Editor’s note: Dr. Crary is a psychologist who brings her expertise to this new column, designed to help environmentalists navigate the emotional and mental-health challenges of working toward a greener, healthier planet.

The obstacles that environmentalists face create enormous stress and pressure. Burnout, depression, feelings of helplessness, isolation, disillusionment, anger and other negative mental health conditions are increasingly experienced by environmental warriors because of their good and noble dedication to green causes.

In response to this, The Revelator introduces a new column that addresses what we hear from climate and wildlife defenders, scientists, lawyers, activists, and other readers who are doing their part to keep our world clean, biodiverse, and livable.

This column is intended to be your emotional rescue by offering practical approaches and solutions that can keep your mind strong and healthy so you can be the best you in your eco-pursuits. We invite you to share your emotional challenges by sending your questions about how to handle them in a healthy way.

Welcome to Dr. Green’s Emotional Rescue!

All participants will remain anonymous. This column is not a substitute for psychological therapy or care. We are merely a place where peers can find advice on handling their inner conflicts and problems as a result of their environmental efforts. See below for additional resources.

Dear Dr. Green,

I am completely worn out after decades of trying to work for the betterment of our environment. Lately I’m super depressed, I can’t seem to move, it is hard to even get out of bed. The things I used to enjoy just don’t interest me anymore. Worse, I’m becoming convinced that my life’s work has amounted to nothing and that I should give it up.

What can I do to regain my lost passion for saving the planet?

D. V., United States

Dear D.V.,

I am so sorry you are experiencing this pain. Please know that I hear you, and I understand your feelings of discouragement, and I hope this advice will help.

It seems you have a rather intense case of eco-burnout, a specific type of burnout caused by the unique challenges faced by environmentalists. While people in any profession can develop burnout, the work of environmentalists has features that are specifically daunting: Battling the globalized capitalist for-profit system, and politicalized laws and practices that enrich polluters while confusing the public with inflammatory rhetoric that is often unscientific or just plain false. The “bottom line” has become more important than science-based facts about the air we breathe and water we drink, the cultural inclusion of sustainability practices, biological diversity, natural aesthetics, or the finite nature of natural resources.

That said, the first step toward recovery is to take a step back. Think about your journey in environmentalism. We start out with a great reservoir of passion, enthusiasm, energy and a sense of justice. But when we cross the line from enthusiastic passion to unhealthy workaholism, we begin to cease caring for our own health, psychological boundaries, creative interests, or friends and family, and we then become focused only on a fervent and singular pursuit. So, take a step back.

Second, what are your self-expectations? Are they practically sustainable or humanly impossible to meet? An example might be making a “to-do” list for the weekend that’s so long it would take a whole week to complete. You’ve set yourself up for failure.

Explore the practice of self-compassion, in which you turn your compassion inward. Dr. Kristen Neff of the Self-Compassion Institute suggests this includes three key components:

• Self-Kindness is treating yourself kindly when you feel the pain of failure, rather than harshly self-criticizing.
• Acknowledging Common Humanity, or accepting imperfection, is part of the shared human experience rather than focusing on isolating flaws.
• Mindfulness, or objectively observing your negative emotions.

Putting these principles into practice, you’ll begin to view yourself with empathy and kindness. When you get upset, self-sooth by telling yourself, “It’s OK; this will pass.” Be vigilant when negative feelings start to grow and acknowledge them as temporary before they ramp up into the red zone. Accept imperfection as part of the human condition. You’re not alone in being imperfect. These simple practices will reduce pressure, stress, anxiety, and depression and help you develop the resilience to bounce back after a defeat and keep moving forward. Your relationships will also improve: When you accept yourself, you’re empowered to accept others.

Third, take a vacation away from all of it. (Don’t worry, those environmental problems will still be there when you get back.) Go somewhere you’ve never been before. Breathe. Care for yourself in mind and body. Without time away our exhaustion, frustrations and anger become malignant and isolating. Sustainability starts within you. Nourish yourself and then nourish our planet alongside those who share the same passion.

