Help young people overcome climate anxiety!
Climate anxiety is no longer a rare or exceptional phenomenon, for many young people it is part of everyday life. In our project “You Shape Your Future!”, we have prepared a brief practical guide to help ensure that young people’s emotional burdens are not trivialised, but instead can be expressed safely and, where possible, channelled into action. We recommend it to anyone: parents, teachers, psychologists, or media professionals, who would like to better understand the issue and communicate with and support those affected.
One of the guide’s central elements is a wheel illustrating the wide range of climate emotions: from fear and sadness to anger, frustration, helplessness, and even hope and inspiration. It helps young people talk about what they feel not as an “overreaction”, but as a legitimate and understandable response. The guide also includes an activity ladder (a themed collection of ideas) based on the premise that climate action rooted in emotional motivation can help overcome negative or even paralysing feelings.
Activism is not the first step for everyone; for some, the path begins with mental well-being, community, energy awareness, or transport.
The guide offers a variety of examples in these areas that climate-anxious young people can adapt and make use of in their own environment.
One important clarification: you do not have to complete everything on one “level” before moving further up the ladder, though the lower steps contain more effective forms of action. At the same time, it is worth making use of every opportunity if we want a safe and liveable future.
The guide can easily be used in workshops, educational sessions, and community settings. It also includes useful extras such as recommended apps, community initiatives, and ideas for climate-themed game nights.
The guide can be downloaded by scrolling down or by clicking on the images.
The project is implemented within the framework of the project “Gear UP! - Global Citizenship Education Actions to Strengthen Youth Engagement Through Local Support to LAs and CSOs, to Accelerate Progress Towards Sustainable Development”, carried out in partnership by the HAND Association and co-financed by the European Union, with the Hungarian HAND Association as partner (GearUp/HU001/2025). Its content is the sole responsibility of Energiaklub and does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union. Through this initiative as well, Energiaklub contributes to achieving Hungary’s climate neutrality goals — not only at the policy level, but also at the societal level.
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