Part 2 of the 6 Dimensions of Wellness: Environmental

5 Steps to Work on Building Your Environment

Picture this –

You walk into your home after a long day, and it’s peaceful. You closed the door, and the outside noise goes away.  Your clothes are neatly folded in your closet, your meals for the week are prepared and organized in your fridge, and your living room has everything in the right spot. SOUNDS AMAZING, RIGHT?!? This is just one aspect of your environment that you can focus on to keep you on the path to WELLNESS.  

So this series is all about being a well-rounded athlete and person, remember?

We want you to get a grip on ALL the aspects that go into your well-being.  We covered emotional wellness first (all about your insides) and now we’re on to environmental (all about the outsides). The environmental dimension of wellness is really about your surroundings – both your personal surroundings and your relationship with the environment – “Mother Earth” if you will.

How can you build a healthy relationship with what’s around you? Why do you even care about that?  What’s in it for you?

If you can be intentional about these five things – you’re going to be heading in the right direction to yet another wellness dimension. SCORE.

1.     Protect yourself as much as possible from environmental hazards.

·       Noise: Sometimes my Beats headphones save my life.

·       Pollution: This you can fight from two perspectives.  You can try to limit your outdoor pollution (find tips from the American Lung Association here) AND you can work to limit the air pollution in your house (find those tips from Heathline.com here).

·       UV rays: This is a big one for all your riders. SUNSCREEN IS YOUR FRIEND – NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT. Plus it will keep your skin looking young.  Isn’t that what we all want??

·       Chemicals: I’ve seen so much about this in recent years, and honestly?  It can be really overwhelming. The tip here would be to try to be as “woke” as possible when you consider what you’re putting on your skin (lotions, deodorant, make-up), what you use in your house (cleaning supplies) and the amount of chemicals/toxins that are in those products.  The HuffPost gives some good tips here, but again – all of this can be overwhelming.  Start by looking at things you use the MOST (daily or several times a day) and work your way backwards.

2.     Organize your personal AND professional spaces.

·       Cleaning: Hey – you may hate doing this.  But think of it as cheap therapy.  Good for the mind, body, soul and especially if you like having visitors.  They will appreciate it.

·       Organize: Another task that probably isn’t thrilling, BUT if you keep up with it – also something you shouldn’t need to do very often.  There are even people you can hire to help you with this.  When at a loss – I say call in an expert.

·       De-clutter: See above.

3.     Conserve resources (when possible) so you can lead a lifestyle respectful of your community and the environment.

·       Recycle

·       Reduce waste

·       Conserve energy and water

·       Walk, bike, car-pool, use public transportation (or RIDE  A HORSE) whenever possible

4.     Spend time outside. BONUS – AS A RIDER THIS SHOULD BE EASY😊

·       Be one with nature – this one doesn’t need a lot of explanation. 

5.     Find a special place you can relax and clear your mind.

·       For me?  This is just my bedroom.

·       For you?  Maybe it’s a corner of the library at school or your office where no one ever goes.  Maybe it’s a part of the farm that’s away from the barn. Maybe it’s grandma’s kitchen.  Go where Zen finds you.

Now you should be well on your way to creating an oh-so-cozy-and-good environment around you.

Want to learn more about all the aspects of wellness and how you can reach your PEAK POTENTIAL?  Contact us for your free Performance Planning Session today!