The Link Between Eco-Anxiety and Nature Disconnection in Children

An autumn tree with children examining leaves to illustrate eco-anxiety and the dangers of nature disconnection.

You may have noticed the increasingly common references to children and young people being scared witless by the state that the world appears to be heading towards. I’ve written before about climate anxiety in general terms and how their eco-anxiety is often raised by their lack of understanding of adult conversation they hear around them.

Here, though, let’s just talk about how children frequently have little connection to nature and the natural world.

The soundbite doing the rounds often refers to them not knowing where milk comes from. But let’s look further than the obvious!

There’s been a lot of research into the topic of eco-anxiety in young people, and more recent research by the University of Adelaide has gone into the topic further by looking at the link to disconnection from nature.

They noted two things of interest here:

1 Their anxiety is driven by them recognising the unsustainability of our current relationship with nature

2 They cannot imagine an alternative.

Now this is a crunch matter in terms of resolving our children’s problem. Here’s why…

How is this eco-anxiety different

In all mental health matters, the trick is to recognise the problem and then work out a way of overcoming it. For example:

In psychdynamic theory, explore and uncover unconscious conflicts and past experiences to gain insight and resolve deep-seated issues. 

In CBT, we’d identify and challenge negative thought patterns to develop healthier ways of thinking and behaving. 

And in person-centred therapy, we’d foster a supportive and non-judgmental environment that empowers you to find your own solution and achieve personal growth.

However, if they cannot imagine a way to solve the current eco problem – and therefore lower their anxiety levels – adults, such as parents or therapists, need to help them.

Children often don’t have the capacity to solve problems on their own but they do respond readily to the right kind of help offered in the right kind of way.

The problem here is, I see very few adults who have a handle on the possible solutions themselves. They are mired in misery and anger. So they cannot help our younger generation. This is worrying.

We need to rally round and sort ourselves out so we can help the younger generation. But first, the link between eco-anxiety and disconnection from nature.

What is the link between eco-anxiety and a disconnection from nature?

One thing the researchers turned up was that if children had more time in the outdoors, they sometimes feel the anxiety more intensely! That obviously doesn’t help, in one sense. 

But what about this? If they do more than “just” spend time out there, they can begin to understand how we are all part of the natural world – their actions affecting the whole ecosystem, and that ecosystem affecting them.

This is the right sort of connection. This is the one that can not only lead them to want to do something constructive, but one their parents can go along with.

I know many adults who will say, what’s the point of doing anything? That’s why they join protests and post angry messages on social media. But actually – remember that thing about a butterfly flapping in one place and causing a storm in another? That’s the only way things change. One act at a time.

And it’s the only hopeful way we can give ourselves and our children as a way forward, a way to think about the world’s issues – and lower their eco-anxiety.

How can we help children understand their place in the natural world and lower their eco-anxiety?

Nature walks, recycling and scavenger hunts only go so far. What’s needed is personally taking part, taking action, and talking about the issues in a child-friendly way.

Here are some ideas – but you will think of different ones according to your beliefs and values and he age of your child:

Help them respect all creatures – this happens by observing, thinking about what they live like, and helping them where necessary to flourish.

Talk about the life-death cycle of everything in nature – without scaring them, more to normalise it. We're part of it. We can "own" it.

Think together about eating habits, meat-eating, pescarianism, vegetarianism, veganism etc in a non-judgmental way – the interconnectedness of all things and how the animal chains (including us humans) work.

Bring natural things into the house – even if they die or make a mess, they trigger discussion and knowledge.

Read about the science of the natural environment together – there are plenty of child-friendly books to help them understand patterns in nature and how natural events happen. 

Take them out at night in a dark place – to view the universe and learn how awe-inspiring it is!

All these things can lead to positive action instead of eco-anxiety ruling their lives. 

If none of these ideas helps you change your child’s eco-anxiety, then you have at least done your best. No parent can do more. Give it a go?

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