’ awareness of climate anxiety as well as climate distress coping skills.
If you wish to learn how to overcome climate worry and improve your well-being, you can check out our free-to-use resources, to strengthen your mental resilience against climate worry!
Rooted in Hope: This self-help workbook offers a safe, supportive space for youth (but not only) seeking ways to care for themselves, others, and nature in these climate-challenging times. It includes practical techniques and exercises; indoors, outdoors, solo, or in groups, and can be used on its own or within a support group.
Compass for Climate Chaos: a booklet which offers tools for self-care, community care, and reconnecting with nature amid climate worry. Inspired by Audre Lorde, Alice Walker, and Joanna Macy’s Work That Reconnects, it includes meditations, recipes, and creative projects to foster hope and resilience.
If you work with youth, these resources will empower you in supporting young people against climate worry:
The Training Programme: This training programme helps specialists support young people facing climate worry. It provides step-by-step guidance to run local trainings, offering basic knowledge and tools to help youth manage their emotions.
Growing through the Crisis: This Handbook offers information, resources, and strategies to recognise the range of climate-related emotions. It explains key terms and explores the emotional and physical reactions linked to climate worry, helping readers better understand this phenomenon and how it develops.
Support Methodology Guidelines: The Peer Support Group Guidelines offer simple, practical tools for those working with youth to facilitate regular meetings. They help create a safe space where young people can openly share their thoughts and feelings about the climate crisis without fear of judgment or dismissal.
All the above resources, as well as a curated list of external materials can be found in one place for ease of reference.
Co-funded by the European Union.