111. Holding Space for All Climate Emotions: Anger, Grief, and the Power of Inner Work
“Anger is actually one of the best emotions you can have — if you learn how to sit with it instead of running from it.”
What does it mean to hold space for all our emotions, even the more “difficult” ones? How can we learn to transcend through our feelings and let them be catalysts for transformative change? As we’re heading into darker times, I invite us to reflect on how to use healing as a powerful tool and what it truly means to let the future emerge through our spirits, actions, and bodies.
In this special episode, I revisit two of the most impactful conversations from the Hey Change archives, featuring Mike Veny, a mental health speaker and advocate, and Jack Adam Weber, author of Climate Cure. As the days get darker and we naturally turn inward, this episode invites you to explore the often-overlooked emotional dimension of climate work. We reflect on how feelings like anger, grief, anxiety, and fear are not obstacles but essential tools for our personal and collective healing.
With Mike Veny, we learn how anger can be a superpower — a source of clarity, leadership, and decisive action when approached with curiosity instead of shame. With Jack Adam Weber, we dive deeper into embodied grief and emotional grounding, discovering how feeling our feelings is an act of resistance, reconnection, and regeneration.
“You can’t just get rid of fear or anger — you have to learn how to work with them.”
This episode is a reminder that climate optimism is not blind positivity — it’s a courageous willingness to feel deeply and act from a place of wholeness, compassion, and inner alignment.
Key Takeaways
Anger is not the enemy — disconnection is. When channeled intentionally, anger becomes passion, clarity, and empowered leadership.
Grief is a bridge to the natural world. Feeling grief keeps us connected to what’s being lost and fuels compassionate action.
Emotions live in the body, not just the mind. Embodiment practices like grounding, movement, breath, or somatic awareness help us process climate emotions in healthier ways.
Wholeness is a radical act. Holding space for all emotions — not just the “positive” ones — is an act of resistance in a world conditioned around scarcity and avoidance.
Connection > correction. Advocacy rooted in connection, curiosity, and shared humanity is more impactful than shame-based persuasion.
Climate chaos is also a catalyst. As Jack says, heartbreak can open us to regeneration — personally and collectively — if we allow ourselves to feel it.
Inner work is climate work. Transforming our own emotional landscape is essential to building a more compassionate, resilient world.
Mentioned in the episode
The Climate Optimist Cohort: https://www.theclimateoptimist.com/cohort
The Climate Optimist Leadership Retreat: https://www.theclimateoptimist.com/retreat-el-salvador
Episode 93 with Jack Adam Weber: https://www.heychangepodcast.com/episodes/93-how-to-heal-ourselves-to-heal-our-planet
Episode 94 with Mike Veny: https://www.heychangepodcast.com/episodes/94-anger-for-good
Jack's book: Climate Cure: https://jackadamweber.com/climate-cure/
