5 Reasons Being Green Is Good For My Mental Health

Today’s post comes from special guest Alicia Sparks, author of b5media’s Mental Health Notes. Alicia shares with Daily Tomorrow five great reasons why being green goes well with her mental health. Enjoy!

5 Reasons Being Green Is Good For My Mental Health

The summer of 2007 was a busy time for me. Not only did I become a vegetarian and active in animal rights, but I also started giving Mother Nature the love and attention she deserves. As someone who is also active in the world of mental health, I can tell you these changes have benefited me as much as the planet.

So, a year later, how has making these changes, particularly the “green” changes, been beneficial to my mental health? Well, I’m getting ready to tell you, as well as share some photos of a gorgeous place we here in the boonies refer to as The Falls. The greener we are, the better chance we have at protecting places like this. And the longer I have to work up the nerve to jump off.

Being a vegetarian is good for my brain. We’ve all heard the argument that eating less meat is good for the environment. Less demand for meat means less demand for raising animals, which means less animals roaming around, which means less poo, and somewhere along the way I learned that too much poo is bad for the environment. So, by being a vegetarian I’m essentially doing a good thing for the earth. I’m also doing a good thing for my brain. Because I can’t add meat to the menu, I tend to go heavy on the fruits and vegetables, and fruits and vegetables help improve memory, ward off dementia, and provide important antioxidants for brain functioning. Any day I can give my brain some extra help is a good day indeed.

Walking is great for my body, mind, and soul. When you really start caring about the planet, you start doing things like running your errands by foot when feasible and refraining from circling the Wal-Mart parking lot 37 times in search of the nearest vacant spot. The more I walk, the more physically fit I become, the more blood flow I get to my brain, and the more time I have to enjoy the beauty around me without the distraction of the radio and other drivers, as well as, you know, the stress of trying to find the best parking spot.

Being environmentally friendly makes me feel capable and powerful. When I can do the research, shopping, and concocting it takes to make my own environmentally friendly products, not only do I feel competent (honestly, there’s a lot of information out there, so that’s a lot of research!), but I also feel as if I’m taking control. (And that’s a great feeling for this OCD control freak). These days, just the thought of grabbing whatever’s on sale in the cleaning aisle makes me feel lazy and inept. I can clean my home, freshen the air, and soften my clothes without the harsh chemicals and animal-testing ways of Clorox, Glade, and Downy. Plus, by making my own products, I’m also cutting down on the waste of empty bottles. I’m a force to be reckoned with, I tell you!

Sharing green goals gives me a boost in all the right places. Whenever I hear about a favorite celebrity of mine “being green,” like Dave Matthews Band and their seemingly never-ending attempts to decrease our carbon footprints, I get all starry-eyed and my faith in the human race is restored a little bit. Too, I’m encouraged that much more to continue hugging the planet. Honestly, little surges of love, faith, and encouragement can’t be bad for my mental health.

Being green just makes me feel good. It’s as simple as that. When I recycle and reuse, donate rather than dump, and spread the word about how beneficial it is to make environmentally friendly changes, I feel happy. And warm and fuzzy beats cruel and careless any day, let me tell you.

(Image Credits: These images belong to and are being used with permission from Alicia Sparks.)