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SECTION 2:BUILDING AWARENESS

2.0: Stress Responses in the Body

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In this section on Building Awareness, we focus on understanding what stress feels, both internally and externally. We break down what stress feels like physically by creating awareness around our body’s responses. We then understand how certain events may be causing us to feel stressed out. Having an awareness of our responses can help us later reflect on how they show up in our lives, helping us manage our emotions better.

If you notice yourself feeling uncomfortable with any of the prompts as you engage with this module, please feel free to stop/pause. We are here to support you if you need it, please feel free to reach out to speak to one of us personally.

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Stress responses are deeply connected to both the mind and body.

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Climate-related stress can be triggered by

  1. Internal factors such as:

    • Feelings of powerlessness

    • Uncertainty about the future

  2. And external factors such as:

    • Distressing news,

    • Extreme weather events,

    • Environmental degradation

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These triggers often lead to somatic responses such as

  • Shallow breathing

  • Rapid heart rate

  • Perspiration

  • Restlessness or

  • Headaches

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When we experience stress over a long period of time, these somatic responses become more recognisable, showing up as muscle tension, chronic pains or fatigue.

Developing somatic awareness—the ability to notice and name bodily sensations—helps us recognize stress as it arises.

By tuning into these physical signals, we can learn to pause, regulate our emotions and respond more effectively, rather than becoming overwhelmed by automatic reactions.

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