“Learned helplessness is the giving-up reaction, the quitting response that follows from the belief that whatever you do doesn’t matter.”
Martin E.P. Seligman, American Psychologist
As I write this, Hurricane Melissa is tearing through the Caribbean. The human tragedy from the devastation is unimaginable, and the worst part for most of us is feeling helpless.
A lot of people feel the same helplessness when it comes to climate change. It is a massive, looming problem that keeps getting worse, but can feel so overwhelming that anything we do won’t be enough. I get it, because it used to be me lying awake at night, worrying about what kind of world my kids would inherit, feeling paralyzed by the sheer scale of the problem. Eco-anxiety is real and growing, especially among younger people.
But here’s the thing – I don’t feel that way anymore. Ok, maybe occasionally, but not very often. What changed? It’s simple: I started taking tiny steps. Even though I have slowed down on how often I write this blog, I also write for C-Change Conversations. I’ve become involved with an organization called Feeding Charlotte that rescues surplus food before it hits the landfill, which is a simple but powerful way to cut methane emissions. I often email and call my elected officials about clean energy issues, and have also made changes at home including eating less beef, driving an EV, and installing a heat pump. Taking these small steps has confirmed for me one big truth: action is the antidote to fear.
Are my tiny steps moving mountains? No. But worrying doesn’t change anything either. Taking action, even the smallest kind, helps shift our mindset and reminds us we can be part of the solution. We have no idea what ripple effects our choices might create. So if you’re part of the “silent majority”, that 89% of people who believe more needs to be done about climate change, here’s your nudge: start with one tiny step.
A few ideas to get you going:
- Have a conversation. Bring up Hurricane Melissa and the fact that it intensified faster and hit harder because warmer oceans are fueling stronger storms.
- Vote this Tuesday. Local elections matter! Understand where candidates stand on clean energy and climate solutions. With policies shifting at the federal level, state and local initiatives matter more than ever.
- Trim your “carbon hoofprint”. Waste less food, incorporate a weekly meatless meal, swap a few dinners from beef to poultry, or try non-dairy milk in your coffee.
- Think ahead. If your heating and cooling system is aging, consider upgrading to a heat pump before federal tax credits expire on December 31, 2025. I just wrote about this topic for C-Change if you want to learn more.
Tiny steps may not stop a hurricane, but they do something just as powerful: they replace helplessness with hope.
Let’s do something about climate change. Learn about it. Talk about it. Help solve it.