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Environmental Wellness

Environmental wellness is a process that involves learning about and contributing to the health of the planet. This involves establishing a sustainable lifestyle, protecting natural resources, and eliminating pollutants and excessive waste. Environmental wellness also includes having respect for and awareness of your surroundings and playing an active role in your community. Environmental wellness encompasses not just our relationship with the planet and nature but our relationship with our personal surroundings as well. When our personal surroundings are well cared for, clean and organized, we experience a greater sense of comfort and less anxiety. Being environmentally well enhances your personal health, and helps ensure the future health of our communities and the world.

What are other signs of environmental wellness?

Being aware of the impact of your decisions on the environment
Working with your community to make improvements
Caring for the environment by following the four R’s (reduce, re-use, re-think, recycle)
Being aware of risks in various settings (i.e. going out at night, travelling to new places)
Leading a lifestyle that is respectful of and in harmony with your environment
Recognizing the need to keep a healthy personal environment.

A healthy personal environment includes:

Surrounding yourself with people and things that you find positive and inspiring
Participating in your community
Caring for personal belongings and maintaining comfortable working and living spaces

Ways to enhance environmental wellness:

Protect yourself and others from environmental hazards such as noise, air and water pollution, second hand smoke, ultraviolet radiation
Walk or ride your bike (weather permitting) whenever possible
Recycle and reduce waste
Conserve energy by using energy efficient light bulbs and appliances
Print less. Try reading online or sharing reading materials with classmates
Eat locally produced food
Visit local farmers markets in London
Save water. Turn off the water when brushing your teeth, shaving, or scrubbing the dishes
Use a reusable coffee cup, water bottle and lunch container
Unplug and turn off electronics and turn down the heat at home, school and work
Purchase products in bulk when possible to reduce packaging waste
Use reusable bags or paper bags when shopping
Use toxic free cleaning materials and personal care products
Join an environmental organization
Educate yourself on environmental issues