Luca Barakat, a member of Fridays for Future, speaks openly about his burnout. Climate activists in particular have to deal with daily challenges - including confrontation with hostile passers-by.
By his own estimation, he invests around 60 hours a week in his activism, which is more than a full-time job. “You don’t notice burnout straight away,” says the 18-year-old, who is now undergoing therapy. ‘If I had the opportunity to do it again, I woulddo it again and again,’ says Barak at.. There are special awareness teams for activists who have mental health problems. The best support network is a strong bond with people who understand what you are going through, says psychologist Birgit Zech.. A study by the Federal Environment Agency found that 25 percent of over 1,000 respondents aged 14 to 22 said that they were afraid of the future when they thought about climate change. The Munich group Psychologists for Future regularly offers counseling sessions for activists.