Finding Hope with Possible by Design

There actually is hope for our planet, and I am glad you have found us so you can be part of this community - it is good for you, and good for our world. 

My name is Debbie Clelland, and I am “The Counsellor Sister” (with the Possible By Design Founder, Lori, being “The Engineer Sister”). I am very proud to be on the Advisory Board at Possible By Design. I have spent my 30-year career in British Columbia, Canada as a Clinical Counsellor and Professor in a Master’s Degree program in Counselling Psychology. 

This is where I have learned about how many people are experiencing climate distress. 

Climate Distress, Anxiety and Worry 

Climate distress means feeling anxious, fearful or grief-stricken about the climate impacts on our planet (e.g., weather, disasters, etc.). 

This climate distress is leading folks to have an ongoing level of anxiety that impacts their day-to-day wellness and often leaves them feeling hopeless. 

Trying To Cope 

To cope with this climate distress people typically do one of two things: 

1. over-focus on all the bad news out there (doom-scrolling), or 

2. completely hide from everything to do with climate information and build up a wall to try and keep the anxiety and hopelessness levels down. 

Both of these coping techniques are understandable, but they both take a lot of energy from us and impact our wellness in a negative way. 

Finding Hope 

The good news is that Possible By Design has been designed to help us all feel more hopeful - for ourselves, and for our planet. 

And it is real. We can truly feel hopeful. Everything on this site has a lot of science behind it, and it is trustworthy. 

Which is wonderful, because we all need more hope! 

The research tells us a few things will help us feel more hopeful: 

1. Do your best to minimize screen time or looking at negative news. 

Why is this important? 

Did you know that marketing research shows that people pay more attention to negative news than positive? That is because our brains are wired to be alert to danger. But when we have access to information across the globe instead of just in our community, that quickly becomes overwhelming. And marketing dollars take advantage of that as they try to sell products. So, time away from negative news and taking screen breaks is really important for letting our nervous system reset and get out of danger-mode. 

2. Being compassionate with yourself and with our planet. 

How do I do this? 

If you do things that you find nourishing and supportive, it helps you feel more hopeful. Some things that have been shown to help are: 

• Learning more about climate distress or eco-anxiety so you can recognize it and find resources to help with it 

• Finding a safe place to talk to others about these feelings of climate distress (e.g., online climate listening circle cafes based in the UK or North America) 

• Focusing on this moment rather than worrying about the future (e.g., practicing mindfulness and mindful self-compassion) 

• Thinking about all the things you are grateful for to invite your positive, hopeful brain into focus and get out of danger-mode (e.g., practicing gratitude) 

• Spending time in nature, and seeing how our natural world is adapting, surviving and sometimes thriving (e.g. nature-based connections and “solutions” that inspire “awe” - see below) 

• Taking action so you feel you are making a difference 

• Taking action in a community of caring others and being part of something larger 

Hope is Part of the Design 

At Possible By Design, hope for all of us as human beings is part of the design. 

Taking actions that can truly make a difference and being part of a positive, hopeful community is what it is all about! 

This journey to “bend the curve” of carbon emissions and get them heading lower is possible, and sharing that journey together will help us feel more hopeful because we are all part of this. 

Welcome. We are so glad you are here. Let’s build hope together. 

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Resources for nature-based ways to support your mental health and wellness and also shown to inspire folks to take care of the planet at the same time

Forest Therapy Hub (FTHub) – Global methods & resources  https://foresttherapyhub.com/	Central site for the FTHub Method, the Liquid Interactions Model, and the 5 Components of Nature‑Based Interventions. Provides guides, training modules, and related practices across many continents.
Beyond Greenspace – Green‑Social‑Prescribing Resources  https://beyondgreenspace.net/green-social-prescribing-resources/nature-based-interventions-to-promote-health/	Repository of evidence summaries, toolkits, and directories for green exercise, therapeutic gardening, forest bathing, blue‑space activities, care‑farm programs, and nature‑play. Includes PDFs of systematic‑review reports and outcome‑measurement templates.
Nature and Health Alliance – Learning Network  https://www.natureandhealthalliance.org/tln	Open‑source database of case studies & toolkits from >30 countries. Filters by region, target group, and evidence level.
World Health Organization – Improving health and well‑being through nature  https://www.who.int/europe/activities/improving-health-and-well-being-through-nature	WHO‑authored overview of green‑ and blue‑space health benefits, with links to policy briefs, systematic‑review reports, and practical research.
Frontiers in Psychology – Systematic Review of Reviews (2025)  https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1625294/full	Scholarly article that compiles 13 categories of nature‑based interventions (forest bathing, horticulture, green exercise, blue‑space, care‑farm, nature‑play, environmental volunteering, etc.) with citations to global studies (Asia, Europe, Africa, Americas). Supplementary tables list interventions and evidence levels.