The term eco-anxiety has been gaining popularity in recent times. Though it’s not classified as a mental illness, it’s becoming a phenomenon affecting modern youth, causing symptoms like depression, sleeplessness, and panic. Many of us have been through it or heard about it; for some, it’s still unrelatable, while for others, it’s something that cannot be ignored. There is a crisis in front of us, asking us where it all went wrong. What did we forget?

I’m Priyanka Singh Parihar, founder and EIC of Planted Journal magazine. I’m here to unravel the sets of events that have shaped me into the person I have become. Eco-anxiety has been a major part of this journey. I wouldn’t want to take away those moments of anxiety that made me conscious of nature within me. I believe we are capable of working through our fears, not only for ourselves but also for others and the planet.

It was the summer of 2019, and I was on my way to work when I noticed an old tree that was cut down due to construction. It grabbed my attention. I stood there and felt sad about this loss of life. Following this, there was a buzz on social media about the fires in the Amazon rainforest.

I kept staring at my feed, one post after another, story after story; it went on for a few days. I was consumed, and it affected me deeply.

 That was the first time I understood what eco-anxiety could do to a person. I was also diagnosed with other mental health issues, which contributed simultaneously to these factors.

Eco-anxiety and climate change are signs of disharmony that we have been facing; everything is intertwined; a forest fire across the other part of the world, rapid deforestation, rising sea levels, and loss of biodiversity affects us more than we realise.

I have never been to the Amazon rainforest, but I have always been an admirer of the beauty of nature. It’s a force that drives me and calms me, and over the years, I have developed this feeling that I belong to the Earth. Even if I stay in an urban environment, I never forget to look at the trees. I enjoy walking barefoot on the ground, dancing in the park, gazing at the moon, locating constellations, or just looking at nature around me. I guess everybody does enjoy these things too; we have evolved in nature. It’s our home. It’s a place where we can easily find calm. I realised what I have always wanted to do: I needed to give voice to these emotions. I love to talk about the beauty of nature and our connection to the earth. I’m deeply fascinated by indigenous communities and their way of life. I wanted to build a bridge through which we could connect ‘Human and Nature’. The more I started working toward this bridge, the better I dealt with my anxiety.

We must not forget to romanticise the Earth and her beauty.   

Healing is a long process; it unfolds on many levels. Step by step, when we work towards consciously integrating our beliefs into our lifestyle, saying no to things that no longer serve us, and aligning with our hearts rather than just being a part of a system, this process begins.

“When we heal ourselves, we heal the world.”

Mark Nepo

Poet  

So I created Planted Journal, a practice of love and healing with art, words, photography, poems, and stories. At this particular moment, it’s very important to understand the connection to our land, on which we all walk, to the air that we all breathe, and to the water that makes up our body. All of the Earth, in her totality and sublimity, connects people, communities, and our future generations.

Even during these catastrophic events, we should not forget the beauty of nature and the power of creation. She is almighty, she is forgiving, she transforms, and she is us. The light from the sun has the energy to sustain an ongoing process of life on this planet, even if it’s a million miles away. Similarly, we can be located anywhere in the world and still be a part of this healing process.

The thought of extinction is scary; it has happened before, but it did not stop the sun from rising or the earth from thriving. Life will remain on this planet; that is the beauty of this land, which flourishes. Now it’s up to us to flourish with that life as a species. 

 We must heal the parts of ourselves that have forgotten to be a part of nature. We must remember where we came from. Only then will we heal ourselves, heal as a community, and eventually become one with the Earth.

Words by Priyanka Singh Parihar

Featured image by Giovanni Santarelli