Many persons are feeling ecological grief. How can we help those whose work puts them at risk?

We feel ecological grief once we lose places, species or ecosystems we value and love. These losses are a growing threat to mental health and wellbeing globally.

We all see news of environmental degradation and climate change impacts all over the world. But environmental scientists, rangers, engineers, advocates and policymakers are at particular risk of ecological grief, as a result of their first-hand experience of environmental decline. Our creator group has heard from colleagues concerning the impacts of coral bleaching, bushfires and floods on their work and the distress they feel.

Ecologist Daniella Teixeira has also written about her “immense grief” on the impact of bushfires on the species she was studying:

I grieved not just for the glossy black cockatoos and other damaged species, but in addition the loss that may are available the long run under climate change. […] I’ll inevitably face more crises, and coping with them effectively means keeping my mental health in check.

In our paper published today we draw on psychology and public health research for insights and techniques that help people adapt to loss, and apply these to ecological grief. We developed an approach we call “ecological grief literacy”. We highlight three key elements: peer support, organisational change and practical workplace strategies.

Exploring ecological grief literacy

Grief literacy pertains to the knowledge, skills and values that help with loss and grieving. When adapting the concept for ecological grief, we thought concerning the differences between bereavement and environmental loss.

Bereavement often happens after a single event – the lack of a loved one. But environmental losses have constant uncertainty in timing and severity. They are happening now, but are also ongoing.

These losses interact and add up. Scientists might watch a species decline towards extinction over their years of research. Or a bushfire or bleaching event might damage an ecosystem supporting many endangered species, with rangers unable to assist.

We began with a workshop to explore strategies to support these staff. We shared information concerning the science of stress and emotion. We explored the knowledge, skills and values that make up ecological grief literacy.

The workshop provided a variety of exercises and resources so participants could take what was useful for them.

What are the important thing elements of this approach?

Ecological grief literacy has several points.

Peer support

Social support is crucial in adapting to loss. People then feel cared for and have the assistance they most need.

For losses similar to the death of a loved one, much of this support is more likely to come from family and friends.

However, ecological grief is less well acknowledged or understood in the neighborhood. Helpful support is most certainly to return from colleagues or peers who share the experience of working with nature.

Peer support has been shown to be helpful in other workplaces, similar to disaster response and health and education settings.

One of our workshop’s predominant goals was to enable people to speak about their ecological grief with others who shared a connection to nature. As the workshop was told:

At times, I’ve needed to stop watching the news or reading reports about climate change. My stomach still clenches just desirous about opening an IPCC report. How can I work?

Another person said:

My eco-grief is more a general feeling of dread and sadness and worry for my kids, and their (future) kids – all the coming generations – as of late.

Deep listening and sensitivity

Environmental professionals can develop the skill of listening deeply to colleagues experiencing grief. Asking questions in a sensitive way helps people express their experiences without fear of judgment or unsolicited advice.

One reason this is very important is because individual reactions differ. We may even feel in another way over time.

Emotions similar to sadness, despair, anger, guilt, fear and craving, feeling numb or disconnected, are all normal reactions to environmental loss. Being listened to generally is a huge relief when grieving.

I often engage with government and policy inquiries to attempt to make things higher. Nothing is recovering. Nothing works. I oscillate between pure rage and total despair […] I feel an enormous responsibility to make use of my privilege and my knowledge to push for change. It’s exhausting and really lonely.

Valuing an ethic of care

Recognising that we’ll all be vulnerable at a while in our lives will help create a supportive community. People are then in a position to ask for and receive help when needed.

Our workshop explored the concept of compassion motivation – each being aware of distress and suffering, and wanting and aspiring to try and ease it.

For ongoing ecological grief, it can be crucial to direct this compassion towards ourselves in addition to others. We must prioritise times of rest and likewise distraction. Remember the saying, “you possibly can’t pour from an empty cup”.

No one-size-fits-all approach

There is not any universally best or right technique to reply to loss. What helps one person may not work for an additional.

Some may prefer to go for a run within the bush with a friend. Others may profit from open discussions in protected spaces, similar to Psychology for a Safe Climate’s online Climate Cafes.

It is very important to know and communicate that many options are available.

What does this mean for the workplace?

Australia has world-leading laws requiring employers to protect mental health within the workplace.

While individuals can improve their ecological grief literacy, it’s crucial for organisations to create supportive structures and resources for staff. Environmental professionals facing ecological grief need support of their workplaces and access to information and options that suit them.

To be effective, ecological grief literacy needs to be built into all levels of those organisations, encompassing leadership and all team members. These steps might include:

• formal and informal opportunities for peer support, to encourage people to debate and share their experiences

• training about ecological grief to provide staff the talents to support each other

• allocating time, personnel and funding to satisfy needs arising from ecological grief

• pathways to get support from a mental health skilled with specialist skills in ecological grief when needed.

Ecological grief is a traditional and valid response to environmental losses. Making ecological grief literacy a part of day-to-day workplace health and safety will help with not only environmental professionals’ wellbeing but in addition their work to guard the species and ecosystems on which all of us depend.

If there may be only one takeaway we’d emphasise it’s that social connection and support within the workplace are necessary. We hope readers vulnerable to ecological grief will forward this piece to colleagues and say: “For our next meeting?”