OK, first, my own disclaimer on this: I am still finding my way, as you must be if you have truly taken in the disaster building from humans’ abuse of our home.
Even if someone takes the attitude of “Not my problem, just keep it in your own backyard,” that doesn’t work when it comes to air, water, weather patterns, extreme temperatures…we eventually share it all!
We are seeing the trends daily, and they are horrifying. More frequent massive storms and flooding, areas of extreme and ongoing drought, rising temperatures, increased periods of hazardous air pollution of air, to note just a few. *
I remember having a flight stopover in Dubai last year. Since I don’t do a lot of international travel, I had never seen air so brown, so polluted.
My heart sank for the people there—how literally sickening! How much are we all breathing this, as air does not respect human-made boundaries?
How am I, as an American consumer, contributing to their unhealthy atmosphere?
While we all need to be learning how to LIVE as climate activists in our daily lives, there’s still the question of how the Empath holds this reality in a healthy way.
How Do You, as an Empath DEAL?
As someone highly sensitive, not only emotionally and spiritually, but often physically, how do you keep your spirits healthy?
So, a few evolving thoughts…and with this one, I REALLY encourage you to add yours to this conversation!
Whether my existing responsibilities allow me time and energy to participate in direct climate action or not, I must do what I can in my own life.
It is all a challenge, often with very difficult answers and implications.
In my Household…
So here are some of the physical and behavioral things my household does:
- Carry produce bags along with grocery bags to reduce bag consumption when shopping.
- Reduce consumption overall.
- We capture the water as it heats up for dishes, showers, etc. for other uses. I turn the shower off or down very low as I soap up. Living in an area that has gone from abundant water to yearly drought, I am more conscious of every drop. We ask our guests to adopt water-saving practices too.
- I am more conscious about what ultimately happens to anything I purchase—how long until it is in a landfill somewhere in the world (and knowing that even biodegradables don’t degrade well in a landfill—they need air and space to do that, and landfills get packed.)
- How can I reduce mileage? Keep my small car highly tuned up? (I am still waiting for electric cars to have longer range, and where I live, I need AWD.)
- I have used my level of economic privilege to invest in a well-insulated house that has both solar and other energy-efficient systems over size.
- We are talking about impact of travel, trying to figure out how to balance the need (for family who live elsewhere) and the desire to see and learn more about our planet and other people’s lives with the environmental impact. It is a deliberation in process.
I Cannot Do Enough…
But here is where I feel the most defeated before I even begin…
- I live the lifestyle of one in a developed country: My days are spent in an office. I do not have the schedule to be growing most of my own food.
- Because I also work as a trauma therapist, I am mindful of when I take off—which interferes with the flexibility to be “on the streets” for weekday climate actions, as well as my own psychic energy at the end of a day—and how I prepare for the next.
- I already own stuff that will not be eco-friendly to even get rid of. Just being another human on the planet now feels like I am part of the problem.
I know we are in CRISIS. All of the statistics, the news from the around the globe, the images of our planet and its beings in turmoil and extreme suffering.
As an Empath, I FEEL this crisis deeply, to the point that I also have to monitor where I may slip into irritability and anger with others as well as despair and shutdown.
If I am unstable and literally sickened from this, I am of no use to the effort to generate solutions.
Back to the Empath’s Basics
So I know that I MUST keep myself healthy. I know the healing power of my energy and skills require me to stay well-tuned.
As a healing professional, the most effective tool I have for helping anyone is for me to be OK, to have the energy to stay heart-connected. I know the neurology that verifies that someone in distress calms by pinging off of someone whose own system communicates safety and the capacity to connect.
I am most effective when I have the equanimity and resilience to sit with extreme fear and distress.
So it comes back to my basics of keeping my personal climate clean:
- Healthy boundaries
- Healthy body-mind-spirit
- Periods of joy and laughter to keep connection and hope flowing
- Strengthening mindfulness and compassion
- Appreciation for what I CAN and DO do for Earth and her beings
What about you?
What are your biggest challenges as an Empath sensing our climate crisis?
What do you need to keep yourself resilient for the long haul?
P.S. If you haven’t already sign up at
to get on my mailing list for weekly thoughts about how to feel and be more resilient as an Empath and Highly Sensitive Person (HSP).
Signing up means you will instantly get two free exercises and a short e-book that explains the “why” to the “what” you are doing to turn down the overwhelm and feel more present.
And I WANT your questions comments—either here or on Facebook at Dr. Becky Carroll. Your gifts as an Empath/HSP are precious, and they need skilled, loving care!
* If you want or need some reputable information, try sites devoted to international scientific research—those get you out of the current U.S. debate between “believers” and “deniers”: https://www.ipcc.ch/ ; https://www.adaptation-undp.org/about ; https://www.un.org/en/sections/issues-depth/climate-change/
