Mental Health & The Climate
When I learned that both Tori Tsui and Britt Wray were coming to NYC for Climate Week ‘23, I quickly pitched the idea of an event together. They both said YES, and we began planning how to facilitate a conversation on eco-emotions and how they might affect our ability to take action.
We wanted to provide the audience with a broader understanding of the various eco-emotions, such as grief, anger, worry, and fear, and also share tips for growing emotional resilience in these challenging times.
Our Mental Health & The Climate Circle turned into a beautiful afternoon at the sustainable Brooklyn-based restaurant Lighthouse BK (previously featured in TCO.) We were humbled to see people from all walks of life come to learn about climate emotions and talk to fellow earth spirits.
After multiple requests from people who couldn’t attend, we finally decided to record the conversation, and you can now find it as an episode on the Hey Change Podcast.
Things we talked about include:
🌿 What are eco-emotions and how are they affecting our everyday lives?
🌿 What role do they play in our ability to – and desire to - make a difference?
🌿 How do we overcome these mental barriers that are keeping us paralyzed and stuck in place?
Seeking answers to these questions could be one of the most important topics of our times. Not just for the individual, but also for the whole, as it’s a critical step in igniting the courage needed to co-create a climate-just future and world.
Photos taken by Abigail Fenton
Read our books
If you’re interested in diving deeper into the topic and learn how you can empower yourself as an individual and change maker, I suggest you start here:
It's Not Just You It’s Not Just You by Tori Tsui:
Follow on Instagram: @toritsui
It’s Not Just You - How to Navigate Eco-Anxiety and The Climate Crisis
Generation Dread - Finding Purpose in an Age of Eco-Anxiety
The Climate Optimist Handbook by Anne Therese Gennari:
Follow on Instagram: @annetheresegennari
The Climate Optimist Handbook - How To Shift the Narrative on Climate Change and Find the Purpose To Choose Change
It’s an honor to share the space with such incredible pioneers and thought leaders, both on stage and in the people who filled the room. It truly speaks to that we are on this mission together and that the more we can shed awareness and spark light, the faster we can reach a climate-just future together.
We may have talked about some heavy stuff, but as you can see, the room was filled with hugs and laughter, which shows how serious we are about empowering ourselves and each other through these difficult times.
This is OUR movement, all of ours.
So let’s come together and recognize the kinds of change we can ignite when we to act from a place of wholeness and love — spiritually, mentally, and collectively! ✨
I also want to give a big shoutout to the amazing Isaias Hernandez (also known as QueerBrownVegan) for moderating this panel, to Lighthouse BK for letting us use their beautiful venue, to Abigail Fenton for capturing these moments and to Nick Laparra for showing up last minute to record our conversation!
Don’t forget to tune in here
Moderator Isaias Hernandez with panelists and authors Tori Tsui, Britt Wray, and Anne Therese Gennari
*All photos on this page are taken by Abigail Fenton
