Meditation and Breathing Techniques to Reduce Climate Anxiety

We all know how to breathe, right? It’s the first thing we do when we’re born, and we carry on for our whole lives without thinking much more about it. But learning to breathe differently can change your life. Some simple breathing techniques can reduce stress, ease pain, help us sleep, and even shift the way our brains work.

That’s why breathwork and meditation are such powerful tools. They can help us manage and reduce anxiety and depression, and they can specifically help us with climate grief and eco-anxiety.

The Power of Breathing

Meditation and conscious breathing support us on many levels:

• Calming the nervous system. When we’re anxious, our body shifts into “fight or flight” mode. Slow breathing and mindful presence can tell our body that we are safe.

• Supporting mental clarity. By returning to the breath, we create a little distance from racing thoughts, whether those thoughts are about your to-do list or the state of the planet.

• Strengthening resilience. Studies show breathwork can reduce stress hormones, improve mood, and even lower blood pressure. In one study with veterans, rhythmic breathing reduced anxiety and PTSD symptoms with long-lasting effects.

It's all about creating a little bit more peace and quiet in our bodies and minds.

Turning Down Your Non-Stop Radio

Have you ever noticed a kind of background chatter that never quite switches off? Some people call it the “monkey mind” or “the non-stop radio in your head.” It can replay the past, rehearse the future, and create endless loops of “what if” thinking. For some people, this inner monologue is constant; for others, it comes and goes depending on factors like stress, workload, or how much rest they’ve had. Perhaps how much you've been scrolling on social media or how much bad news you've been reading could contribute.

For many of us, the non-stop radio has a lot to say about environmental crises. And while it's good to be aware that a stable climate and thriving biodiversity are essential to human survival, that inner monologue in your head might not actually motivate you to do anything. We can almost feel like by worrying constantly, we are doing our bit. But actually, it's not good for us, and it's often not that helpful for anyone else.

So rather than suffer for the sake of it, we can use meditation and breathwork to take good care of our inner dialogue, turn down the panicky thoughts, and create a bit more stability inside ourselves. Thanks to that stability, we may be better able to show up for the planet.

Meditation isn’t about doing more of anything. It’s more about slowing down, pausing, and simply being here and now, instead of getting swept into the past or pulled into the future. It’s giving yourself the chance to notice: I’m breathing. I’m alive. I’m here in the present moment.

It might not sound like much, but in a world where screens and advertisements, work commitments, friends and family are constantly calling for our attention, it's actually quite radical to carve out some moments of peace and calm. This self-care can help us feel stronger and more resilient about life's challenges, and have a calmer and happier energy to offer the people around us. And importantly, it helps us feel centred enough to make a lasting, positive contribution to the world around us.

There are many moments in life when meditation and breathwork can be especially supportive. For example:

• As a daily practice, it helps nurture a long-term sense of peace and well-being. This steady foundation helps us meet life with more strength and calm.

• As an emergency tool, it helps when adrenaline spikes and we feel overwhelmed.

These two uses reinforce each other. A regular habit of calm makes intense moments less overwhelming, and learning to ease panic helps us feel safer overall.

It’s not about switching off our feelings. That’s impossible, and it wouldn’t serve us or the planet. Instead, it’s about softening the edges of difficult moments so we can steady ourselves. Think of a boat dropping anchor in a storm: we can’t stop the storm from coming, but an anchor keeps us from being dashed against the rocks.

A Practical Example to Reduce Climate Anxiety

Here's a concrete example in case this all sounds a bit vague. Imagine you're reading about a record-breaking heatwave. Suddenly, you find yourself thinking about the future, worrying about whether the world is going to get any better, and feeling angry about the delay that has been caused by people profiting from fossil fuels. Your heart is racing, your chest feels tight, and you just want to cry.

This is a great time to use breathing techniques to support your mental wellbeing. You can close your laptop, place a hand on your stomach, and breathe in for four seconds and out for six seconds. You focus on the feeling of your hand rising on your belly, and you take five breaths like this, with your eyes closed. It didn't take long, but opening your eyes, you'll probably feel a lot better.

