Eco-anxiety and its remedies
Photo Credit : Kelly Sikkema
What is eco-anxiety?
Firstly, where does it come from?
Whether we are sensitive to ecology thanks to a report, a book, a film, a Climate Fresco, our sensitivity to nature, knowledge or all of that at the same time, we generally (or even regularly) go through phases where “we see everything in black” . Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you eco-anxiety!
So eco-anxiety rears its ugly head when we’re shocked by the TV news report that says it’s great to be able to swim in February, by the neighbour who fetches his bread in an SUV or throws his cigarette butt on the ground, the adverts for fast-fashion and weekends in Dubai…
We are increasingly sensitive to bad news brought to us by scientists and journalists. Sometimes to the point where we’re so upset that we can’t face it any more because it’s too much to bear. Or on the other hand, we can’t shake it off and end up going round and round until it hurts.
How bad is it, Doctor?
In 1996, the researcher Véronique Lapaige defined eco-anxiety as ‘pre-traumatic stress’, resulting in a feeling of anxiety or even anguish caused by current upheavals and/or threats to the environment.

Photo Credit : Unsplash +
According to an IFOP survey, 67% of French people say they are scared about the future. In general, this fear manifests itself through several emotions:
- Anger: often linked to a feeling of injustice about having to bear the consequences of the choices made by previous generations and the impression that political leaders are not up to the job;
- responsibility: even guilt, but also the idea of taking responsibility;
- fighting spirit or, on the contrary, resignation: facing up to the challenges or telling yourself it’s too late;
- and all kinds of other feelings.
In short, eco-anxiety has many different causes and expressions.
And you, where do you stand? The association “On Est Prêt” has set up the ‘Tu flippes? campaign to raise awareness about the issue. But also, and above all, to help. So, if you’re interested in taking stock of the situation, click here.
Eco-anxiety: how do you get over it?
Enough is enough!
To break this vicious circle, there’s nothing like really getting out of it. So let’s say stop and get some fresh air ! Getting out of your routine and opening yourself up to the outside world allows you to move forward and rediscover a calmer state of mind.
Share the « load » of eco-anxiety
The first step before taking any action is to talk about how you feel. Putting your emotions into words allows you to get them out into the open and understand them better. Sharing them with someone is also a way of lightening the ‘burden’: you’re not alone! Whether or not the person listening feels the same way, it’s a good first step to discuss it together, to get another point of view.

Photo credit : Double P
As well as talking and sharing emotions, reaching out to others also means reaching out to other environments, seeing and experiencing different things.
Go and see if the grass is greener elsewhere
It should be stressed out that this openness to others (people, places or experiences) takes place on several levels: our family circle and friends, our colleagues… right up to people we meet in a context that is very different from our everyday lives.
So it could be close to home, or at Make Sense’s ‘apéros paumé.e.s’, or in a different region or country.
Montaigne said ‘you have to travel to rub and brush your brain against someone else’s’.
As Montaigne pointed out, cultural exchanges enrich us, and by taking the time to discover new things on a trip, we meet the local people, exchange ideas (thanks Google Translation) and gain a better understanding of their daily lives and their point of view.
This is one of the major aspects of slow travel.
Disconnect
Eco-anxiety everywhere, all the time
One of the aspects of eco-anxiety that makes it so specific is this feeling of urgency and at the same time helplessness.
Indeed, networks and media, through their omnipresence in our daily lives – and especially in our smartphone! – are very oriented towards the immediate and “continuous” information.
A We Are Social study shows that we spend on average 7 hours a day in front of a screen! That is to say 42% of our waking time and of these hours, more than half on mobile phones.
Does that sound like a lot? Scientists have proven that screen use increases stress and the health problems that result from it. Then add to that the aspect of climate change and all its bad news, here is a magnificent toxic cocktail.
Stop !
So, when our health begins to suffer (sleep problems, stomach aches, irritability, loss of appetite, etc.) we have to know how to say stop! To this end, a radical but effective way: turn off your phone, leave it at home and DIS-CO-NNECT.
Furthermore, beyond phone and internet addiction, eco-anxiety develops a feeling of responsibility which sometimes translates into guilt in wanting to “cut off” information.
However, it is by taking care of ourselves that we will be able to take care of others and nature.
And it is entirely possible to take care of yourself without destroying the planet!
Okay, but what do we do now?
So, for a little break – a few hours, it could be simply listening to music, reading, watching a film, gardening, cooking, taking a walk, spending time with friends or family, knitting, playing dominoes, sport, yoga or meditation… invent the list that suits you!
But if you need a longer break, to cut yourself off from the world for a few days/weeks, we suggest you try the “disconnected vacation”. For this, no need to go to the Argentinian countryside without a network (and even then, the reception is not too bad there!).

