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The environmental wellness aspect is the 6th installment of the Personal Wellness Series.
For years, I have heard people talk about being one with nature; however, I had never realized the importance of this as an aspect of personal wellness.
I actually thought it was nothing more than a meditation phrase. Now I realize that I could not have been further from right.
Because our lives are so busy, only of approximately 65 percent of the population live an outdoorsy lifestyle on a consistent basis.
Walks in the park, camping, hiking, four wheeling, etc are all within this lifestyle.
Nature has been on the back burner and has very little relevance in many lives. In addition, technology has replaced numerous outdoor activities.
It is becoming necessary for us to re-evaluate our lifestyle and include our environment as a part of our daily, weekly, or monthly hustle and bustle.
What Is Environmental Wellness?
According to the Fairbanks Wellness Coalition, “Environmental wellness is an awareness of the unstable state of the earth and the effects of your daily habits on the physical environment.”
Our physical environment has an impact on our personal wellness.
We look to achieve the highest level of wellness possible; seemingly, the inclusion of environmental wellness is an important element of that wellness.
Each of us can have a strong environmental conscious just by raising our awareness and incorporating features that help to make our settings more agreeable to us.
Respect is the core principle of environmental wellness; needless to say, we demonstrate respect for all nature and all species living in it.
This involves establishing a sustainable lifestyle, protecting natural resources, and eliminating pollutants and excessive waste.
on a scale from 1 to 100, we are currently testing around 15 – 20 points only. And that is being very generous, if we are being honest.
Climate change is another topic within itself; however, we cannot ignore our ability to start by focusing on our individual circles.
Challenges That We Currently Face In Environmental Wellness
As a whole, the challenges of environmental wellness are causing major setbacks compared to where we need to be.
Environmental hazards such as noise, air and water pollution, second hand smoke and ultraviolet radiation are but a few of these challenges we face.
In addition, there are other things that are hazardous for us. For example, when was the last time you felt truly safe on a night out excursion?
Each age group, sex, and culture also deal with issues their surrounding environment.
The rate at which we encounter potential negativity can be alarming.
The environments that we foster at home, in the workplace, and in public venues all require some attention if we desire to be successful at surviving.
An idea of feeling safe can be applied to many aspects of our life.
However, we occasionally do not get the opportunity to on decide who/what we may encounter.
Most times, it is simply a luck of the draw.
Nonetheless, we can keep most hazards at bay if we are attentive to our surroundings.
How often do you consider the things that you encounter each day?
While it is not hard to do, we rarely put enough thought/effort into things that do not directly affect us.
Seemingly, we are often blindsided due to our neglect to pay attention.
However, had we taken the time, it may not have affected us at all.
Activities To Improve Our Environmental Selves
What surrounds us everyday in our homes, workplace, or neighborhoods and the resources available to us can affect our health.
However, we cannot always choose what is in the environments that we live, work, or play in.
Nonetheless, taking small steps to make our environments safer and limiting our exposure to seemingly hostile environments can help keep us healthier.
We can, however, make changes to the environments that we can control. Benjamin Mumme identifies 6 Ways To EnhanceYour Environmental Wellness in an article.
Here is what he lists:
- Create a healthy, happy living space
- Find little spaces of tranquility
- Make a positive impact on the environment
- Make you community better place
- Foster happy relationships in your home
- View the place you live in like a tourist does on vacation
While several items on the list sound simple, they are generally more taxing than imaginable.
Even sentiment about a person, place, or thing can cause us to hesitate.
More often than not, sentiment is the primary reason that change comes so slowly.
As humans, it is our nature to hold onto things.
Becoming Active To Stimulate Improvement
One of the most recommended activities for improving environmental wellness is spending time in nature.
Common activities such as camping and hiking have been known to improve our moods and reduce our stress levels.
If you are outdoorsy, those nature trails are calling.
Most communities have some type of nature walking trail, bicycle trails (on or off-road).
If your are in the city, shopping malls have long been a destination location for indoor walking.
