Two key players in impactful local community climate action are you and your neighbors. This section provides some practical tools to tap into your motivation, take care of yourself, and build neighborhood connections and cohesion.
In this section you’ll find resources for the following personal and community action strategies:
- Personal
- ID Climate Action Super Powers
- Take Care of You: Mental Health Resources
- Help Kids Navigate Climate Emotions
- Community
- Build Your Village
- Map Neighborhood Assets
Identify Climate Action Super Powers
Take time to reflect and take notes on the following questions, finding the intersection of what you’re good at, what brings you joy, and what you see that needs doing is a strategy to identify your climate action.
- What are you good at?
- Skills, resources, and networks
- What brings you joy?
- Source of satisfaction and delight
- What work needs doing?
- Climate and justice solutions
- Image Credit: Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
Take Care of You: Mental Health Resources
Building emotional resilience is an important aspect of building overall community resilience. There are many simple tools that can help people become more emotionally prepared for the effects of our changing climate. The more we practice using these tools now, the more able we are to care for ourselves and others when disaster strikes. Using these tools can also help you navigate life’s daily challenges more smoothly.
- Yes! Be in nature.
- Yes! Be with others in community (IRL)!
- Yes! Take action in alignment with your values.
- These help improve mode, reduce anxiety, and serve as buffers against mental health struggles by providing a sense of purpose.
- NO! Limiting screen time and social media use can help us stay more grounded and centered.
The “Window of Tolerance” is a helpful way to identify how we’re feeling in order to find strategies to come back into feeling just right, able to cope and maintain calm. Here’s a downloadable version of the above image
Hyperarousal:
- Feeling amped, anxious or out of control; desire to fight or run away.
- Leads to Disregulation: Agitated, feeling uncomfortable.
Window of tolerance: feeling just right, able to cope and maintain your calm.
Hypoarousal:
- Feeling extremely zoned out or numb; can lose track of time.
- Leads to Disgregulation: Starting to shut down, sluggish and uncomfortable.
Resources and Actions for Centering
Major climate events and everyday life impact our mental health. These resources and actions can help us stay centered and present.
- Belly Breathing
- One hand on belly, one on chest. Close your eyes and breathe slowly, feeling the rise and fall of your torso for at least 2 minutes.
- Butterfly Hug
- Cross your arms over each other and tap on each side of your chest or shoulders alternately for at least 2 minutes.
- Stimulate senses
- With strong smells, crunchy food, upbeat music .
- Movement
- Dancing, yoga or exercise.
Credit: Dr. Dan Siegel
Help Kids Navigate Climate Emotions
Children also have climate emotions. It’s a balancing act trying to prepare children for the world they’re growing up in without scaring them.
Here are some strategies for supporting young people.
- Seek out developmentally appropriate resources
- Teaching about nature = caring about nature
- Help children have a positive impact on their community and environment
- Reassure children – Ask how they are, welcome their questions
- Make space and time for big feelings
Teens & Young Adults
- While more complex content can be discussed with older youth, pay close attention to their responses
- Always get help if teens express extreme concerns or suicidal thoughts
Post Disaster Support for Children
- Focus on how you will keep them safe. (It’s over. We’re okay.)
- Point out all the people who are helping in big and small ways
- Be mindful about what kids overhear (TV, radio, social media, friends)
- Listen & answer questions in age appropriate ways
- Seek out mental health support
- Take care of yourself so you can be available for them
Build Your Village – Tips and tricks to grow connections
Knowing our neighbors in non-emergency situations helps us better care for each other during disruption. Neighbors are often the first responders in an emergency, and in some cases, they may be the only responders for a while if the disaster is far reaching, impacts access, or overwhelms emergency resources. Here are a few simple ideas to initiate or deepen your relationships with your neighbors. Also, you never know when you might need to borrow a cup of sugar!
- Host a neighborhood potluck.
- Invite neighbors to a community meeting to discuss emergency planning.
- Plan a block party.
- Build a block captain program.
- Identify vulnerable neighbors and set a check-in schedule.
- Start a book club.
- Have a game night.
Climate Cards
Sparking climate conversation is a powerful tool for connecting with your family or neighbors, but it can also be a challenging topic to discuss. Print, copy, scan or download (QR code) these climate cards to start conversations at your next gathering!
Neighborhood Asset Mapping
Our communities are rich with diverse lived experiences, skills and expertise. Uncovering and investing in these strengths builds a more resilient social fabric and can activate innovative, sustainable climate action. Documenting existing community strengths can also reveal gaps to inform planning and training. Work with your neighbors to brainstorm some of these key assets in your community. This information will be a strong foundation for more in-depth climate action planning.
What examples of these assets can you think of in your community? What’s in abundance? What’s lacking?
INDIVIDUALS: Skills, knowledge or gifts your neighbors possess?
ASSOCIATIONS: Clubs, organizations, faith groups.
INSTITUTIONS: Schools, hospitals, government buildings.
PHYSICAL ASSETS: Built infrastructure like roads, buildings, parks.
CONNECTIONS: How are people sharing assets? Connecting assets builds resilience!