Navigating Eco-Anxiety Through the Summer

Kids today are growing up in a world where environmental crises, both in the news and in our communities, are hard to avoid. With poor air quality from wildfire smoke in Northern Ontario and more frequent extreme heat warnings in Waterloo Region, many kids are feeling anxious about the future. This growing worry is known as eco-anxiety and can be especially intense during the summer months, when high temperatures increase stress, fatigue, and irritability.  

As a parent, you can help your child feel more grounded and supported. Here are some strategies to help you navigate eco-anxiety with your kids this summer: 

• Understand what eco-anxiety is: Kids Help Phone defines eco-anxiety as worry that arises when thinking about the uncertainty of the planet’s future due to climate change. Feelings of anger, existential dread, depression or panic are all common signs of eco-anxiety. While fear is a natural and protective emotion, it can become paralyzing when the threat feels too big to change.  
• Validate emotions: Because climate change is so overwhelming, when a young person expresses worry, it’s important to validate their fears. Once their concerns have been validated, you can work toward processing the anxious feelings.  
• Be open and honest: Create space for conversations about climate change that match their level of understanding. Avoid shutting down their concerns or offering empty reassurances. Showing that you care, and being honest about any anxiety you experience around climate change can help your kids know that it is both normal and manageable.
• Limit media exposure: While being informed is a good thing, too much flow of anxiety-provoking news can increase feelings of helplessness and defeat. Encourage healthy breaks from media intake and be mindful of what your kids are consuming.
• Take action together: There are tangible steps that can be taken to address climate change, and because problem-solving is empowering, finding ways to contribute with your kid can alleviate some fears and foster hope. Show them you care by making small, meaningful changes like reducing single-use plastics or composting.  

Extreme heat can also impact mental health, so being aware of weather alerts or heat warnings is another proactive step you can take to help kids manage their eco-anxiety. Stay informed with local emergency updates like Alert Waterloo Region.

If you’re a parent or caregiver in Waterloo Region and need support for kids experiencing anxiety or other mental health challenges, call Front Door to Child & Youth Mental Health at 519-749-2932.