Seemingly, if you have been inactive for any length of time, the idea is to take small steps and build at your leisure.
No, slowly build to the point of challenging yourself!
Slow and steady wins the race; therefore, do not consume more than you can digest.
An article once stated that we should teach ourselves to enjoy fitness.
Yeah I know, easier said than done.
Nonetheless, commit to making an effort to make a change.
Then day after day, give a little something to the cause.
It is okay to cheat a little too!
Time, Energy, And Effort Needed For Environmental Wellness
We commonly believe that there are not enough hours in a day to break away and work on us.
There is too much in our busy schedules to handle already to take on more.
Ironically, that is not a truth that we choose to hear.
We doubt that a 15-minute fitness routine is enough to do anything life changing.
That 15 minutes can help to change our mindset little by little.
We are not and cannot be expected to revamp our lives overnight.
Although there are numerous tactics available, nothing beats consistency in a plan.
By taking the time to increase awareness, putting for the energy to effect change, and making an effort to better ourselves, we can begin a journey to improve our wellness.
Failure is not an option, if we expect to win this race.
Of course, we may suffer from setbacks here and there.
But the tolls that these setbacks take depends on us.
Being rewarded for our efforts is a bonus.
No matter how large or small the victory, we must celebrate it to reinforce that win and draw energy for the next hurdle.
Perhaps it will take some longer than others, but we are actually racing against ourselves.
Tom, Dick, and Harry only come into play in the grand scheme of things.
Our individual circles are not affected by the milestones in someone else’s race.
So do not try to complete on the level of others.
We must pace ourselves to achieve benefits specific to our lives.
The Difference Between Outcome Versus Impact
There is a notable difference between the outcome and impact of our actions.
Outcomes are the short-term and intermediate changes that occur.
Therefore, outcomes are the direct effect of our actions as we attempt to improve our situation.
On the other hand, impact are the broader changes that occur within the community, organization, society, or environment as a result of our efforts.
Impact is the long-term changes that occur as a result of the outcomes of each milestone that we achieve.
In an article, Andrew Harding states that “The key differences between ‘impact’ and ‘outcomes’: reach, scope, and nature.”
The article further states that an outcome is measurable, whereas, impact is the longer term effect of an outcome.
For example, a couch potato begins a fitness regimen in which he/she loses a pound per week.
This weight loss is the outcome of starting the fitness program.
Eighteen months later, there has been a total transformation from couch potato to fitness guru.
This transformation is the impact of the couch potato instituting the fitness program.
Time, energy, and effort are key to building any type of improvement.
To Sum It All Up
Our environment plays a major role in our overall wellness.
It is important to take environmental wellness seriously if we expect to improve our personal wellness.
Our environment plays a major role in our overall wellness.
It is important to take environmental wellness seriously if we expect to improve our personal wellness.
The connections to physical, emotional, and social wellness are essential to the master plan.
As a part of personal wellness, environmental wellness is an important aspect to consider.
The things that surround us in our daily lives has a direct effect on us.
No matter how great or small, it is an effect regardless.
The more toxic the environment, the more we suffocate our well-being.
Let us breathe, let us breathe!
Environmental hazards such as noise, air and water pollution, second hand smoke, and ultraviolet radiation are but a few of the challenges we face.
We should commit to a variety of activities to improve our environmental wellness.
Being more active in the community, physical fitness, and changing elements of our circles is some essential keys.
As we improve our wellness, we will realize a better self.
Not to mention the benefits to our world.
The time, energy, and effort will pay off in the long run.
Small changes to acclimate our minds and bodies will eventually become subconscious habits.
Spending time in nature will aid in balancing ourselves with the environment.
Outdoorsy activities is a major part of that balance.
The outcomes achieved daily will provide a positive impact on our lives.
And I close out by saying, we need what we need!
If we keep our minds right, we can keep our bodies tight!
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If you have not done so already, please read the previous topics to benefit from the information.
Feel free to reach out in the space below. I welcome the opportunity to have a discussion with you.
