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Call it eco-anxiety. Between melting glaciers, the USA exiting the Paris climate agreement, dwindling coral reefs and increasingly forceful hurricanes, being an environmental steward can feel pretty stressful. Pioneering research from the American Psychological Association (APA) and the organizations Climate for Health and EcoAmerica confirms that while acute climate change disasters, such as a hurricane hitting your community, can certainly cause feelings of depression, the “gradual, long-term changes in climate can also surface a number of different emotions, including fear, anger, feelings of powerlessness or exhaustion,” the authors report. “Some people are deeply affected by feelings of loss, helplessness and frustration due to their inability to feel like they are making a difference in stopping climate change.”

But there’s hope. The APA study found that making better lifestyle choices every day mitigates eco-anxiety because you can actively be part of the climate solution. The lesson: You have the power to make a difference in climate change through small, not-a-big-deal actions from sunup to sundown. Here’s how.