Resources for Resilience

“More than one in four conservation professionals internationally report moderate or severe levels of psychological distress.”

Pienkowski et al. 2023

Below are resources to help us learn the language, grow our tools and connect with others to strengthen our emotional resilience to ecological crises. The information below has been curated as a starting place for understanding and processing the emotions we may experience in response to transformations occurring ecologically, and in turn, societally and organizationally.

We note that many of the resources currently available center around climate change. However, these resources are relevant for managing our responses to a range of other ecological crises as well (e.g., species extinctions, disasters).

Learn the Language

Science and other expert-created information

Podcasts

Talking Climate: Grief: Expert panelists Shahzeen Attari, researcher at Indiana University’s O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Mary Annaïse Heglar, writer and co-creator and co-host of the Hot Take podcast and newsletter, and Rabbi Jennie Rosenn, Founder and CEO of Dayenu discussed the layered and collective burdens of loss and trauma in communities across the US, and the weight of their impacts on marginalized communities.
The Mindful Field Guide’s 5 Great Podcast Episodes on Eco-Grief

Videos

How to Live Meaningfully with Climate Anxiety: Dr. Britt Wray, Director of Stanford University's Special Initiative on Climate Change and Mental Health, shares research about how embracing “climate anxiety” could address both mental health and ecological problems.
How to Talk to Your Kids About Eco-Anxiety: Dr. Robin Cooper from the American Psychiatric Association about how to speak with children about climate change anxiety.

Articles

Embodying the Climate Crisis: Toward a Somatic Understanding of Climate Change, Trauma, and Transformative Healing – A Series
The Climate Anxiety Discussion Has a Whiteness Problem: Building sensitivity to how experiences of ecological emotions may vary with race and environmental injustice

Peer-reviewed Research

Supporting conservationists’ mental health through better working conditions. Pienkowski (2023). Conservation Biology.
Mental health risk and resilience among climate scientists. Clayton (2018). Nature Climate Change.
Climate emotions: It is ok to feel the way you do. Duggan et al (2021). The Lancet Planetary Health.
Mapping the solastalgia literature: A scoping review study. Galway et al (2019). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
From anger to action: Differential impacts of eco-anxiety, eco-depression, and eco-anger on climate action and wellbeing. Stanley et al (2021) The Journal of Climate Change and Health.

Reports

Mental Health and Our Changing Climate: Impacts, Implications, and Guidance (American Psychological Association, 2021)
Mental health and our changing climate: Children and youth (American Psychological Association, 2023)

Books

All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis edited by Ayana Johnson and Katharine Wilkinson
Climate Optimism: Celebrating Systemic Change Around the World by Zahra Biabani
Solastalgia: An Anthology of Emotion in a Disappearing World edited by Paul Bogard
A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety: How to Keep Your Cool on a Warming Planet by Sarah Jaquette Ray

Connect with Others

Good Grief Network: Peer-to-peer support group for people overwhelmed by eco-distress and collective trauma from social and ecological injustices.
The All We Can Save Project: Facilitated Circles that gather to discuss a 10-session series like a book club but have more extended dialogue about the climate crisis and building community around solutions.
The Whole Community: A community addressing environmental change, historical injustices and social change by convening people for resilience-building.
Work That Reconnects Network: A global community that nurtures a regenerative and thriving world for all beings by providing support, connection and inspiration.
Global Optimism: A family of projects and partnerships that aims to elevate leadership, transform mindsets and accelerate action to protect and regenerate the web of life through suborn optimism.
Council on the Uncertain Human Future: A community of councils that practice shared witness, reflection and discernment to incubate insightful, creative and skillful responses to the climate and ecological breakdown.

Grow Your Tools

Practices, tools and courses

Build comfort in talking about emotions

Ecological grief literacy: Approaches for responding to environmental loss. Cooke et al (2024), Conservation Letters.
Holding hope: Talking together about the inner impacts of the climate crisis: How we should and can normalize talking about the emotional toll of ecological crises
Climate Emotions: Wheel and guide to climate emotions
Climate Scale of Emotions: Range of emerging emotions and feelings to help navigate where you are situated

Deeply connect with nature

Contact with Nature as Therapy: Summary of the research on why contact with nature is therapeutic
Forest Bathing: What It Is and Its Potential Benefits: A Japanese practice for immersing yourself in nature and the present moment.
Awaken the Flow of Gratitude in Nature with Georgina Miranda: 12-min guided meditation best practiced outside to connect with nature and gratitude.

Practice mindfulness

Practicing mindfulness in addressing the biodiversity crisis. Gerber et al (2023), Conservation Science and Practice.
MindfulFed: A first-of-its-kind interagency community of practice, offering guided meditations and more to support your intention to cultivate wellbeing and resilience.
- Federal employees can send a blank email Mindful-FED-subscribe-request@listserv.gsa.gov to receive email invitations and updates.
- Send questions, ideas, and any interest to get involved to MINDFUL-FED-ADMIN@listserv.gsa.gov
Reconnecting with the Earth with Kristin Barker: 3-min guided meditation on the connection we hold with the living, breathing Earth all around us and the rest that connection brings.
Meditation on Facing the Fear of Climate Change with Tara Brach: 10-min guided meditation on feelings of anxiety, grief and burnout caused by climate change.
Nature-based mindful activities for youth: Scripts of guided nature-inspired activities to help youth become aware of sensations and hone visualization skills.

Generation Dread: A newsletter about staying sane in the climate crisis.

Watch a workshop or talk

Climate Mental Health Network: Programs for youth, teachers and parents. Climate emotions wheel available in more than 10 languages.

Enroll in a self-guided course

The Rest of Activism: 21 Day Burnout Recovery Course and community of environmental professionals with regular gatherings.
EcoSattva Training by One Earth Sangha: Self-guided series to support you in developing your response to ecological and social crises through insights from Buddhist traditions and climate psychology.
Active Hope: A book and free training to face climate change with resilience and creative power.

Know of any additional resources or would like yours added here? Contact us on reviveconserve@gmail.com