Climate Activism Without Burnout: Evidence-Based Practices to Improve Well-Being

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On September 5, 2024, the Yale Center for Environmental Communication and the Yale Center on Climate Change and Health hosted a conversation with Dr. Laurie Santos, the Chandrika and Ranjan Tandon Professor of Psychology and Head of Silliman College at Yale University, which was moderated by Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz, Director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Dr. Santos created the most popular class in Yale University’s 300-year history in which she teaches scientifically-validated strategies for living a more satisfying life. In this webinar, she discussed how the climate community can apply these strategies to work more effectively and avoid burnout.

Top 5 Insights for Climate Activists from the Science of Well-Being

Your mental health matters for saving the planet.
Protect yourself and your team by fighting burnout.
Learn to embrace and allow negative emotions.
Give yourself the gift of self-compassion.
Embrace skeptical hope to gain energy and agency.

The RAIN Method (by Tara Brach)

RECOGNIZE what is happening
ALLOW feeling to be just as it is
INVESTIGATE with interest & care
NURTURE with self-compassion

The Steps of Self-Compassion (by Kristin Neff)

MINDFULNESS (“I’m struggling”, “This is hard right now”)
COMMON HUMANITY (“This is something everyone deals with”, “I’m only human”)
SELF-KINDNESS (“What do I need right now?”, “What can I take off my plate?”)

For more information:

http://drlauriesantos.com

http://coursera.org/learn/the-science-of-well-being

https://www.pushkin.fm/show/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos/

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication

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