Eco-anxiety is an increasingly common phenomenon especially, but not exclusively, among children and young people.
A survey of 10,000 16-25-year-olds in 10 countries reveals a worrying picture. Almost 60 per cent said they are very or extremely worried about environmental problems and almost half say it is affecting their day-to-day functioning, including their eating, sleeping, and ability to concentrate.
Unsurprisingly, the vast majority believe that adults have failed to take care of the planet. Within these figures, there is a deep sense of powerlessness, and it is just that feeling that brings so many people to Veganuary.
Here we meet five women who have experienced eco-anxiety, find out what it means for their wellbeing, and discover how taking part in Veganuary has helped them to manage their anxiety and heal.
Naomi Griffith, 24, Falmouth
“Eco anxiety feels like the weight of the world is on your shoulders,” explains Naomi. “Like the whole world is falling apart and no one else seems to care no matter how loud you scream about it. It’s a fear of what the world will be like for my future children, and their children, and generations after that.”
For Naomi eco-anxiety rises in response to news about natural disasters but it also comes from a wider place of how the world’s leaders seem to not care about the climate crisis and are not doing enough (“or even the bare minimum!”) to mitigate it.
“You feel a deep sense of guilt that other countries are facing the consequences,” she told us, “whilst Britain is seemingly unaffected. It’s the feeling of guilt when you drive your car when you could have walked, or when you buy a new item of clothing.”
But Naomi has found some solace by taking part in Veganuary, which she has done for the last six years and has remained vegan, and she explains why this has helped her.
“I feel like I am doing my bit for the planet, and it helps me feel like I’m in a community of other like-minded people. It is a great reminder that other people do care. It grounds me, and reminds me that the responsibility of the planet is not on just my shoulders.”
Francesca Neale, 21, Cotswolds
Like Naomi, Francesca’s mental wellbeing has been severely impacted by eco-anxiety. “It can be such an overwhelming feeling of dread and doom,” she told us, “and sitting with that is a lot, it’s painful and it’s hard to process.”
Francesca is recovering from a restrictive eating disorder, caused in part by eco-anxiety. She took part in Veganuary but had been warned that it might not suit her.
“I was told veganism was bad for me because it was also restrictive,” she explained. “However, being vegan relieved my guilt of eating in the first place because I knew no one had to suffer before I sat and ate a meal. Veganism helped me find a reason to live for myself because I found strength in knowing I was causing less harm to the environment and animals, which was one of the reasons I got sick in the first place.”
Francesca continued with a vegan diet after Veganuary and found that it helps reduce her anxiety and recover her sense of equilibrium. “I have more energy, emotional balance and an alignment of lifestyle and morals,” she says. And we know that this can make all the difference.
Ashley McMorrow, 32, Croydon
Ashley has experienced anxiety about the state of the world for a very long time. “As a child I would have panic attacks about natural disasters,” she told us, “and I grew up with a fear of the ‘end of the world’.”
But then one evening, Ashley sat down to watch the documentary Cowspiracy and everything changed. This film lays bare the impacts of meat and dairy on the planet and reveals the devastating inaction by the very people who should be protecting the natural world and our futures.
Despite its shocking revelations, the film ends with a powerful sense of hope and a clarion call to action. As she watched, something inside Ashley clicked and she took part in Veganuary 2019.
“Going plant-based made me feel like I had a bit more control,” she told us. “I decided it needed to be all or nothing for me and I went from a meat eater, eating the worst of the worst, to plant-based only and I LOVE it.”
Not only did Ashley find the sense of control she needed to manage her eco-anxiety but she also found that her empathy and love for animals grew. She says she found her true self and became more settled, more at ease, happier. “I became vegan for the planet,” she says, “but I remain vegan for the animals.”
Safiri Abantu-Choudhury, 22, London
Safiri had already taken many positive actions for the planet, including reducing her water and energy usage, using only public transport for travel and upcycling, but she knew that there was a hefty ecological price tag associated with meat and dairy.
She wanted to see if she could stay vegan for a whole month to help her reduce that, and so in January 2024, she took part in Veganuary.
“I am deeply concerned for the state of the planet and its climate and often do feel pessimistic that we can undo the damage that we have done,” she told us. “However, these feelings are countered with the fact that I am making everyday choices in order to protect the environment and knowing that I am playing my part. And being involved in Veganuary and seeing the massive, supportive community there gives me hope that many others care too.”
Safiri did Veganuary with the goal of reducing her carbon footprint but rather unexpectedly, she found that her mental health improved throughout the month.
“It felt amazing that a small (and delicious) change I was making was helping the environment, and that really fuelled me to continue,” she says. “Completing the challenge in itself felt like a massive accomplishment, and I felt very proud to not only have not slipped up once, but also to have truly enjoyed the experience throughout.”
Victoria Wilkin, 54, Norwich
Victoria is a Psychology Coach from Norwich and specialises in helping people with eco-anxiety. And she too was motivated to take part in Veganuary by her own fears and feelings about the climate crisis.
“My exploration of the vegan diet began with the Veganuary challenge in 2025,” she told us. “I had some eco-anxiety and wanted to take action to reduce the impact my diet was having on the planet. But also, my health wasn’t great, and I had heard the vegan diet was a healthier alternative.”
Victoria says she took part in Veganuary because she wanted to challenge her mindset about the way we consume, and she found her anxiety reduced, specifically because food choice is something she could control. It was a bonus that her health improved dramatically, too. “My GP said that my glucose levels had gone from diabetic to normal,” she told us. “My cholesterol fell to the lower end of the normal range and I dropped two dress sizes.”
There really are many benefits of taking part!
Tips for Managing Eco-Anxiety
- Take action: taking part in something like Veganuary can recover a sense of control while helping to mitigate our impact.
- Get out into nature. The natural world is a healing place. Spending time in it can bring us peace and calm and remind us what is important.
- Find your community. Whether that is a local environmental group or the Veganuary Facebook group, being around like-minded people helps us feel supported and reminds us that we are not alone.
- Talk about how you feel. Bottling up your fears never helps so talk to friends or a counsellor if the feelings start to impact your wellbeing.
- Cuddle a dog (or a sheep, or any other animal who likes to be hugged). Nothing to do with eco-anxiety but it does make every day better.
Feeling inspired? Try Veganuary and you’ll receive free resources and support, including our Celebrity e-Cookook, meal plans, nutritional info and much more.
