An Introduction to Environmental Wellness

There is an expression that says, “You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink.” It takes on a few different meanings that often point to people being stubborn or resistant to change. Regardless of interpretation, it underscores the importance of one’s environment in influencing their livelihood. Just because one has access to the necessities to survive and thrive does not mean they will take advantage of them. This quarter highlights environmental wellness. Below, we define it and offer positive reflections about our experiences in various educational institutions. 

Definition: Environmental wellness is an acuity to space and how it affects one’s feelings. It describes one’s tendencies to position themselves in healthy and pleasant settings. Such spaces can be around certain people, in specific places, or accomplishing shared goals. 

Devore: I recall returning to my dorm room after a long day and it truly being my place of peace. Whether I had spent hours in class or at work, making it back there made all the hard work worth it. Now, in a professional setting, it's the parking lot. To me, it signals the time for me to go back home to my sanctuary. 

Spaces serve as triggers and prompts. Devore drew parallels between his college and professional experiences with spaces he considered to be safe havens. For him, these spaces ignited relief and relaxation. Imagine the stress embedded in his (and your) school and/or work day. Now, imagine the absence of that stress. Devore’s spaces initiated the absence of stress, which as a Black man, served as a detachment from various external pressures. 

Kamia: I’m on a research team with all Black researchers and practitioners. It feels good to work with thought partners who share common experiences. We bring different levels of expertise to the table, but we always find a way to find community and commonality. I grew up in several Black spaces, so it is endearing to be back in a comfort zone. 

Like Devore, Kamia’s space-making technique reflected nostalgia. She valued a professional space reminiscent of her hometown. You, too, may find yourself seeking morsels of “home” in your work. Maybe you adopt familial language and traditions into your praxis or devote service hours  to campus organizations that serve students like your younger self. Whatever your reasoning, feel encouraged and empowered to lean into your past to reshape your present. 

LaTecia: I was really good at math growing up. One time, in the 4th or 5th grade, school administrators asked some of my peers and me to tutor 1st and 2nd graders in math. It made me feel so smart, because in that same year, reading coaches pulled me out of my general education courses for small group English as a Second Language (ESL) intervention, which made me feel the opposite. Essentially, I felt smart and stupid at the same time. I think that’s why I  am now an overachiever because I never want to feel like I do not know something. 

Here, LaTecia delved into a mental space that she remembers and actively avoids. As a child, she experienced the dualities of pride and embarrassment, and she fluctuated between two, conflicting educational statuses. Because those burdens were so heavy and intrusive, she circumvents them through a strong work ethic that sometimes manifests through overachieving. Essentially, her mental space guides how she engages in various environments, a reality that resonates with many of us. 

Jordan: One of the first environments that nurtured me was Mrs. Crumbly’s 9th grade Spanish class. She was my first Black teacher, and she was really caring but in a no-nonsense kind of way. She pushed me to be more than a class clown, specifically to let my knowledge and character talk for me.

Good role models and mentors impact our environment. To some extent, they, themselves, operate as healthy spaces. Being in proximity to them reminds us that shelter, love, and consideration can, in essence, radiate off of people. Jordan’s teacher served as an example that some of the safest and most caring spaces for Black people are in the presence of other Black people. 

Our environmental wellness is so important. Be conscious of who you allow into your space, when and how often you allow them. Spaces ignite feelings, so the right or wrong ones have direct implications on your mental health.

Finally, as Black educators, be mindful of racialized and gendered spaces that facilitate harm and care. We must protect our spaces.