Photo Credit : Austin Schmid
In this regard, here are some tips for letting go of your phone:
- Turn it off or leave it at home.
- Go to a place where there is no wifi (the EcoOndes site lists accommodations that have neither wifi nor relay antenna nearby) or no mobile network.
- No longer spend hours on the internet looking for a destination and a plan: let yourself be inspired by our itinerant loops in slow travel mode which promote stops off the beaten track for unforgettable surprises: aren’t we always more impacted by unexpected places and moments without pre-conceived ideas?
- Set rules: block Google News and network notifications, set time limits per application, or uninstall the most addictive ones, put the phone in airplane mode at night and/or at certain times of the day, etc.
In short, reconnect with “real life” (our ancestors would really take us for crazy people…).
Reconnection
Reconnecting with nature to fight eco-anxiety
Scientists are unanimous : walking in nature does us good !
Indeed, since the Japanese studies on the benefits of “shinrin-yoku (森林浴)” (“forest bathing”), from the 1990s, studies such as those of Dr. Louis Bherer for example, have continued to demonstrate that the contact with nature, particularly walking in the forest, helps reduce heart rate and blood pressure as well as cortisol levels (stress hormone).

Photo credit : Axel Holen
Reconnecting with the natural world to which we belong (while forgetting it too often) is enough to refocus on what is essential and give us hope. Our urban civilization has cut us off from nature: the part that we “give” to it in the city is only ornamental, a few flowers to make it look pretty, even if that is starting to change timidly. Our urban society did not worry about the destruction of biodiversity because it had already distanced from it.
Some people forget nature completely, believing they can live without it; while others have lost all hope of protecting it. However, it is by living in a more harmonious way with other living species, animal or plant, by cohabiting, that we will find the only sustainable solution for all.
Better understanding the mechanisms of biodiversity allows us to better protect it, and for this the Biodiversity Fresco is a good gateway.
Difference between protected and ordinary biodiversity
This makes it possible in particular to distinguish:
– protected biodiversity: the type which is almost “frozen” in national parks and nature reserves around the world;
– and “ordinary” biodiversity: that of our rural and agricultural environments, our gardens and parks.
On the one hand, regarding protected biodiversity, we are lucky to have many natural spaces and parks in Europe, where we can recharge our batteries without taking a plane.
We can note that the surface area of protected natural spaces in Europe increased sixfold between the 1980s and the 2010s, going from 3% to 21% of the continent’s total surface area (European Economic Area, EEA – source).
Some parks are also implementing quota systems to protect them from overcrowding, such as the Calanques since June 17, 2023. In fact, this is beneficial to certain wild animal species, such as ibexes and chamois, hinds and deer , wild boars, otters, lynxes, seals, bears, whales, swans, geese, cranes, egrets, pelicans, eagles… (fascinating study on this subject by Rewilding Europe).
Here are some great explorations and observations in perspective!
On the other hand, regarding “ordinary” biodiversity, the picture is clearly much less encouraging, we are not going to lie… Indeed, with the reign of the law of “progress” strongly anchored since industrialization, there’s a lot to do to change mentalities.
Here are some ideas to start by reconnecting on a small scale:
- cultivate at home or in a collective garden, learn about permaculture
- join an AMAP in France (Association for the Maintenance of Peasant Agriculture) and eat organic
- add plants to your roof, your terrace, your balcony… or even on the street!
- participate in a local nature protection association
- etc …

