Healthier environment, healthier you

An environment is “the surroundings or conditions in which you live and operate”. This includes small spaces, like your home, work office, and gym, as well as larger spaces, like your neighbourhood and city. You will always be within some sort of environment, so it is important to consider how your environment affects your wellbeing. 

Let’s start with your local environment. Factors such as noise and temperature can have a significant impact on your state of wellbeing. Excessive noise, regardless of whether it stems from a construction site or a busy street, can cause stress and sleep disturbances. This not only impacts your mental wellbeing and workplace productivity but also your physical health by increasing the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. Working in an environment that is too hot or too cold can disrupt your level of focus, efficiency, and accuracy, while creating a sense of general discomfort. 

Factors in your wider environment can also affect your health and wellbeing - far beyond what you might realise. Climate change alters the soil conditions of farm lands, threatening the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as affecting various ecosystems. According to the World Health Organisation, environmental hazards, such as poor air and water quality, lead to over 12.6 million deaths every year and contribute to over 100 different diseases and injuries. Have a look at AirVisual which tracks conditions relating to air pollution by drawing data from tens of thousands of sensors in multiple cities worldwide. It’s a great way to stay up to date on your environment’s air quality.

Although you may not always be able to change things in your environment, like noisy construction work (noise-cancelling headphones might come in handy), there are things that you can do. For example, one study found that exposure to natural light by opening curtains or blinds promotes better mood and sleep quality. Another study observed that greeting your neighbours can reduce feelings of loneliness, depression, anxiety, and stress, besides providing a source of companionship. Regarding your working environment, ensuring that your office temperature remains between 20-25 degrees Celsius (68-76 Fahrenheit) will secure your comfort and ensure conducive conditions for optimal productivity.

Walking or cycling your work commute instead of driving not only benefits your physical health but also that of the environment by reducing noise pollution and carbon emissions. Another thing you can do to improve your environment is to plant trees. Spekboom, in particular, thrives in most conditions and is an environmental warrior plant. Spekboom also plays important roles in air purification by acting as a carbon sponge, ‌ removing carbon dioxide from the air. Besides this, Spekboom is aesthetically pleasing and inexpensive to maintain! We can also use air filters in our homes or work offices to purify the air of our environment, successfully removing air pollutants and allergens (research).

Looking after your environment will safeguard your health and wellbeing in return.