Why Mindfulness Helps with Eco-Anxiety – And How to Get Started
5 min Read | Alex Taylor Jun 11, 2025
When we talk about eco-anxiety, we’re usually talking about the future. What will happen to the planet? Will it be too late to act? How bad will things get? Or we’re thinking about the past – about the damage that’s already been done, about species already lost, or times when we wish we’d done more.
Mindfulness brings us back to the present moment. It might sound like a small thing, but in practice, it can make a huge difference – especially for those of us who are feeling overwhelmed, worried, or who are struggling with anxious thoughts about the fate of the planet.
What Mindfulness Really Is
Mindfulness simply means paying attention to what’s happening right now, without judgement. That includes your thoughts, your emotions, your physical sensations, and the world around you. It’s not about emptying your mind, escaping, or numbing yourself. Or about pretending everything is gonna be just fine. With mindfulness, we’re not seeking to achieve a particular emotional state. It’s about noticing. It’s about coming back to this breath, this moment, this step, this birdcall, this tree right in front of us...
This can sound almost too simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. The reality is that being present takes quite a bit of effort. Our minds are used to wandering, planning, analysing, worrying, catastrophising, and constantly thinking. Gently bringing ourselves back to the present moment – over and over again – is the main practice of mindfulness.
And that’s why it’s called a practice! It’s something we return to, again and again. And the more we do it, the more we strengthen the neural pathways in our brain that support focus, calm, and emotional balance. Luckily, like any skill, it gets easier the more we practice.
You don’t need to be “good” at it, that’s not what it’s about at all. Let go of the judgements you may have about it and give it a try.
How It Helps with Everyday Stress and Anxiety
The benefits of mindfulness are very well documented and probably familiar to you if you know anything about it. But let me reiterate! It’s been shown to reduce anxiety, lower stress, improve sleep, help regulate emotions, and even change how the brain reacts to difficult experiences.
When you practice mindfulness regularly, even for only a few minutes at a time, it helps you:
Step back from racing thoughts that make everything feel urgent or overwhelming
Notice difficult emotions without getting lost in them
Make thoughtful choices rather than reacting from stress or guilt
Feel more steady and centred, even when things around you feel uncertain
Stay with uncomfortable truths without shutting down or spiralling into worry
Adapt more calmly to change
The more you practice, the easier it becomes to bring that kind of awareness into all aspects of your life, even when things feel chaotic or uncertain – which right now is pretty regularly. You don’t need to sit on a cushion in silence for an hour to do it, or become a monk and shave your head. Mindfulness can be as simple as taking five minutes to notice the sensations of your breath, or paying attention to whatever it right in front of you. It can happen while walking, washing the dishes, or sitting under a tree.
Why It’s Especially Useful for Eco-Anxiety
Eco-anxiety often brings a flood of thoughts: “What can I do? Am I doing enough? Why don’t others care more? Will any of it make a difference?” It can also stir up difficult emotions – sadness, guilt, frustration, helplessness, anger... Mindfulness gives you the skills to notice these thoughts and feelings without getting completely swept away by them. It helps you recognise: “Ah, here’s that tight feeling in my chest again,” or “Here’s that spiral of worry that shows up when I read the news.” You can then choose how to respond, rather than reacting automatically or feeling overwhelmed. The intensity of these thoughts and emotions is reduced.
It also helps you stay with what’s real right now, rather than disappearing into dread or despair about the future. That doesn’t mean ignoring the facts or pretending things are fine. It means learning how remain calm and steady when facing reality, rather than panicking about it or making assumptions. For those of us who are deeply emotionally invested in the health of the planet, it’s a powerful tool. Because when you’re more present, you’re more resilient. And when you’re more resilient, you can keep showing up for what you care about, without succumbing to anxiety in all its forms.
You Can Bring Mindfulness Into Everyday Life
Mindfulness doesn’t have to mean sitting in meditation for long periods, it can become part of your ordinary routine. You can meditate, of course, and I share plenty in my Be Natureful programme, but you can practise anywhere and incorporate it into your daily life. It’s not about escaping your life, or your thoughts, it’s about being more present within them.
This may be paying attention to your breath when doing the dishes. Noticing the trees on your commute to work. Listening fully when someone speaks. I could list so many examples, but each one is a chance to practise being in the present. And it’s okay to start small, even just one minute of focused attention is better than none. Noticing one breath is better than rushing through the day on autopilot. And if you forget, or get caught up in thoughts, you don’t judge yourself for it, because that’s perfectly normal. You just notice that you got caught up and start over again. That’s the whole nature of the practice.
In Summary
Mindfulness is by no means a quick fix, it does take time, but it is a sustainable, practical way to care for your mind and body, especially when the world feels so overwhelming. It’s backed by science, accessible to everyone, and extremely effective over time. As someone who has been practising for many years, I can verify this!
And if, like me, you’re someone who cares about nature, who feels the weight of eco-anxiety, or who struggles with the emotional demands of living in a time of environmental crisis, mindfulness gives you a way to stay grounded and present – not in some vague or mystical sense, but in a clear and manageable way. It’s genuinely one of the most powerful tools we have – to ease our eco-anxiety and stay calm on the inside, even when uncertainty is all around us.
