How to overcome climate anxiety

The path to sustainable action for a fashion business is far from easy. “I’m continually in conflict,” admits New York designer Mara Hoffman. “Wrestling with the collective climate impact of the fashion industry and how we’re trying to reform and revolutionise it within our little company. Are we doing enough? Can we leave enough of an impact?” Hoffman’s brand is built on an ethos of sustainability. She is one of many designers dealing with the emotional toll of tackling the climate crisis while maintaining a profitable business. “The climate crisis is an enormous issue,” agrees British designer Bethany Williams. “When you feel like something is out of your control, that’s when mental health issues come up. Running a sustainable business, there’s a balancing act between people and planet, looking after people and making enough money to pay their wages. Climate anxiety comes up a lot because we’re always thinking about our impact.” As brands and employees alike come to grips with the reality of the climate crisis, psychologists warn that working towards sustainability can take a serious emotional toll, exacerbated during the Covid-19 crisis. Academics point to a growing list of so-called eco-emotions, which can manifest as feelings of anxiety, helplessness and grief. For employers, this can mean emotionally exhausted employees, higher rates of burnout and disengagement, and losing out on people’s creative potential. An open-minded attitude to the issue helps. “As businesses redesign their approach to support the planet, there is an opportunity to normalise openness about mental wellbeing,” says Dr. Patrick Kennedy-Williams, one half of Climate Psychologists, which helps individuals and organisations overcome eco-emotions. Sustainable brands are particularly at risk, particularly as the continued dominance of fast fashion undermines their efforts, he continues. “Trying to motivate change without seeing results can be frustrating.” Turning anxiety into action Climate anxiety is the most common eco-emotion, and its most effective remedy is action, says Dr. Kennedy-Williams. “If you are concerned about the climate, working for a fast fashion brand will likely not help your feelings of anxiety and guilt, but working in a sustainable business could be beneficial to both your mental health and the planet. Resilience is essential for this — it requires a careful balance of action and self-care.” The enormity of the challenge can be overwhelming. “Working to save the planet is a really big goal,” says Leah Thomas, a sustainable influencer with 218,000 Instagram followers and founder of advocacy organisation Intersectional Environmentalist. She first experienced climate anxiety and grief when studying environmental science at university. Now, she is part of a movement where activists promote self-care. “Climate anxiety and climate grief can be totally debilitating,” she says. “But we don’t have to wait until we save the planet to experience joy. Connecting with nature helps me feel joy and reminds me what we’re fighting for.” Thomas, who worked in PR and communications for Patagonia from 2018 until recently, points to the company’s mental health resources as an example of climate-conscious leadership. “They would inform us about protests and bring in speakers on conservation, the science behind climate change and activism.” Patagonia’s support helped. “Having that educational stream was great, because hearing different takes regularly made the climate crisis seem less scary. Most people need hope to be an activist,” she says. “Don’t single out any individual and make them feel like they have to single-handedly solve the climate crisis. Provide opportunities for learning, growth and self-care.” Slow fashion for emotional wellbeing Designer Bethany Williams produces just two collections per year, for 10 stockists, pushing back deadlines when needed. “We’ve slowed things down for my own mental health,” she says. Hoffman advocates for a similar approach, but often struggles to implement it. “We have to practise doing less — less production, less manufacturing, less productivity,” she says. “The past year has felt like a huge external plea for us to slow down, but I feel like I’ve never worked harder. I have to continually remind myself and my employees to take time off, especially now that you can’t go anywhere on vacation.” Slowing down can make brands less susceptible to eco-emotions, but it can also feel counterintuitive, explains environmental activist and drag queen Pattie Gonia, whose name is a riff on the brand Patagonia. “When it feels like we have no time to waste, it’s hard to ‘waste’ time, but you need space to think and process,” she says. “Having real communities you can process this with is really important.” Creating a company culture that acknowledges the importance of short-term rest for long-term productivity is key. Sandra Sandor is founder of Budapest label Nanushka, best known for its vegan leather. As well as designing for longevity rather than trends, she allows pets in the office for emotional support, runs meditation sessions and holds weekly meetings where Nanushka’s sustainability team update other employees on their progress and field questions. “Businesses have to invest in employee wellbeing and company culture,” says Sandor. Brands could learn from environmental movements like Extinction Rebellion, which tries to embed regenerative practices in its meetings. “If people are going to be regularly reminded of their own mortality, they also need to be reminded of gratitude, compassion, kindness and humility,” says co-founder and sustainable fashion lecturer Clare Farrell. Extinction Rebellion meetings start with an emotional check-in, which Farrell says “humanises” participants and encourages quieter members to contribute. A statement is then read out to remind everyone “not to take on too much work, not to say ‘yes’ too fast, and to be responsible for their own wellbeing”. According to Kennedy-Williams of Climate Psychologists, small changes to company culture can reinforce these values. Having clear corporate values and leading by example can motivate staff. Signalling and celebrating successes reminds employees of a brand’s positive impact. Coping with multiple issues Eco-anxiety can touch on multiple concerns. “For people in marginalised positions, it’s a double whammy,” says UK-based activist Tori Tsui. “The mental health issues people face as a result of the climate crisis intersect with poverty, health disparities, racial injustice and others too. I think about dismantling systems of oppression as a sort of self-care.” For Tsui and Californian activist Isaias Hernandez, better known to his 82,000 Instagram followers as @queerbrownvegan, news bulletin reports on natural disasters, climate denial and climate negligence trigger heightened emotions. Hernandez says social media can be a useful tool to validate and heal these emotions, especially for people from low-income backgrounds who may not have access to therapy or other mental health tools. Extinction Rebellion youth activist Daze Aghaji learnt how to self-soothe from online tutorials, using techniques such as tapping and breath work. Defining priorities is a concern. “As a Black woman in the US, there are so many issues that feel like they supersede climate,” says Brother Vellies designer and the 15 Percent Pledge founder Aurora James. “So it’s hard to have conversations around climate, though I realise communities of colour are affected the most. That has felt paralysing in some ways.” Within her teams, James creates space for open communication and challenging discussions. She emphasises the need to respect diverse opinions on how best to tackle the climate crisis. “Everyone is dealing with everything at their own pace, in their own way.” To become a Vogue Business Member and receive the Sustainability Edit newsletter, click here. Comments, questions or feedback? Email us at feedback@voguebusiness.com. More from this author: Unpacking Nike’s sustainable basketball capsule Sneaker drops keep coming. Are they sustainable? How fashion can embrace neurodiversity

Make better business decisions

Make better business decisions