Environmental well-being includes trying living in harmony with the Earth by understanding the impact of your interaction with nature and your personal environment, and taking action to protect the world around you. Protecting yourself from environmental hazards and minimizing the negative impact of your behavior on the environment are also central elements.
Leading a lifestyle that is respectful to our environment and minimizes any harm done to it is a critical part of environmental wellness. Examples of environmental threats include air pollution, ultraviolet radiation in the sunlight, chemicals, noise, water pollution, and second-hand smoke.
Achieving Environmental Wellness
Environmental wellness involves a number of different aspects of personal and societal responsibilities, including:
- Being aware of the earth's natural resources and their respective limits
- Living a life accountable to environmental needs, both in the present and in the long-term
- Realizing the effects of their daily habits on the world around them
An environmentally well person will also recognize the need to keep a healthy personal environment. A healthy personal environment includes:
- Keeping the company of healthy people
- An enjoyment of available recreational opportunities
- Engaging in environmentally responsible activities
- Maximizing personal harmony with the earth, while minimizing harm to it
Are you engaged in the process of environmental wellness?
- Do I recycle?
- If I see a safety hazard, do I take the steps to fix the problem?
- Do I volunteer time to worthy causes?
- Am I aware of my surroundings at all times?
If you answered "No" to any of the questions, it may indicate an area where you need to improve the state of your environmental wellness.