April 2020 | Human Resources

April Focuses on Environmental Wellness

The environments where we live, work, and play can greatly affect our overall wellness. Environmental wellness is about creative a safe, supportive, inclusive and sustainable community that recognizes the impact of personal and social environmental decisions. In partnership with the Sustainability Program at CSUSM, given that we are all staying home during the COVID-19 outbreak, below are some suggested strategies to improve your environmental health:

Conserve Energy. Reduce your carbon footprint by investing in energy efficiency and green energy. It is important to unplug all that you can when not in use. Don't overcharge your devices and challenge yourself to turn off lights, work outside, and reduce your energy use between 4:00-9:00 pm, when electricity costs more.
Eat sustainably. Locally produced food uses less energy to get from the farm to the table. Going meatless and choosing sustainable seafood also protects our ecosystems. Keep supporting local restaurants who are providing go-to options during this time and helping folks stay employed. Now, more than ever, is a great time to start a garden.
Purchase Consciously. Reduce purchases, reuse products, and buy recycled if at all possible. Avoid products with excessive packaging and look for cleaning products with the "Safer Choice" label. During this time, ensure you are being safe while shopping. Consider many small, local businesses who are offering free delivery or shipping.
Save water. Be conscious of the amount of water used while brushing your teeth, showering, running laundry or the dishwasher. If you have a lawn or garden, create water-smart landscape and make the most of rain water. Since we are all at home, we will probably see an increase in water usage. Use this time to challenge yourself to reduce your daily consumption. Run your dishwasher and laundry with full loads, for example.

The Sustainability Program with ASI and others are working hard to put together a few virtual Earth Month activities. Please follow them on Instagram for more fun and informative online events throughout the month @sustaincsusm and @asi.csusm!

Events & Activities

Environmental BINGO!

Throughout the month of April, we encourage you to look for easy ways to swap out habits for more sustainable ones, such as cancelling unwanted mail or ditching the plastic drink bottle. Download the game board linked above and email together@csusm.edu when you have accomplished 5 tasks in a row to be entered to win a sustainable swag raffle!

National Institutes of Health - Environmental Wellness Toolkit

What surrounds you each day in your home, work, or neighborhood and the resources available to you can affect your health. You can't always choose what's in the environments you live, work or play in. But taking small steps to make your environments safer and limiting your exposure to potentially harmful substances can help keep you healthier. The National Institutes of Health, a part of the U.S. Department of Health, is the nation's medical research agency and provides resources to protect and improve the health of our society.

DIY Repurposed T-Shirt Bag Tutorial

Did you know that about 100 billion plastic bags are used annually in the United States alone and only about 2% of them are recyled? Using reusable bags or totes is an easy way to curb this statistic, plus get more use out of your favorite old t-shirt instead of tossing it out. All you need is a t-shirt and a pair of scissors for this quick and easy craft.

Free Virtual Fitness Classes

Les Mills On Demand - 100+ free virtual workouts during the COVID-19 disruptions.

Yoga with Adrienne - Collection of practices to support you in times of uncertainty.

National Fitness Campaign - Bringing free fitness to 1,000 cities, colleges and schools.

Headspace App - This free app includes guided meditations, sleep, and movement exercises to help with however you're feeling.