Connecting with Nature to Cope with the Mental Health Consequences of Climate Change

Conservation authorities play a key role in protecting and conserving our natural environment. This protection and conservation of our natural environment is important for the health of our environment and for human health and wellbeing. The Friends of the Greenbelt organization recognizes the role of conservation authorities in enhancing health and wellbeing and provides a number of resources on the topic area. I was fortunate to work with The Friends of the Greenbelt to provide a report looking at the mental health consequences of climate change and how connecting with nature can support our wellbeing in a changing climate.

Access to nature allows us to take part in outdoor physical activities that reduce our risks of disease like diabetes and heart disease, and simply spending time in nature can reduce stress and improve our mood. Efforts to protect and conserve our natural environment are vital as we face one of the greatest risks to planetary and public health: climate change.

More and more the risks and impacts of climate change are being noticed by elected leaders around the globe and many are beginning to declare climate emergencies. The aim of declaring climate emergencies is to initiate society-wide climate actions that reduce climate effects, and actions that protect us from climate effects. Climate emergencies have become so widespread that the Oxford dictionary declared ‘climate emergency’ the word of the year for 2019. With this declaration comes the difficult reality that we are in the midst of a climate crisis and this crisis has real consequences to our mental wellbeing.

Facing the climate emergency may spark worry, fear, and uncertainty about our future. We may experience things like ecological anxiety (worry over environmental losses from climate change), or ecological grief (sadness and loss over changes to our environment from climate change), or trauma and distress after experiencing some form of climate hazard (flood, wildfire, heat wave, etc.).

Importantly, there are things we can do to help us navigate these complicated emotional responses, like planting trees, or volunteering with local conservation organizations. These nature-based actions can help us connect with the natural environment and with others to protect our environment and enhance social connections, which support our wellbeing and the wellbeing of the planet.

In the report titled, Mental Health and Our Changing Climate: Exploring the Mental Health Consequences of Climate Change for Women, Youth, and Newcomers in the Greenbelt, I explore how climate change is affecting mental health, particularly the mental health of women, youth, and newcomers. I discuss how the mental health effects of climate change are not evenly distributed and I speak to the specific impacts on these three population groups. In this report, I also look at how these groups are agents of change that are championing climate actions. Further, I explore opportunities to enhance climate actions that support our mental wellbeing, particularly in Ontario’s greenbelt. Here’s the link to the report to learn more.

Katie Hayes, PhD, Climate Change and Mental Health Researcher