08/28/2026
Environmental Health is the 5th Dimension of Wellness, and it’s one I think about on two levels: micro and macro.
Macro is the bigger picture, our community, our country, the environment.
Micro is closer, more personal, it’s my daily environment. My kitchen counter. My car. My nightstand.
In early recovery, my personal living space mattered more than almost anything else. I couldn’t control the whole world but I could change what was in arm’s reach. So I got rid of the alcohol. Not just poured it out - removed it - creating a safer home environment.
But here’s the thing I didn’t expect: I didn’t throw everything away. I kept an empty wine bottle. And instead of letting it sit there as a reminder of what used to be, I turned it into a vase.
Same object. Completely different meaning.
That’s environmental health to me, it’s not just about removing what’s harmful, it’s about actively reshaping the space you’re in so it reflects who you’re becoming. Sometimes that means getting rid of things. Sometimes it means looking at the same object with new eyes ; )
