Countering Climate Fear with Mindfulness: A Framework for Sustainable Behavioral Change
Preprints.org June 17, 2025 preprint DOI: 10.20944/preprints202506.1361.v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Climate change Cognitive psychology Psychotherapist Ecology |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | Mindfulness can foster pro-environmental behaviors by enhancing ecological awareness and emotional regulation, offering an alternative to fear-based climate narratives. |
Abstract
Addressing the escalating environmental crisis requires not only technological and economic solutions but also a transformation in human behavior and organizational practices. This paper examines the potential of mindfulness to foster pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) by enhancing psychological traits, such as ecological awareness and emotional regulation, that support sustainable actions. It presents mindfulness as an alternative approach to fear-based climate narratives, which often lead to disengagement and eco-anxiety. Drawing on empirical studies and theoretical frameworks, the paper explores the mechanisms through which mindfulness influences PEBs, including intrinsic motivation, connectedness to nature, and cognitive flexibility. Application of mindfulness in organizational and educational contexts are discussed, along with barriers to sustained behavioral change. Finally, the paper identifies future research directions and practical strategies for integrating mindfulness into systemic environmental initiatives, demonstrating its role as a critical tool for addressing the global climate crisis.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cites 25
- A default mode of brain function Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 16, 2001
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
- Attending to the present: mindfulness meditation reveals distinct neural modes of self-reference Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience August 13, 2007
- Interoception, contemplative practice, and health Frontiers in Psychology June 9, 2015
and 20 more in the library