Thinking about the future: Examining the exacerbating and attenuating factors of despair-induced climate burnout

The troubling trend of despair and fatigue among those who work for environmental and climate change — a phenomenon described as ‘climate burnout’ — could jeopardise vital commitment to the cause.

New Flinders University research explored the exacerbating and attenuating factors of despair-induced climate burnout to learn how people can overcome despair and maintain motivation to fight climate change.

“Our research highlights the growing issue of climate burnout, where people involved in the climate justice movement experience sheer exhaustion and disengagement due to feelings of despair about the crisis,” says lead author, Dr Lucy Bird from the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work.

“We found that people are more likely to experience burnout when they feel despair and exhaustion about tackling climate change.

“But importantly, our findings show that when people contemplated pragmatic steps, such as using their car less and reducing waste, as well as acting collectively to encourage organisations to make changes, they felt markedly less disengaged.

“When people focus on actionable steps and fostering a sense of community and shared purpose, they can combat burnout and continue to make meaningful progress in addressing one of humanity’s most defining challenges,” she says.

The research involved two studies using over 1,200 participants to examine whether despair about the climate crisis is associated with experiencing burnout.

It also explored whether thinking about a positive future where the climate crisis has been addressed (utopian thinking) or considering the steps necessary to address climate change (pragmatic thinking) could reduce climate burnout.

In some instances, the findings show that simply imagining a climate utopia could reduce peoples’ urge to disengage from the climate movement.

“Given the urgent need to address the climate crisis, it is important to protect people from experiencing despair induced burnout and disengaging from the climate movement,” says Dr Bird.

“This approach aligns with evolving strategies within the climate advocacy community, focusing on actionable solutions rather than overwhelming sentiments of despair.

“As communities around the globe strive for impactful climate policies and initiatives, it is imperative that they foster an environment that encourages sustained engagement and mutual support.”

She says that future research needs to consider different interventions to reduce peoples’ exhaustion and fatigue regarding climate change as this was not always reduced by engaging in pragmatism and utopian thinking.

Dr Bird sums up her research by referencing street artist Banksy’s mural near London’s Hyde Park in support of Extinction Rebellion protests in 2019, “From this moment despair ends and tactics begin.”