Coping with Climate Anxiety & Extreme Heat Stress

This summer has felt heavy.

Between record-breaking heat, poor air quality, and the recent fires here in Utah, many people have found themselves carrying around a level of stress that feels hard to shake. Even if your home wasn't threatened, seeing smoke fill the valley, watching evacuation updates, or wondering whether it's safe to go outside can leave your nervous system on high alert. This year's wildfire season has been especially intense across Utah, with multiple large fires burning around the state and periods of smoke affecting communities along the Wasatch Front.

If you've noticed yourself feeling more anxious, emotionally exhausted, or constantly checking the weather and air quality, you're not overreacting.

Your brain is responding to a real threat.

As a therapist, one of the things I want people to know is that we often treat anxiety like it's something that only exists in our minds. But our environment matters. Our bodies notice when the air smells like smoke, when temperatures stay in the triple digits, and when every headline seems to bring another weather emergency.

The truth is, extreme heat doesn't just affect your body. It affects your brain and nervous system, too.

And when you combine that with the very real concerns many people have about climate change, it's understandable that anxiety can start to feel overwhelming.

What is climate anxiety?

Climate anxiety isn't an official mental health diagnosis. It's the emotional distress that comes from worrying about climate change and the future of our planet.

It can look like:

• Feeling hopeless after reading the news

• Constantly thinking about natural disasters

• Guilt about not "doing enough"

• Fear about having children or what the future will look like

• Difficulty planning for the future because everything feels uncertain

• Feeling angry, helpless, or emotionally numb

The important thing to know is this:

Your anxiety isn't irrational.

Climate change is real. Extreme weather is real. The uncertainty is real.

The goal isn't to convince yourself there's nothing to worry about. The goal is learning how to carry those worries without letting them consume your life.

Heat affects your nervous system more than you think

One thing people don't talk about enough is that heat itself can make anxiety worse.

When you're overheated, your body naturally experiences:

• Increased heart rate

• Sweating

• Fatigue

• Trouble sleeping

• Dehydration

• Difficulty concentrating

Sound familiar?

Those are also symptoms many people experience during anxiety.

Your brain isn't always great at separating "I'm hot" from "I'm in danger."

When your body is under physical stress, your nervous system becomes more reactive. You may notice yourself feeling more emotional, more impatient, more overwhelmed, or closer to tears than usual.

Signs heat may be affecting your mental health

You might notice:

• Your anxiety spikes in the afternoon.

• You're more reactive with your partner or kids.

• Small inconveniences feel huge.

• Your ADHD symptoms feel worse.

• You're mentally exhausted before you've done much.

• You're having trouble regulating your emotions.

• You're avoiding leaving the house because it feels overwhelming.

Sometimes what feels like "I'm falling apart" is actually "my nervous system is working overtime."

The trap of doomscrolling

When we're anxious, our brains want certainty.

Unfortunately, the internet rarely gives us that.

Instead, many of us end up refreshing weather apps, reading climate headlines, or watching disaster videos over and over.

It feels productive.

Usually it just keeps your nervous system activated.

Staying informed is important.

Living in a constant state of emergency isn't.

Try asking yourself:

Is this information helping me prepare, or just making me panic?

That question alone can change how you consume news.

Focus on your circle of influence

One of the fastest ways anxiety grows is when we spend all our energy thinking about things we can't directly control.

A question I ask clients often is:

"What's inside your control today?"

Maybe it's:

• Filling your water bottle.

• Checking on a neighbor.

• Watering your garden.

• Voting.

• Supporting organizations doing climate work.

• Taking public transit when it's realistic.

• Spending time outside in ways that help you reconnect with nature instead of only fearing it.

Small actions won't solve climate change.

But they do remind your nervous system that you're not completely powerless.

Agency matters.

Regulate your body before you regulate your thoughts

When anxiety is high, many people try to think their way out of it.

That rarely works if your nervous system is already overloaded.

Instead, start with your body.

Some ideas:

• Drink water before you're thirsty.

• Take a cool shower or hold a cool washcloth on your neck.

• Spend time somewhere air-conditioned if your home is too warm.

• Eat regularly—even if heat has lowered your appetite.

• Get outside early in the morning or later in the evening.

• Prioritize sleep as much as possible.

• Take breaks from screens.

Your nervous system can't regulate well when your body is overheating.

Give yourself permission to experience joy

This one surprises people.

Sometimes clients tell me they feel guilty enjoying their lives because of everything happening in the world.

But joy isn't avoidance.

It's fuel.

Laughing with friends.

Swimming.

Watching a movie.

Reading on the porch after sunset.

Playing with your dog.

These moments don't mean you don't care.

They help your nervous system recover so you can continue caring.

When to reach out for help

It's okay if this feels bigger than something you can manage on your own.

Consider talking with a therapist if climate anxiety is:

• Keeping you awake at night

• Making it difficult to function day to day

• Causing panic attacks

• Leading you to isolate from others

• Making you feel hopeless most days

Therapy isn't about convincing you that your fears aren't real.

It's about helping your nervous system hold difficult realities without staying stuck in survival mode.

The world feels heavy sometimes.

It's okay to acknowledge that.

You don't have to ignore what's happening, and you don't have to carry the weight of the future every waking moment either.

Take care of your body. Stay informed without drowning in the news. Do what you can. Let yourself rest. Let yourself laugh.

Your nervous system was never designed to stay in a constant state of alarm.

And caring deeply about the world also means caring for the person living in it, you.