It’s Not Just You: How to Navigate Eco-Anxiety and the Climate Crisis

by Tori Tsui

A timely edition of the book Greta Thunberg says, “the world is in desperate need of,” with a foreword from TIME100 Next climate activist Leah Thomas, published in time for Earth Day

“Tori Tsui is changing the conversation around mental health and the climate crisis.”—Vogue


For anyone who’s ever felt overwhelmed by the climate crisis—you’re not alone. In a book that was shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize on Writing and Global Conservatism, activist and mental health advocate Tori Tsui takes readers on a powerful journey through the emotional terrain of climate grief, anxiety, and burnout. Combining memoir, intersectional analysis, and activist storytelling, Tsui, named a Stella McCartney Agent of Change, redefines eco-anxiety as not just a personal response to planetary crisis, but a political and communal condition rooted in systems of oppression—racism, colonialism, capitalism, and ableism.



With clarity and heart, Tsui traces her lived experience as a queer woman of color navigating mental illness and activism on a global from sailing across the Atlantic for a climate summit to finding healing with Indigenous communities in Colombia. Alongside personal reflections, she amplifies the voices of marginalized organizers, critiques the commodification of wellness, and insists that true climate action must also be mental health care. By refusing simplistic fixes, It’s Not Just You insists on justice, solidarity, and radical care as the antidotes to our present-day despair.



Featuring contributions from Mikaela Loach, author of Climate Is Just the Start; Vanessa Nakate, author of A Bigger Picture; and Talia Woodin, climate photographer for Atmos, Middle East Eye, i-D, and The Guardian, among others, It’s Not Just You is a must-read for anyone reckoning with the emotional weight of the climate crisis. Whether you’re just learning the term “eco-anxiety” or you’ve been carrying it for years, Tsui offers validation, perspective, and most of community. Along with a foreword by Leah Thomas, named to the Ebony Power 100, Tsui reminds readers that they are most resilient when they lean on—and learn from—each other.

Genres: Nonfiction, Mental Health

352 pages, Paperback

Published April 7, 2026

Reviews

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very insightful and important read, but it’s not a light one. I thought it was going to be more of a self help book for dealing with climate anxiety, but it’s more of an in depth look at how climate change is already impacting people around the world, particularly those in the global south and the most vulnerable communities, and how to work together to build a more just and livable future. There is a great deal of emphasis on communities of color and amplifying their voices and the work they are doing that is being ignored.

It focuses on building community and envisioning a truly equitable future, and avoids doomsday talk while acknowledging the devastating impact climate change has already been causing for quite some time.

Tsui is a young activist from Hong Kong who has been doing the work for much of her life and knows firsthand the burnout and exhaustion that can come without necessities like rest, community, self care and hope.

This is an important book from someone who knows her stuff, and it gave me lots of new perspectives. I also appreciated the reading list at the end, which gave me a lot of titles to seek out next.

I read a digital arc of this book via netgalley.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s Not Just You is a powerful and honest exploration of the emotional weight many people carry in the face of the climate crisis. Tori Tsui names eco-anxiety not as an individual failing, but as a shared, collective response shaped by larger systems and realities.

What makes this book stand out is its blend of personal story, activism, and reflection. Tsui writes with vulnerability and clarity, offering validation for those who feel overwhelmed while also pointing toward community, solidarity, and care as essential responses. She resists easy answers, instead inviting readers into a deeper, more honest engagement with both grief and hope.

This is an important read for anyone navigating the intersection of mental health and climate justice. It reminds us that we are not alone—and that healing and action are deeply connected.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of the book for review.

[Susie Dumond · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comforting and inspiring read for anyone feeling stress or fear about climate change. Environmental activist Tori Tsui lays out why no one person is responsible for our environmental crisis, no one is alone in fighting it, and no one should feel isolated by mental health struggles and eco-anxiety. It's a problem that affects all of us and requires collective solutions. An especially great read for young people looking to make a difference!