Photo credit : Filip Urban
Reconnecting to culture
Nowadays, keeping faith in humanity is sometimes complicated when listening to the news. But here are some examples to give you hope:
- Watch the movie “Tomorrow”, by Cyril Dion and Mélanie Laurent (2015), to remain in our theme
- Read independent press like in France : Reporterre, or Média Positif, or subscribe to the Plongeoir newsletter
- Listen to podcasts or watch videos from the journalist Mamad, The Impact Story, unearthing positive initiatives around the world.
- Laugh ! Yes we can laugh about eco-anxiety, it’s even recommended and Swann Périssé is a specialist in this area (be careful, highly corrosive!)
Of course, this list is non-exhaustive.
“You shouldn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater!” » as grandma would say.
Humanity has produced thousands of incredibly beautiful things: from the simplest pleasures to the most complex achievements. How can we not be amazed when thinking about the invention of musical instruments, the richness of the world’s languages, the diversity of art, the meticulousness of different crafts, the emotion provided by cinema…

Photo credit : Kevin Laminto
We are all different and culture affects us in a different way. I find my serenity by listening to a good piece of jazz (Nina Simone, Sidney Bechet…) in front of a painting by Renoir, ready to draw a sculpture by Canova, dressed in a dress sewn myself, with a good Italian novel in my pocket and the prospect of a delicious meal (all at the same time of course)… and you, what makes you feel good?
Reconnecting with others
We are not going to bombard you with yet another scientific study on the benefits of social connections (well if you insist here is an interesting article on the subject with many sources), but spending time with the people we love and who love us in return, building and maintaining relationships is an undeniable source of well-being.
You can also volunteer in your community, do a sporting or creative activity in a group, go and meet other cultures by traveling with locals…

Photo credit : PIKSEL (Getty Images)
Action !
Eco-anxiety as a driving force
Let us come back to Véronique Lapaige’s words:
« I realized, in the multicultural group that I followed at the time, that this feeling was not only negative because it also caused these people to take responsibility for global changes. However, if we want to combat global warming, feeling responsible is essential.
We must therefore see eco-anxiety not only as a problem but also as a driving force to change things. »
(source : National Geographic)
If we want to combat global warming, feeling responsible is essential.
Our emotions are triggers for action. Moreover, the word “emotion” comes from the Latin “motio”: “action of moving, movement”. So let’s use our emotions as levers for action!
“They are the ones who have guided us since the dawn of time, and allowed us to survive and evolve. Let’s give them back their place, let’s listen to them, let’s relearn how to live with and thanks to them!
This is what the “On Est Prêt association” tells us so well.
Once the “batteries are recharged”, taking action creates a liberating virtuous circle!

Photo credit : Markus Spiske
Some ideas for transforming your eco-anxiety into action
There are numerous modes of action, and we need to know how to find the one that suits us, that stimulates us without increasing our level of anxiety:
- vote (!)
- choose a bank that does not invest in fossil fuels
- try to align better our work with our values
- choose your mode of transport in an ecological way (walking, cycling, bus, tram, train, etc.)
- adopt a zero waste approach (food, cosmetics, maintenance, clothing, etc.)
- collect trash on the beach or in the forest
- raise awareness about ecology among those around you by taking them to a Climate Fresco (or leading one!)
- support positive initiatives on crowdfunding platforms
- get involved in a nature protection association
- getting involved in politics or civil disobedience
- … etc !
Conclusion
In summary, our 5 remedies against eco-anxiety
- Talk about it and open up to others
- Disconnect from the news
- Reconnect with nature
- Breathe and enjoy the outdoor
- Act concretely
Can we do all of this at the same time?
Detour Odyssey offers you a summary of well-being AND good deeds: trips
- to discover Europe
- without the hassle
- in slow travel mode
- according to your interests: nature, culture, relaxation, outdoor activities…
- and low carbon.
To find out more, discover our trips / contact us!

Photo credit : Valentin Russanov