How to Find Joy in the Climate Crisis
- Rachel Bailleau
- Aug 20
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 27
Climate change can feel overwhelming. It’s easy to get stuck replaying troubling news in your mind or worrying about what the future holds. But one of the most powerful tools we have in these uncertain times is joy.
Finding joy in the climate crisis isn’t a betrayal of the earth or the people and animals that are suffering. It’s a vital way to protect your health, your mental resilience, and prevent burnout. This means you can keep contributing to your community and the planet, because you've got enough hope and happiness to keep pushing forward.
Living with joy is a radical act of love in the face of the environmental crises. I’m not talking about pleasure in the sense of indulging ourselves at the expense of others. Pleasure can be a wonderful thing, but it can also cause harm. Seeking pleasure without awareness can lead to broken families, broken promises, and broken ecosystems.
We get so focused on sex, wealth, comfort, or our own desires that we lose sight of the consequences of our actions. True happiness, the kind that nourishes the soul and the planet, is different. Cultivating joy is about creating happiness while remaining mindful of others and the world around us. It is simple, revolutionary, and profoundly ethical. Choosing joy is choosing to live in a way that celebrates life without diminishing the lives of others. It’s a gentle, powerful form of activism: every moment of authentic joy is a moment of care for yourself, for those you love, and for the Earth.
It's about shining a light in dark places and radiating that happiness to other people who need it. That's why focusing on feeling happy and healthy is not selfish. It's a powerful way to contribute to world peace. No pressure!
Why Joy Matters Amid Climate Anxiety
I don't think I need to convince you that joyfulness is a positive thing. But did you know that it can improve your physical health and the well-being of your family?
Research shows that prioritising moments of happiness lowers stress, strengthens your immune system, and can even help you sleep better. It also ripples outwards: happier people tend to contribute more positively to their families and communities, creating stronger, more resilient networks.
There’s a common misconception that caring deeply about the environment means living in constant worry. It doesn’t. Suffering doesn’t help the planet or the people around you. You don’t have a duty to be unhappy. In fact, nurturing joy equips you to act more effectively, avoiding burnout and maintaining long-term engagement with causes that matter.
There’s No Time Like the Present
A large part of finding happiness is learning to live more in the present and less in the past or the future. When we live in the past, we can replay our regrets or pine over how things were. In the future, we often worry about problems that don’t even exist yet. The key to happiness and resilience is to spend more time in the present moment, and to do what we can right now for ourselves, for other people, and for the Earth.
When we dwell too much on the past or the future, our brains can get stuck in patterns of negativity. Neuroscience tells us that our neural pathways are “plastic,” meaning they can be reshaped. If we repeatedly focus on fear and despair, these pathways strengthen. But the reverse is also true: intentionally practising joy and hope rewires your brain towards resilience and motivation.
Research suggests that around 70–80% of our thoughts each day are repeats of the ones we had yesterday. This means our brains are naturally wired for repetition, often leaning towards worry or negativity. But this also gives us a huge opportunity: if we start consciously tweaking just a few thoughts a day towards joyfulness, gratitude, or hope, our brains gradually create new, stronger pathways. Over time, it becomes easier to notice positive moments, feel uplifted, and respond to challenges with resilience rather than despair.
Cultivating joy in the present isn’t about denying reality or pretending everything is fine. It’s about gently retraining your brain to notice the good alongside the hard, and to choose thoughts that energise, inspire, and sustain you. Each small moment of awareness, each deliberate act of noticing beauty or delight, is a step towards rewiring your mind for hope, health, and meaningful action.
Quick Steps to Find Joy in the Climate Crisis
Here are some simple exercises to start retraining your brain towards joy today:
Daily Joy Check-In: Each evening, take a few minutes to ask yourself: “What was a joyful moment of my day?” You can write it down in a journal, share it with a partner, family member, or friend via text or call, or simply reflect on it quietly. Even small moments count: like hearing a baby giggle at the supermarket, feeling the sun on your face, or sipping a warm cup of tea. If you really can’t think of anything, think instead about one thing you're grateful for. Try this every day for two weeks and notice how your awareness of joyful moments grows.
Morning Gratitude Journaling: Start your day with 5–10 minutes of gratitude journaling. Write down things you’re grateful for, from the smallest pleasures to bigger aspects of your life. This primes your brain to notice positivity throughout the day.
Micro-Joy Moments: Intentionally schedule at least 5 minutes a day for something that brings you pleasure or calm, like listening to music, drinking a coffee outside, or playing a card game with someone you love. The key is to prioritise it daily, even if it's really briefly.
Habit Stacking for Joy: Link a new joyful habit to an existing routine. For example: while your coffee brews, step outside to listen to the birds; during a shower, play a favourite song and fully enjoy it; before bed, reflect on one positive interaction you had. Small, consistent actions reinforce new neural pathways for happiness.
Limit Joy Drainers: Protect your mental energy by noticing what consistently drains you: excessive screen time, negative news loops, or overly critical people. Use simple strategies like setting screen limits, taking social media breaks, or using the mantra “observe, don’t absorb” when interacting with negative people.
By practising these exercises, you start training your brain to notice joy, to appreciate the present, and to strengthen your resilience. Each small moment of intentional happiness is a step toward a more hopeful, energised, and grounded life. This is good for you, your loved ones, and the whole world.
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