When many of us think about what influences our health, we think of food, exercise, and access to healthcare. However, there are many facets to wellness, and one facet that is often overlooked is Environmental Wellness.
Clean water, air, and a sanitary living space may come to mind as we begin to explore this conversation. All of those topics fit in here as well. In addition, Environmental Wellness
also encompasses things like the soil and how it may influence our food or water quality, carbon monoxide and mold, and how chemical weapons affect us. When we really begin to consider the wide breadth of Environmental Wellness and all of the ways it touches our lives, it becomes more clear why it is so important.
As many choices we make in regard to our health can have influence on others in our lives, I venture to say that the choices we make for our environment have some of the farthest reaching impacts on others in our lives and into the future as well. This is a facet that has the reach to shape elements of our own and our family’s health but also that of future generations.
I don't know about you, but this aspect of wellness, in particular, can feel really big to me. I want to help. I want to do my part--for my health and the health of others. However, it can be a bit overwhelming when we ask ourselves if one person can actually help in the grand scheme. Do we as individuals really have the power to make significant impact as far as the bigger picture?
The answer is yes! As I say in other aspects of our wellness, small changes over time make a big difference. This is also true in regard to Environmental Wellness. We know that education on and learning about subjects broadens our awareness and perspective and helps us take action. To learn more about this important area of health, you can visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) website for the National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) here: https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/.
In addition to the resources that the NCEH can provide, I will leave you with a video conversation with a very special expert friend. Brittnany Graham is a recent graduate from the College of Charleston, South Carolina with a Bachelor's of Science in Marine Biology. She is a passionate advocate and activist in several areas, and the environment is one of those. In our talk, she will give us some practical tips for making small positive changes that will affect our Environmental Wellness is some really big ways.
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