The heatwave hasn't disappeared, you're still aware of the world's problems, but those physical panicky sensations and thought spirals have probably calmed down at least a bit. And you'll be in a better position to decide on what to do next. Do you need to focus on taking care of yourself right now? Or is this a good moment to take concrete action, such as writing to a local representative or even getting out in the garden and creating a micro pond to help wildlife adapt to a hotter climate? Whatever you decide, it's probably better than vomiting on your keyboard.

Getting Started With Meditation

A lot of people think meditation means sitting perfectly still with an empty mind. The reality is much gentler. Meditation simply means bringing your attention back to the present moment, again and again, without judgment.

That might look like sitting quietly, as in Zen “zazen” meditation, where you sit with eyes softly open and let thoughts come and go. You might decide to sit in a cosy chair for 10 minutes a day, with your eyes gently open and not doing anything. If a thought comes up, you can just let it pass. If it helps, you can say to yourself "hi thought" and then imagine it drifting off like a cloud. Even if you have to do that 1000 times in 10 minutes, it was a good session. At first, it can feel quite weird and unnatural, like we should jump up and do something. But stick with it, 10 minutes a day, for 10 days and see how you feel by day 10.

Meditation doesn’t have to be sitting at all. For some, the rhythm of cycling, swimming, or walking becomes meditative. There are no rules. If sitting down to meditate doesn’t work for you, that’s fine; find what does. You might find that going for a walk and breathing in for four steps and out for six steps is helpful. Or some people even find swimming or cycling super meditative. The point is to turn away from that non-stop radio and into your body, noticing your breathing and letting thoughts pass on by.

For people starting out, listening to guided meditations can be really helpful. You can put an audio recording on, and someone with a nice, relaxing voice will guide you to focus on your breath or different parts of your body. You can download apps with lots of guided meditations on them, or head to YouTube to find one that you like.

Breathing Techniques to Try

As well as trying out a daily meditation practice, there are some simple breathing techniques that can help bring you some instant calm in just minutes. These are great for when you're feeling overwhelmed and need to bring your stress hormones down right away. They'll serve you in all sorts of life situations, from climate demonstrantions to job interviews to difficult conversations.

1. Box Breathing

With box breathing, you inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4. Repeat. This steady rhythm helps calm nerves and sharpen focus. You could set a timer on your phone for 3 minutes. Or you could just do it until you feel calmer.

2. 4-7-8 Breathing

Inhale for 4, hold for 7, exhale for 8. This method has been shown to help with sleep and reduce pain after surgery. Try breathing in through your nose and breathing out like you're gently blowing out a candle. Try eight rounds, and see how you feel afterwards.

3. Lion’s Breath

This playful breathing technique comes from yoga traditions in India, where it’s used during Simhasana, the Lion Pose. Inhale deeply through your nose, then exhale with your mouth open, tongue out, making a gentle “haaa” sound. It releases tension and often lightens the mood. You can even widen your eyes slightly if it feels good. Repeat this 3–5 times, pausing to notice how your body feels afterwards.

4. Belly Breathing

If that feels too silly, I've got you. You can simplu place one hand on your chest and one on your stomach. Notice which moves more when you breathe. Most of us breathe shallowly into the chest. If you're feeling your chest more than your belly, try directing the breath into your belly, letting it rise and fall. Belly breathing signals safety to the body and deepens relaxation. You could do that for a few minutes when you notice yourself feeling anxious.

If that feels like a lot to remember, just choose one of these breathing techniques. Note down on a post-it the name of it and any little pointers you need, and stick it on your fridge or your mirror. Whenever you notice it, you could get into the habit of trying a few of these breaths and seeing how it supports your mental wellbeing over time.

Finding What Works for You

Eco-anxiety can feel heavy, like carrying a weight that never quite lifts of your shoulders. Meditation and breathwork don’t take that weight away, but they can help us feel strong and centred enough to carry that burden more easily. They remind us that even in a world full of uncertainty, we can create small islands of calm.

Your practice might be sitting quietly. Or walking with a guided meditation, or focusing on your breath in the swimming pool. The most important thing is to use these techniques little and often, building a regular and sustainable habit.

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