COP30 and Climate Anxiety: Practical Steps to Cope, Connect and Act

COP30 and the surge of climate news

Each autumn, coverage of climate change rises — in part because world leaders meet to negotiate cuts to planet‑warming emissions from oil, gas and coal. Reports from COP30 have been stark, and stories about disasters, heat waves, sea level rise and new research can be hard to absorb year‑round.

"When you throw a ton of scary facts and information at people, their nervous system shuts down. It’s a coping mechanism," said Sarah Newman, founder and executive director of the Climate Mental Health Network.

That heavy sense of dread, doom or helplessness is often called climate anxiety. Surveys by the American Psychiatric Association show many Americans report experiencing this kind of worry. Managing it — much like addressing climate change itself — is an ongoing process. Below are clear, actionable ways to start.

How climate anxiety differs from everyday fear

Think of leaving home and realizing you left the stove on. You can go back and turn it off; the danger and the anxiety end. Climate change doesn’t work like that. A National Institutes of Health study finds that generalized anxiety often activates brain regions tied to fear and threat, while climate anxiety engages areas associated with higher cognition, willpower and persistence. That reflects the reality: climate change is a long‑running, complex problem largely outside any one person’s control.

"It’s an ongoing larger problem that I need to attend to over time and that is largely out of my control," said climate psychologist Thomas Doherty. "I can’t just flip a switch around climate change." But he and other experts stress that worry is not inherently negative — it can motivate sustained action when channeled constructively.

1. Cope first: calm the body and the mind

Basic anxiety tools still help. Grounding techniques and body‑based practices lower stress so you can think and act more clearly. Practical techniques include:

• 3‑3‑3 exercise: Name three things you see, three things you hear and three body parts you can move.
• 5‑4‑3‑2‑1 method: Identify five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell and one you can taste.
• Prioritize regular rest, movement, and time outdoors to reset your nervous system.
• Use breathing exercises, mindfulness, or short walks to re‑center when coverage feels overwhelming.

2. Connect: reduce isolation and build resilience

One of the greatest risks of climate anxiety is isolation. Talking with others who understand the feelings — in small groups, Climate Cafés, or organizations like the Climate Psychology Alliance — reduces shame and increases strength. Doherty notes: "Once you have a team around you, then you feel better. You’re not alone. You feel stronger."

Look for local or online meetups, community projects, or support groups where people share concerns and practical responses. Shared action builds emotional resilience and sustained engagement.

3. Find a purpose you can control

Channel concern into tangible, local actions. Doherty suggests starting with "ceremonial actions" — simple, repeatable behaviors that align with your values and lift your mood, like picking up litter, using reusable bags, or growing a small garden. These actions won’t solve the crisis alone, but they build confidence and stamina for larger changes over time — for example, switching to an electric appliance or participating in local policy campaigns.

The U.N. lists practical individual actions to reduce emissions; use such lists as inspiration, not a checklist of personal guilt. Small, consistent steps plus collective action produce the biggest impact.

4. Balance self‑care with civic engagement

Climate anxiety is cyclical: new coverage and research will keep creating concern. Combine self‑care strategies with meaningful civic actions — voting, contacting representatives, joining local climate initiatives, or supporting climate policy groups — to move from helplessness to agency.

"I still carry those emotions and I still have the worry and I have the anger and I have the sadness," Newman says, "but I’m able to live with them in a different way."

Practical next steps

• Try a grounding exercise the next time climate coverage feels overwhelming.
• Find a local Climate Café, support group, or online forum to share feelings and strategies.
• Pick one small, repeatable action aligned with your values and stick with it for a month.
• Turn concern into community action: join or start a neighborhood project or contact local officials about climate policies.

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content.