Summer didn’t arrive when it was supposed to. Then, almost without warning, the heat came crashing in – hotter than it had been in years.
For a moment, it was just strange. Then it became unsettling.
And honestly, that’s kind of the point: What’s happening outside is messing with what’s happening inside our heads and hearts.
And it’s not just the planet at risk – climate change endangers children’s rights.
Many communities Plan works with already face the harshest effects – especially girls. When floods destroy schools or droughts threaten food supplies, girls are often pulled from class or forced into early marriage.
Climate anxiety is real
We’re Kaia and Inaam, guest newsletter youth editors with Plan International Canada, and we care deeply about the way the world is changing. Especially how climate change isn’t just wrecking ecosystems – it’s shaking us mentally and emotionally.
It’s that quiet panic you feel in your chest during a heatwave. The flash of dread when you hear about another wildfire. The confusion of wondering how you’re supposed to plan for a future that feels unstable.
We know those feelings. We carry them too. That’s why we’ve both committed to speaking up about climate change and mental health.
Here are our stories.
Kaia: When the world burns, I burn with it
Here’s the reality: Depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia are rising during heat waves. People are dying. And the rest of us? We’re genuinely afraid about what comes next. I wake up some days and honestly don’t know if I should plan for a future that might not exist.
This hits differently when you’re Métis. My connection to the earth isn’t just philosophical – it’s who I am. When the world burns, I burn with it. When rivers get poisoned, something in me dies too. It’s not dramatic; it’s just true.
This summer in Saskatoon has felt heavy, not just emotionally but physically, too. The sky has turned an eerie orange, and the sun is barely visible through the wildfire smoke. The air is hard to breathe, and the toll on my chest, as someone with asthma, is unbearable. I haven’t choked, but I have felt the pressure, the tightness, the reminder that none of this is normal.
“Your environment shapes everything about you, including how you cope when the world feels like it’s ending. Climate anxiety, addiction, mental health is all connected.” –Kaia
The worst part? Knowing we did this. Humanity has caused this. The wildfires, the heat, the smoke engulfing our province. It feels like our earth is screaming, and we have ignored it for too long. I have caught myself looking outside and feeling deep anxiety in my gut.
It is truly terrifying to realize that the air around me is not safe, that my health is at risk, and that the systems and structures causing this damage are running full speed ahead. Climate anxiety is not a vague, subtle fear of the future. It is right here, right now, every time I take a breath and feel what we have done to our world.
And here’s the thing: Most places don’t have nearly enough mental health resources to address these climate-related mental health challenges. So young people are struggling with eco-anxiety, and there’s nowhere to go for help.
Finding my voice
Theatre has taught me that one’s words and actions in the spotlight matter. They linger. The same truth applies to my advocacy, as I use my voice to stand up for people on a global scale.
Right now, I’m working with a master’s student who is researching how substance use plays out differently in rural versus urban areas. Turns out, your environment shapes everything about you, including how you cope when the world feels like it’s ending. Climate anxiety, addiction, mental health – all connected.
Building something for our people
That’s why I started The Métis Mind in early 2025, a space for Indigenous youth rooted in healing, mentorship, and our own ways of understanding the world. Inspired by my work with Métis Nation–Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan First Nations Water Association, I’ve seen how climate change fuels anxiety in our communities, from wildfire smoke to unsafe water.
The Métis Mind lives on Instagram, where I’ve started sharing culturally grounded mental health resources and crisis support. The platform is small but growing, with early conversations already showing how urgently this space is needed. I’m now working toward launching a peer mentorship program that centers Métis identity, climate resilience, and care.
Working with Plan Canada’s Girls Belong Here program taught me how powerful our voices are, and I am using mine now to demand change in our climate.
The voices getting drowned out
This pattern is showing up everywhere. Young people talking about climate anxiety? Ignored. Indigenous youth? Ignored. Kids struggling with addiction? Ignored. The voices that need to be heard most are the ones getting drowned out.
