Rewrite Reality: The Truth About Climate Anxiety (and Why You Are Not Broken)

Welcome to Rewrite Reality, where we peel back the layers of how we imagine our world — then explore what it means to build different futures.

I’m Gregg the Artivist. And on today’s episode, we’ll dive into The Truth About Climate Anxiety — and Why You’re Not Broken. 

Join me to reflect, challenge assumptions and spark possibility. 

Thanks for being here — let’s get into it.

There’s something I want to say right off the bat: 

If you feel anxious about the climate crisis, YOU are not broken.

You are awake.

You are feeling something that’s real. 

And that’s not a weakness.

It’s a kind of wisdom.

But we live in a culture that’s allergic to discomfort. 

We’re taught that feeling too much means something is wrong with us. 

That if we’re anxious, we should medicate.

That if we’re afraid, we should hide. 

That if we’re grieving, we should get over it.

But what if climate anxiety isn’t a pathology? 

What if it’s an alarm… one we were meant to hear?

Because the world isn’t okay.

Not when entire ecosystems are collapsing. 

Not when billionaires launch vanity rockets while cities drown. 

Not when the least or people least responsible for the crisis suffer the most.

So yes… anxiety makes sense. 

So does grief.

So does rage.

What doesn’t make sense is pretending everything’s fine.

And whats just important to understand is;

You don’t have to feel it all alone.

For a long time, I tried to carry it all by myself. 

The overwhelm.

The heartbreak. 

The guilt of was I doing enough or wasn’t I doing enough.

I thought I had to be kind of strong.

and unshakeable and productive.

But eventually, I cracked.

And honestly… I think thats what saved me.

Because when I finally allowed myself to feel,

To fall apart a little, 

I found other people who were holding those same emotions too. 

And suddenly, I wasn’t isolated.

I was connected.

That’s what climate emotions can do.

They can connect us… 

To each other,

To what matters, 

To the parts of ourselves we’ve buried under apathy or distraction.

So here’s a small action i’ld like us to try this week: 

Instead of pushing our feelings down, share one.

Share it with one of our friend. 

or in a journal.

or simply a voice memo to ourselves.

Just say: “This is what I’m feeling, and it makes sense.”

Because your climate emotions aren’t obstacles to actions. 

They are the action. 

They’re your system’s way of saying: “This matters.” 

“That isn’t okay.” and

“This must change.”

And here’s my question for you: 

What might happen if you stopped trying to feel less… and started trusting what you already feel?

Thank you so much for listening to this episode of Rewrite Reality. 

If this resonated, I’d love to hear from you. So please do leave a comment wherever you’re listening. What are you feeling? What came up for you? What’s your take on today’s topic? And consider sharing it with someone who might also be thinking deeply about the world around them.

And be sure to subscribe, so you don’t miss future episodes as we keep peeling back the layers and reimagining what’s possible.

And if you haven’t already — check out the Gregg the Artivist app. 

It’s your hub for everything — from Listen podcast episodes like this one, to Watch featured videos, to upcoming online and offline events — and it’s the easiest way to connect with our growing community.

You can download it now from the App Store for iPhone users, or Google Play for Android.

Or if you prefer, theres always greggtheartivist.com for supportive information and more, to this and all the other episodes.

Until next time — it’s bye from me for now.