📊 Am I Normal?
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🌍 Environment

Do I have eco-anxiety?

68% of Gen Z report climate anxiety — a normal response to an abnormal situation.

Rate each statement 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Your score updates live.

1I frequently worry about climate change and its impact on future generations.
2News about wildfires, floods, or extreme weather causes me significant distress.
3I feel anxious about the state of the planet even when I'm not actively reading about it.
4I feel a deep sense of grief or loss when I think about species extinction and ecosystem destruction.
5I feel angry at governments and corporations for not doing enough to address environmental crises.
6I sometimes feel hopeless — like nothing I do can make a meaningful difference for the environment.
7I have questioned whether it is ethical to have children given the state of the climate.
8Climate worries have affected my sleep, concentration, or daily productivity.
9I feel guilty about my own carbon footprint and sometimes avoid activities because of environmental impact.
10Environmental concerns have caused tension in my relationships (arguments, social withdrawal, judgment of others).

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What is eco-anxiety?

Eco-anxiety — also called climate anxiety or climate distress — is the chronic fear of environmental catastrophe. The American Psychological Association defined it in 2017 as "a chronic fear of environmental doom" and recognized it as a legitimate psychological response to the climate crisis. Unlike clinical anxiety disorders, eco-anxiety is not considered pathological: it is a rational emotional response to a real and escalating threat. The question is not whether the concern is justified, but whether it becomes functionally impairing.

How common is eco-anxiety?

The landmark Hickman et al. (2021) study published in The Lancet Planetary Health surveyed 10,000 young people across 10 countries and found staggering results:

  • 84% were at least moderately worried about climate change
  • 59% were very or extremely worried
  • 68% reported feeling sad, anxious, angry, powerless, or guilty about climate change
  • 45% said climate feelings negatively affected their daily functioning
  • 39% were hesitant to have children due to climate concerns

Eco-anxiety vs. eco-grief

Researchers distinguish between several related emotional responses to environmental degradation:

  • Eco-anxiety: Forward-looking dread about future environmental collapse
  • Eco-grief (solastalgia): Mourning for ecosystems, species, and landscapes already lost — coined by Glenn Albrecht (2005)
  • Eco-anger: Moral outrage directed at institutions, corporations, and political inaction
  • Eco-paralysis: Feeling so overwhelmed that taking any action feels futile

When eco-anxiety becomes harmful

Moderate eco-anxiety can be motivating — it drives sustainable behavior, activism, and community engagement. It becomes problematic when it leads to sleep disruption, chronic rumination, social withdrawal, or existential hopelessness that prevents daily functioning. Clayton & Karazsia (2020) developed the Climate Change Anxiety Scale to distinguish between adaptive concern and dysfunctional worry.

Coping strategies from climate psychology

  • Collective action: Joining environmental groups reduces helplessness — agency is the antidote to eco-paralysis
  • News boundaries: Limiting doomscrolling while staying informed enough to act
  • Meaning-making: Connecting with nature, community, and values larger than individual carbon footprints
  • Professional support: Climate-aware therapists specialize in processing environmental grief

Three sub-scales in this quiz

  • Climate Worry (items 1-3): Intensity and frequency of anxious thoughts about environmental collapse
  • Eco-Grief (items 4-7): Mourning, anger, hopelessness, and existential questioning related to the environment
  • Functional Impact (items 8-10): How much eco-anxiety affects sleep, relationships, and daily life

Sources: Hickman et al. (2021, Lancet Planetary Health), Clayton & Karazsia (2020, Climate Change Anxiety Scale), Albrecht (2005, solastalgia), APA (2017, climate and mental health report).