Well-being is more than simply the absence of disease. It is the full integration of social, emotional, spiritual, environmental, occupational, intellectual and physical wellness. These seven dimensions act, and interact, in a way that contributes to the overall quality of life.
Over the past months in the NCMS Bulletin, Jason Horay, MS, ATC, CHES, the NCMS Plan Health Promotion Coordinator, has been taking you on a journey through each aspect of well-being, offering personal reflections and examples of ways to enhance each dimension within your workplace, community, and at home.
We encourage you to share this content with colleagues using social media and to share your ideas and personal experiences for enhancing your well-being by posting comments to the blog.
The next installment focuses on environmental well-being.
Environmental Well-being
According to the University of California at Riverside, environmental well-being includes living in such a way that you have a sense of and respect for the environment surrounding you. It also includes having a respect for the availability of resources so as to not deplete them. Lastly, it includes being aware of and protecting yourself from environmental hazards.
I encourage each person to think about what you would change about your environment or area to improve it, and then do what you can to help better those conditions. For some, that may mean recycling more or cutting back on water use. For others, that could mean helping clean up a local road or highway, or even volunteering to help clean up a park or stream.
Below are some more examples of how to increase your environmental well-being:
Work:
- Encourage others to bring their own silverware, plates and cups in order to cut back on plastic and Styrofoam used in the office.
- If the budget allows for it, provide everyone in the office with a reusable water bottle to cut back on plastic water bottles. These could also be used as promotional items.
In the Community:
- Participate in local clean up days to give back to the community and environment.
- Attend town hall meetings to support environmentally friendly initiatives.
With your Family:
- Recycle as a family.
- Start a competition to see who can take the shortest shower.
- Encourage turning the lights off when the room is not occupied.