Young people need ‘Goldilocks anxiety’ to cope with climate change, expert says

Many children suffering from 'eco-anxiety' amid climate breakdown

Climate change activists protest outside the Houses of Parliament in London. AP

Children and young people need to find a “Goldilocks” level of anxiety to cope with climate change — where it does not harm their mental health but still motivates them to take action, an expert has said.

Young people have often been told that emotions like anxiety or depression are bad, but they are actually very reasonable feelings in the face of the climate crisis, said Dr Britt Wray, an instructor in psychiatry and behavioural sciences at Stanford University.

She said children should be taught how to handle their emotions in relation to the threat of climate change, and that this should start in the classroom.

Speaking at the Frontiers Forum on science-led solutions for healthy lives and a healthy planet in Switzerland, Dr Wray said: “As researchers we’re kind of looking for this ‘Goldilocks’ level of climate anxiety.

“It’s like, how can we get not too much but not too little, where we can tap into its potential to increase people’s sense of agency to step out and do something bold to be part of the movement, but not harm their mental health?”

The Goldilocks “just right” principle references The Three Bears fairy tale, in which the heroine Goldilocks tastes three bowls of porridge in the bears' home. One is too hot, another too cold, but the third is just the right temperature.

In 2021 the term eco-anxiety made its way into the new edition of the Oxford English Dictionary to describe the unease or apprehension about current and future harm to the environment.

Research suggests young people around the world feel an increasing sense of dread and distress related to climate concerns.

This could lead to anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, and some even questioning whether or not they want to have children in the current climate.

However, Dr Wray, a mental health and climate change researcher, explained there are a number of factors that could help young people achieve a balance.

She said finding like-minded people can help validate people’s feelings, and make them feel less alone.

“That certainly helps with getting people to that ‘Goldilocks’ state where they can handle it and then ideally channel it into pro environmental actions,” said Dr Wray.

Dr Britt Wray, of Stanford University, says children and young people need to be able to take breaks from climate concerns. PA

According to the researcher, a number of different tools can help young people deal with these feelings, including mindfulness, meditation, spending time in nature, or speaking to climate-aware therapists.

Dr Britt said: “It’s about finding ways to engage with the climate crisis, but not taking on too much and knowing that it’s important to be able to take breaks from it so you can focus on all the other cool things in life and be joyful.”

In the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey published by the UK's Office for National Statistics last October around three in four adults reported feeling worried about climate change.

Meanwhile, a study published in the The Lancet medical journal surveyed 10,000 children and young people in Australia, Brazil, Finland, France, India, Nigeria, Philippines, Portugal, the UK, and the USA.

It found that eco-anxiety was not limited to rich people in the West, with 59 per cent saying they were very or extremely worried and 84 per cent were at least moderately worried.

More than 50 per cent reported each of the following emotions: sad, anxious, angry, powerless, helpless, and guilty.

Some institutions in the UK have already started offering mindfulness courses to help ease the eco-anxiety of their students.

In October last year the University of East Anglia announced that it was launching a course of six weekly sessions.