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These notes were taken during our meeting on the 6th of June, where we talked about how we can give ourselves distance from the climate crisis. We also talked about what healthy distancing means, and how to tell if you’re giving yourself much needed space, or opting out for more selfish reasons.
You can read the Conversation Guide that I prepared before this week’s meeting here. It has a little background and links to some of the resources we talked about.
How do you give yourself a break from engaging with the climate crisis when there are triggers and reminders everywhere?
Describe where you’re at with distancing from the climate crisis?
Are you getting distance from the climate crisis?
What form does it take (avoidance, denial, self-care etc.)?
- I think so but with avoidance.
- I look at the Guardian Climate section but don’t read it properly.
- I feel I’ve got too much in my head at the moment.
- Mostly avoidance with some self-care.
- When you know about the crisis it casts a shadow over everything.
- I can be at a gig and totally immerse myself and forget.
- On the plus side, I really appreciate nature and get out as much as I can to hang out with the insects.
- I let myself get distracted. I might follow a climate story and then stop.
- I feel like I’m lazy.
- Getting into nature really resonates with me as it is so soothing, so denial, avoidance, and self-care.
- Is it laziness or is it self-preservation?
- It feels as if it’s constantly running in the background.
- I like preparing material for this group. But I want to find everything out.
- I feel I should let go. Even when I go to my allotment there are constant reminders – for example, the change in weather and plastic everywhere.
Is it laziness or is it self-protection?
I read out a bit of an interview with Dr. Panu Pihkala where he talks about the difference between distancing for our sanity and distancing because we don’t want to be troubled by the information or associated emotions. And I attempted to make a diagram of his answer on the board.
Dr. Pihkala says that what counts as healthy distancing is different for different people, and at different times and places.
He also says that motives matter. If we don’t want to be bothered by it then that’s “condemnable”.
On the other hand, if we’re protecting our psyche (mind), or social relations, then distancing is necessary, and social support and social change are needed.
We talked about this idea and some of our thoughts were:
- How do we know the difference? Maybe the boundary between protection and selfishness is blurry.
- The word “condemnable” sounded very harsh.
- Maybe protective distancing only happens sometimes, whereas selfish distancing would be opting out all the time.
- There’s a difference between doing a selfish thing and being a selfish person.
- Our culture and society emphasises self-interest and individualism. There’s also maybe a sense that shouldn’t be made to feel bad.
- You kind of know when it’s tipping into laziness.
What do you think about today’s conversation?
- It’s always comforting to be with a group of people who are all struggling.
- It’s a way of not avoiding. Coming here is painful but useful.
- Other people [in our lives] don’t feel the same way.
- I liked trying to answer the question is it laziness or self-protection?