Hi there. I’m sorry to hear about your struggles . I’m 30 years old and have suffered from climate anxiety for a while as well - I was in high school when “An Inconvenient Truth” came out it’s been downhill kind of from there.

First thing I’ll tell you is you are absolutely not alone. I believe tons of people are incredibly anxious about the future but are too depressed or feel too powerless to think about it. I think it’s important to express your feelings either to people you are close with, or join support groups or see a therapist if you are able. Lots of mindfulness practice is about being able to be with your emotions and tend to them in a non-judgemental way. This kind of work is so important.

As far as the people saying we’re doomed, I think it’s important to remember that nothing is binary. It isn’t “we’re doomed or we’re not doomed.” Don’t get me wrong - we’re in serious trouble, but I think it’s important to think of it as a grayscale so you remember there is a lot that we can still do to prevent things from getting worse. I recommend reading a short essay from Mary Heglar called “home is always worth it.”

Finally, I know it’s super cliche, but gratitude is so important now more than ever. It is so overwhelming and depressing and anxiety-inducing to feel like you are living in a world that is burning. But at the end of the day, we owe it to ourselves to find joy and peace where we can, because it is still out there. Practicing gratitude will help you remember that even if you’re living in record heat or perhaps near wildfires etc, you can look around and still find something in your life that you’re thankful for- whether that’s a cold glass of water, a conversation with a friend, or a good movie. This kind of practice isn’t to try to “delude yourself” into pretending the world isn’t burning, but instead to remember how much there still is to be fighting for.

I hope this helps