Flourish Health & Wellbeing Magazine - Mar 24 - Flipbook - Page 54
Rosemary Randall, Director of
Cambridge Carbon Footprint, has
applied Worden’s Four Tasks of Grief
model in her in昀氀uential article on loss
and climate change.
She proposes we can use Worden’s model as a roadmap for climate grief through
a series of ongoing tasks. Although never complete, working through these tasks
allow us to restore meaning and 昀氀ourish whilst gently holding our grief.
Task 1
Task 2
Accepting the reality of climate loss;
both intellectually and emotionally
Working through the painful emotions
of climate loss
Many of us can connect intellectually. But
it’s harder to connect emo琀椀onally. Worden’s
昀椀rst task requires us to turn towards, and not
away from the truth, to acknowledge what
is happening, and own our role in both the
destruc琀椀on, and the healing of our planet. This
requires us to accept both our thoughts and
emo琀椀ve responses to the changing world.
The complexity of climate grief makes it easy
for us to get stuck in the pain or seek solace in
denial. It is so important to normalise emo琀椀ons
here. We should expect to feel sorrow, rage,
guilt, and yearning for what has been lost; there
is so much at stake, and much to grieve.
Ways to engage in Task 1:
• Gather informa琀椀on from reliable sources.
• Engage in climate informa琀椀on gently. Allow
yourself space to think and re昀氀ect. Use
grounding techniques and healthy distancing.
• Consume informa琀椀on at a rate that is right
for you; don’t overload yourself.
• Read about the groups taking posi琀椀ve ac琀椀on
and working towards solu琀椀ons. Try resources
like drawdown.org to inspire realis琀椀c hope.
Ways to engage in Task 2:
• Take 琀椀me out in nature, be s琀椀ll and use your
5 senses. Acknowledge and re昀氀ect on the
tradi琀椀onal custodians of the land. Allow all
emo琀椀on to 昀氀ow through you; both joyful and
painful.
• Don’t turn away from places that have been
impacted by destruc琀椀on. No琀椀ce the damage
and the loss. Close your eyes and feel the
emo琀椀ons that arise. Bow your head in
recogni琀椀on and sorrow. Breathe.
• Iden琀椀fy the actual feelings you have. Name
them, acknowledge them, and 昀椀nd ways
to express them through wri琀椀ng, drawing,
crea琀椀ng, and talking.
• Find people who feel like you do so you can
share your thoughts and feelings about the
climate crisis. It’s impossible to grieve these
losses alone.
• Consider seeking support from a Climate
Aware Prac琀椀琀椀oner to support you through
your grief or contact your EAP provider,
such as Converge.