Emotional Resilience
The future can feel scary and uncertain.
Questions about safety, stability, and what lies ahead can feel constant and overwhelming.
But the good news is that humans have a remarkable capacity for resilience. Emotional resilience isn’t a fixed trait, but rather a set of skills that can be strengthened with intentional practice.
In this guide by Dr. Larissa Dooley, we offer tools and practices for building emotional resilience — individually and in community with others — so we can face what’s to come with strength, and still live lives full of meaning, joy, and connection.
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These are the stages of developing emotional resilience. This framework is based on resilience research and the work of Dr. Rick Hanson.
A Guide to Developing Emotional Resilience
This guide will explore:
How can we live with uncertainty and not be consumed by it?​​
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How can we face difficulty with steadiness and care?
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How can we live meaningful lives, even as the world around us changes?
You will learn:
How to be in your "resilient zone"​​​
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How to calm your nervous system​​
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How to stay present without becoming consumed by big emotions
How to cultivate joy, humor and meaning even in dark times​​
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"The goal of this work is to strengthen our capacity to carry what’s hard, without becoming consumed by it—so we can remain present and connected to what we value, to one another, and to the work of building a livable future. And so we can still experience joy, wonder, meaning, and connection, even in a climate-changed world."
— Larissa Dooley, PhD
The Role of Emotions in Climate Action
This model, created by Dr. Larissa Dooley, illustrates the relationship between climate emotions and taking action. Emotional resilience can provide us with the strength we need stay engaged with climate action.
Climate emotions can either mobilize or immobilize us, depending on whether our nervous system feels resourced enough to stay present. When we’re under-activated, we may disengage. When we’re over-activated, we may feel flooded and stuck. Resilience is what helps us return to the “concerned but not overwhelmed” zone—where sustained action is most possible.
