We are pleased to share an article entitled “Coaching Through the Climate Crisis ~ How to address eco-anxiety and build resilience“ written by Arianne Weiner.
Last summer, I had a heartfelt conversation with my two nieces, both of whom are passionate about environmental change – one focused on science and the other on policy. They discussed the climate crisis as an abstract issue and a profound personal challenge affecting their lives, choices and mental health. It made me wonder – how often do we, as coaches, consider the role of climate anxiety in our clients’ lives?
It hit me that I hadn’t truly considered how this pressing issue resonates with my clients. Listening to these insightful members of Generation Z opened my eyes to a vital perspective I’ve been missing in my work. Most of my clients are Baby Boomers and Generation Xers (like myself), but as the workforce evolves, so do their priorities and concerns.
The climate crisis has surged to the forefront of our collective consciousness, and it’s clear to me now that understanding this shift is crucial for helping my clients pursue their goals while staying true to their values. Embracing this new reality might be the key to providing the support and guidance clients need in these changing times.
Climate anxiety, often called “eco-anxiety,” is a growing concern across generations, and is especially pronounced among younger individuals. For Gen Z, the climate crisis is not a distant threat, but a current reality influencing their career paths, mental well-being and sense of purpose.
As coaches, understanding this emotional and existential challenge allows us to better guide our clients through uncertainty and complexity. While eco-anxiety is widespread among all generations, its manifestations vary. For Gen Z, climate action is central to their identity and career aspirations. Baby Boomers and Gen Xers may feel concerned, but are less directly tied to activism.
Recognizing these perspectives can help coaches create nuanced strategies that honor each client’s unique experiences and goals. Most clients want to “do their part” by conserving, reducing waste, avoiding disposable items that contribute to landfills, minimizing their footprint, and striving to cut costs and waste while making their businesses more sustainable.
Even during my coaching at public utility departments and geothermal plants, the environment and how it affects clients beyond their work has not been a prevalent topic.
As climate issues intensify, everyone feels the impact. I find this topic complex yet invigorating. Embracing a beginner’s mindset has sparked my curiosity. This enables coaches to grow with clients and apply our knowledge innovatively.
The climate crisis significantly shapes Gen Z’s views and priorities, and climate action is vital to their journey into adulthood. Gen Z questions their meaning in a chaotic world. Their challenge is to balance despair with belief in the importance of their choices. They view climate change not as a distant threat, but as an immediate challenge impacting their careers, lifestyles and mental well-being. This understanding is essential to recognizing how the climate crisis shapes their lives and aspirations.
To be current as a coach and contemporary as a guide, I realized that I must educate myself on how significant this situation is for my younger clients. This prompted a review of my coaching tools and methods relative to my new and growing client population.
As coaches, we have an opportunity to help individuals experiencing eco-anxiety or organizations aiming to lead sustainability efforts. Coaching bridges the gap between awareness, impact and action, so as coaches, we must be sufficiently aware. We need to recognize that many Gen Zers are facing anxiety, depression and other mental health issues related to climate change, and coaching can play a pivotal role in addressing the human side of the issues.
Coaching can help people develop their mindset, emotional strength and practical strategies for confronting challenges and seizing opportunities. We must educate ourselves on what we need; this shift enables us to communicate effectively with those who are listening. Generation Z’s experience of eco-anxiety profoundly intersects with existentialism as this generation grapples with questions of meaning, purpose, and identity in the context of a warming planet.
As climate-informed coaches, we must understand why climate change, as a crisis, is causing such an extreme impact on people’s well-being and how we can help them find meaning, purpose, hope, and their measure of success. The climate crisis impacts Gen Z in multiple ways:
- Mental Health: Gen Z often experiences “eco-anxiety” — stress, grief, and fear over the future of the planet. This sense of urgency and worry about climate change can contribute to mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, especially as they feel the pressure to take action for change.
- Economic Future: The climate crisis threatens economic stability, affecting job availability, housing costs and resource access for Gen Z. This leads to fewer job opportunities, increased disaster recovery expenses and financial insecurity.
- Political & Social Engagement: Gen Zers feel a moral duty to combat climate change. They actively participate in environmental activism, advocating for policy reforms, corporate accountability and sustainable practices while prioritizing eco-conscious lifestyle choices and career choices.
- Physical Health: With more frequent extreme weather events like wildfires, hurricanes and heatwaves, Gen Z faces health risks, including respiratory and heat-related illnesses. Climate change may also alter pathogen habitats, exposing this younger generation to more disease.
- Long-term Quality of Life: As climate change progresses, Gen Z will confront challenges such as food and water shortages along with potential displacement from rising sea levels.
For Generation Z, addressing eco-anxiety often means embracing the tension between despair and hope while finding meaning in the journey of advocacy, resilience and self-discovery. Coaching grounded in existential principles – like choice, freedom and creating purpose – can help them navigate this balance and empower them to act meaningfully in a complex world.
For example, when I hear statements like, “It’s hard to feel optimistic about the future when climate change worsens, and we know why, but the people in power aren’t doing what needs to be done,” I help my client manage their sense of responsibility and powerlessness, navigating the tension between individual freedom and public responsibility as they cope with the immense pressure of trying to “save the planet” amid limited systemic support.
The human side of climate change is increasingly entering all disciplines of coaching. By incorporating climate topics into your coaching sessions, you can help clients address the impact of climate change on their business, leadership and personal values
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