How Prioritizing Sustainability Makes Us All Healthier

One of the most noticeable benefits of environmentalism is that it keeps the planet healthy – but what about humans? Prioritizing sustainability could cause domino effects on humanity’s collective health – both physical and mental. Evidence from eco-friendly initiatives proves why putting energy into sustainable projects could make everyone healthier as the world continues to be greener.

It Creates Cleaner Indoor Environments

If sustainability creates cleaner forests and waterways, it’s easy to conceptualize how it could lead to cleaner indoor environments. Green infrastructure is a quickly rising industry because the health benefits are too many to ignore.

The most obvious method is by powering homes with renewable energy. This means less usage of harmful nonrenewables like oil. It also improves air and water quality, helping humans stay healthy by reducing ailments like respiratory issues.

Prioritizing sustainability will hopefully lead more citizens to embrace greener building practices – indoor and outdoor – including:

  • Planter boxes and yard gardens
  • Solar panels and other forms of renewable energy
  • Eco-friendly insulation to reduce air conditioning and heating expenses
  • Multi-paned windows
  • Smart technology for monitoring

Climate change causes drastic changes in temperature, erratic rainfall patterns, and unforeseen natural disasters. Making minor sustainable adjustments over time to reduce personal carbon footprints can lessen the severity of these climate shifts. This affects human health and indoor environments because weather affects airborne particles like pollen and humidity. All of these increase intensity of seasonal allergies, among other conditions.

It Leads to Conscious Consumption

When prioritizing the planet, everything from textiles to ingredients becomes more important. What went into making that child’s toy, and how were ingredients harvested to create this frozen meal? This benefits our health in various ways, such as consuming less-harmful foods and interacting with fewer toxic materials.

What health risks does this mitigate? The first is related to diets, as many prioritizing sustainability choose to decrease the consumption of animal products and processed foods, preferring to grow their own or support local farmers. Consumption of whole foods creates a more balanced diet because it prioritizes diverse macronutrients instead of primarily proteins, which increases the chances of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and colorectal cancer.

The other side effects of more plant-based diets could possibly reduce the risks of other diseases. For example, higher fiber, potassium, and vitamins equate to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, which are associated with numerous health risks.

Another example of how choosing more ethically made products matters is in fabrics. Sustainably sourced materials like organic cotton and bamboo in clothing and furniture can improve human health with their breathability and effective insulation. They also tend to be more hypoallergenic, reducing risks for skin irritation.

This is a trend in any consumer product. Whether it’s art supplies or toys, the material makeup of the product matters – and focusing on sustainability provides the lens.

It Encourages Healthy Mindsets

Sustainability has tangible benefits on humans’ physical health, but it can also have positive effects on mental health. The most common correlation is a sense of fulfillment and purpose.

Living sustainably relieves the conscience because the burdens of questionable lifestyle choices are no longer relevant. Living purposefully encourages a greater quality of life and decreases chances for depression and anxiety.

It also provides mental relief, as sustainable thinking often readjusts other mindsets, such as how people view finances. Budgets often unintentionally shift when prioritizing the planet since consumption is more intentional.

Many consider eco-friendly living to be expensive. However, it enables many to think more critically about their spending. Eco-minimalism – purchasing products while viewing the item’s environmental impact – can reduce impulse spending and waste production, creating greater financial freedom.

Financial stresses affect most humans, and every dollar freed up in a budget is one less weight on our minds to focus on happier, more productive ventures.

Living Sustainably Means Living Healthier

Making more environmentally conscious choices doesn’t just help the planet. Every living creature benefits physically and mentally from taking more care in analyzing sustainability. Humans will realize it affects more facets of our life beyond the surface level, allowing us to live longer and more fulfilled lives.