And if you’ve lost your sense of humor, get it back by any means necessary. The world is absurd; people are absurd. Learn to laugh at it now and then. Don’t become the bitter, angry person who steps on every joke about environmental challenges. Lighten up!

To renew your commitment to environmentalism, find community with other activists and celebrate the victories, no matter how small. Building on the wins will inoculate you from eco-burnout moving forward. According to Sadie Morris, editor of the Georgetown University environmental magazine Common Home, preventing future burnout requires cultivating the mindset of a Lifer (someone dedicated to pursuing climate justice for the rest of their life) and creating community.

“Small victories do matter: if you think it’s all or nothing, you get nothing.” 
— Dr. Michael Kazin

Burnout is serious, but don’t be crippled by it.

Reach out and let me know how it goes. We love a success story!

Dr. Green

Dear Dr. Green,

Twelve years ago, after living and working for years in urban and suburban settings, I moved to a place where my family and I could be surrounded by nature. But over the years, big development companies have moved in, destroying the amazing environment around us. My heart is broken, and we can’t afford to move because housing and rents have become too expensive. I don’t know what to do, feel helpless, depressed…and most of all trapped.

How can I cope with this current situation?

M.B., U.S.A.

Dear M.B.,

You are heard. I receive many messages about communities being environmentally degraded by big development projects. You are not alone.

You seem to be experiencing eco-grief, the emotional distress, sadness, or despair felt from witnessing or anticipating environmental destruction, climate change, and the loss of ecosystems, species, or familiar landscapes. This is intertwined with eco-anxiety (fear of future climate impacts) and solastalgia (distress from negative changes in one’s home environment). You are in deep mourning because of the destruction of the natural world around you.

Grief groups are extremely effective and positive for those who have lost a loved one. If the grieving process is, as Elisabeth Kübler-Ross famously suggested, a five-stage cycle of denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance, eco-grief is similar, but different because environmentalists can’t afford to engage in “acceptance” but collectively and constructively act to right the injustices of ecocide.

Maybe the following coping strategies can help you move forward:

Validate your feelings as normal and find ways to express them, perhaps through grief groups or therapy. If you can’t locate folks in your community who feel the same way, start an eco-grief group yourself. Taking action when grieving eco-injustice and ecocide empowers you to build consensus with your neighbors and confront your town council and state representatives about the destruction of nature in your town. Learn resilience through practicing self-compassion, yoga breathwork, exercise, building action groups, and setting psychological boundaries while grieving. A great resource for making these actions happen is The Good Grief Network, a nonprofit that specializes specifically in solutions and providing peer support for eco-grief and coping.

Don’t take green crime lying down. Take your frustration and anger energies and turn them into action. Fight for green justice in your locale.

Let me know how it goes! We always like a win for the green team.

Dr. Green

So what are you struggling with emotionally when it comes to your work in environmentalism? I want to know. Maybe together we can come up with solid mental strategies for what’s probably the toughest field to be in, at this moment in history.

Send Dr. Green your questions below:

All questions are considered intended for publication; published questions will be kept anonymous. Individual replies are not possible.

See you next time!

Disclaimer: This column is not a replacement for therapy, and the advice given is educational in nature, not a replacement for professional psychological or psychiatric therapy. This is a peer-driven support effort by The Revelator to inform and build community with environmental and wildlife defenders.

If you are feeling critically depressed and suicidal, it’s time to immediately find professional help. Go to your closest emergency room or call the following numbers to get immediate help in your area:

SUICIDE HOTLINES

• Worldwide: http://www.befrienders.org/support/
• United Kingdom: http://www.samaritans.org
• USA: http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

1-800-273-TALK

REFERENCES:

Burned Out on a Burning Planet: Reflections from a disillusioned climate activist (Common Home, February 2, 2022). By Sadie Morris, SFS ’22 & Common Home Editor

Fierce Self-Compassion: How to Harness Kindness to Speak Up, Claim Your Power, and Thrive by Kristin Neff

Explainer: What Is Ecocide and How Is It Treated in International and Domestic Law?(Earth.org, July 3, 2025). By Austin Jenish

The Good Grief Network