Using contemplative nature engagement practices to address ecological distress
People and Nature October 7, 2025 Rose Macaulay, Cullan Joyce, Katherine A. Johnson et al. 1 citation
Interventions combining nature-based activities with contemplative practices can help people cope with eco-distress—the psychological pain from climate and ecological change. Interviews with 11 teachers and leaders of such practices, plus two workshops, revealed four pathways to adaptive change: restoration and reduced stress through present-moment awareness; facing and working with difficult emotions; shifting and expanding self-boundaries; and strengthening values and commitments to action. These mechanisms build on and reinforce each other over time. Workshop data also produced design recommendations for implementing these practices. The findings integrate insights from contemplative studies and environmental psychology.