“Wellness … signifies something quite different from good health. Good health can exist as a relatively passive state of freedom from illness … wellness is conceptualized as dynamic—a condition of change in which the individual moves forward … to a higher potential of functioning.”
This sounds like it could have been written yesterday, right? But Dr Halbert L. Dunn, the so-called “father of the wellness movement” wrote these words in 1959.
We’re quoting them here because what they suggest—that wellness is an evolving and energised state of being—really resonates with what Koala Eco is all about.
Choosing to spend time in nature, committing to eco-friendly lifestyle practices and products, and opting for home and personal care items whose ingredients not only ace the cleaning or laundry, but also enhance a sense of wellbeing: all these things, we believe, are central to the Koala Eco More Nature, Feel Better purpose.
That’s why cleaning products actually can have a lot to do with wellness and mental health. Living in a home that’s clean is a really great thing. Although it can seem like a chore, cleaning is actually a great way of investing in the care of ourselves and our loved ones, because it does take effort, it’s better done regularly, and it can actually provide a really decent physical workout!
But with so much choice of cleaning materials on the shelves, do you opt for what looks cheap, or do you take a beat and think about what ‘value’ really means to you? Not just monetary value (and we’re all conscious of the cost of living, for sure) but also a personal value that’s about not harming the planet or yourself? Consider the following thoughts.
Firstly, in using eco-friendly, cruelty-free and non-toxic products like Koala Eco, we really can feel better about not causing any additional harm to waterways, soil, animals or plants.
Then there are the ‘feel better’ benefits to us. Nobody is doing themself any favours by inhaling caustic odours from bleach and ammonia-based products there is a safer, more natural way that’s just as effective.
And how can artificial fragrance compare with the real thing? Artificial fragrances are synthesised from a cocktail of chemicals and frankly, they do nobody any good while they take over the whole house with their faux florals.
The essential oils in Koala Eco products release 100% natural aromas and the effects of these can be uplifting, or soothing, or energising, depending on the properties of the original plant. They’re from nature, for nature, which we are all part of. But you don’t have to take our word for it. Years of ecopsychological theory—examining and proving that a capacity to live in balance with nature is essential to human emotional and spiritual well-being—backs up everything we hope to promote and achieve with Koala Eco.
And that includes Koala Eco supporting programs designed to bring people and nature together for the benefit of mental health: like Critter Scholars, making it possible for young and inner city kids and teens to discover and experience the wonder of marine life in San Francisco Bay, and Australia’s People and Parks #NaturePact, which dedicates a month each year to suggesting easy ways for people to connect to nature (hopefully seeding that desire and habit for the remaining 11 months).
Back to Dr Dunn’s words. Wellness is not about stasis; it’s a dynamic process. It’s about agency and choice. The choice can seem relatively small—like committing to an early morning walk in your local park twice a week, growing some herbs on the windowsill, or ditching a bleach-based cleaner in preference for a non-toxic natural one—but in terms of momentum towards better wellbeing, all of these can add up to something transformative.
Source: Canadian Journal of Public Health, Vol. 50 (11), November 1959.
