How to overcome ‘doom fatigue’ and inspire sustainability action

2 May

People are tired. Tired of endless warnings about how their behaviour is destroying the planet. Tired of bad news. Tired of living in a state of constant fear.

Even reading that paragraph might have drained you. Because our brains are wired to avoid discomfort, and bad news is uncomfortable.

But if your job is to inspire action, fear can feel like the easiest starting point: “Look how awful this is, please help us change it”.

Sure, we need to acknowledge the urgency. The situation is dire. But there’s a time and a place... and the set-up for your call to action isn’t it.

This article is especially relevant for short-form content, like social posts and some web content. For longer articles, videos, case studies and impact reports, you have the space to really expound on the wonder and the fear.

Here’s how to change hearts, minds and behaviour, without putting the ‘doom’ in ‘doomscroll’.

Start with wonder (not guilt)

Draw people in with awe, beauty, and hope. That’s what they connect with. Use images, videos, and vivid words to bring the thing you want to protect to life.

Additionally, give a sense of ownership (or in this case, stewardship) so that the reader can feel ‘proud’ of the thing. Did you know that the UK is home to 85% of all the chalk streams in the world? They support some of the most iconic British wildlife, including kingfishers and otters. As a Brit, I feel a sense of pride over these unique features.

By sharing something beautiful, you give a little dopamine boost. Then you can mention that it is at risk. Because at this point, the beautiful thing has done something for them – they have connected with it. And they care about it enough to stomach a little discomfort. But only a little!

Use positive framing

Once you’ve described something wondrous, and then touched on the peril it is facing, switch back to positive framing. Not “Stop the destruction of our native woodlands”, but “Help ensure our native woodlands can thrive into the future”.

And if you can, explain exactly how they can be that positive change. If you’re asking for a single action, introduce it here.

Keep it small

Don’t implore your readers to ‘Save the turtles’. Try ‘Save a turtle’ – that feels like a small, achievable step, and it gives personal ownership of the successful outcome.

Work out some tiny steps that your audience can take, with you, to make a difference. For example, “As little as 100g of plastic can kill a turtle. Every £1 you donate will be used to remove 1kg of deadly plastic from the ocean – that’s up to ten turtles potentially saved by your generosity”.

After offering a small, tangible action, your next challenge is keeping attention – and trust. That’s where the right facts come in.

Add statistics

Don’t go too data heavy, but include some numbers that back-up what you are saying. Try representing these as graphics if you need to help people get their head around them.

Saying ‘almost all’ of the world’s chalk streams are in the UK sounds vague and invites readers to decide what that means for themselves. To know that we are stewards of 85% of these rivers is concrete – our brains can’t skim over, ignore or round it down.

Create a chain of influence

Each person who makes a change can double their impact by getting someone else to do the same. Make it easy for them to spread the word by offering them a discount code to share with friends, or including a shareable fact they can copy and paste into a message: “I just saved ten turtles for £1 – here’s how!”.

When you use the approach outlined above, you include so much valuable, persuasive information. Ask your audience: “Did you know we have 85% of the world’s chalk streams? If you learned something new today, share it with someone else – that’s how change spreads.” It won’t appeal to everyone, but even one person spreading the word you’re sharing is a small step in the right direction.

Why no storytelling?

I thought you’d notice! Well, some of these approaches are micro-stories. But there are two reasons I didn’t mention it explicitly here:

The best stories include friction. This means going hard on the ‘doom’. You don’t always need to do that. Micro-stories, like removing 1kg of plastic to save ten turtles, allow you to avoid dwelling on the dark stuff.
Storytelling is something I am going to talk about a lot, and in more detail than I wanted to include here – so watch this space!

“But what about those animal charity adverts on TV?”

The ones with the abandoned puppies, or donkeys being worked to death? The ones that certainly seem to work?

Yes, doom can be an effective way to mobilise people .There are a few reasons I believe that kind of fear-based messaging isn’t the right fit for sustainability:

It overwhelms the most empathetic people — the ones already likely to take action. My grandma, for example, gave and gave… and still felt awful that it was never enough. She eventually donated anonymously, just to avoid the mail with pictures of more abused donkeys each month. That’s not sustainable, or kind.
It only works when there’s a quick emotional release. Those TV ads usually ask for a single, simple action: donate. But if you want to build a positive, long-term relationship with your audience and get the to actually change something, making them feel awful without a quick fix will drive them away.

Give it a try

In a world full of warnings, the most powerful thing you can do is offer hope, not just urgency. Start with beauty. Ground your message in clarity. Make the solution feel close, tangible and real. When people feel something, they act.

Need some help with your messaging about sustainability, conservation or climate? Let’s talk!

P.S. None of my content is written by AI. I do use it for ideation and critiquing my work, but everything written here is my own – even the en dashes!