If you want to stay connected to these conversations and hear more voices like ours, sign up for Plan International Canada’s newsletter. We need to keep talking about this – and you’re part of that conversation.
I found my voice. You can find yours, too. Because the people who aren’t being heard? They’re counting on us to make some noise.
Inaam: From Pakistan to rural Alberta
At 12 years old, I stepped off a plane from Pakistan and arrived in a quiet town in rural Alberta. Everything felt unfamiliar. I had grown up in a bustling city filled with movement and sound. In contrast, Alberta offered silence, open skies, and a rhythm of life that felt entirely new.
There was beauty in that stillness. I remember the first snowfall I ever witnessed – standing outside, letting snowflakes melt on my hands. It was during this time that I began noticing subtle shifts in the environment. Winters seemed shorter, and snow melted sooner than people said it used to. One summer, a haze settled over the town, carrying a strange smell I couldn’t place. Later, I learned it was wildfire smoke. I didn’t have the words for it then, but now I know: That was the first time I felt climate anxiety.
“The emotions you are feeling about the future, whether it is concern, uncertainty, or hope, are real and completely valid... We are all in this together.” –Inaam
I saw it in my classmates, too. Some would quietly share their worries about what was happening to the land around us. What stayed with me most was how few spaces existed to talk about those feelings. Seeing these young people struggle with feelings about our changing planet made me understand that climate change isn’t just an environmental crisis – it’s a mental health crisis too.
Starting Green Mind
This understanding became the foundation for Green Mind, a youth-led initiative that I launched in 2022. Green Mind connects climate change to mental health, offering young people a space to share their stories, explore their emotions, and access the support they need. This is especially vital for youth in rural areas who often feel disconnected from both climate solutions and mental health resources. Through free toolkits, wellness journals, and workshops, we aim to bridge that gap. As of 2025, we’ve reached more than 4,500 youth across Canada.
In the town where I grew up, neighbours were more than just faces across the street – they were like family, always ready to lend a hand. It was there that I learned how local, community-based approaches to eco-anxiety can lead to meaningful change.
One day at the school library, a student told me, “I didn’t know there was a name for how I’ve been feeling. I thought I was the only one.” That moment stayed with me – it showed how powerful it is to name a feeling and realize you’re not alone.
With Green Mind, we’ve seen how these efforts can truly make a difference. By equipping youth with the tools to understand and manage their emotions around climate change, we’re empowering them to care not only for their mental health but for the planet as well.
Expanding the climate-anxiety work
Last year, I was selected to be a Eureka Fellow. The fellowship is an initiative by AstraZeneca Canada and Plan International Canada that supports young Canadians with resources, mentorship, and national recognition as we tackle urgent challenges in health, community life, and the environment. This has allowed me to expand my work even further.
Living in a rural area also provides me with unique insights into the barriers many people face, particularly when it comes to health care. With fewer resources available, it can be challenging for residents to access the care they need, especially marginalized groups like Indigenous communities. My fellowship experience has inspired me to pursue medicine, with the goal of bridging gaps in health care and making a meaningful difference in the lives of those who need it most, including addressing climate-related health impacts.
Reaching more young people
In addition to Green Mind, I have worked on two children’s books – Tory and His Spiral of Worries and Lila and the Cloud of Change – that explore themes of eco-anxiety. Through these stories, I aim to help young readers understand the emotional and psychological impacts of climate change and that their feelings about the environmental shifts are real and valid.
I feel deeply honoured to have been recognized as one of Canada’s Top 25 Under 25 Environmentalists. This recognition gave me an opportunity to further amplify the conversation around climate anxiety and youth advocacy, validating the work I have been doing.
You’re not alone
To any young person reading this, I want you to know: The emotions you are feeling about the future, whether it is concern, uncertainty, or hope, are real and completely valid. I understand how overwhelming it can feel to look ahead to the future, but you are not alone. We are all in this together.
If you want to be part of this community and hear more stories like ours, sign up for Plan International Canada’s newsletter. Your voice, your actions, and your resilience are essential in shaping the future we all deserve. The time to act is now.