If we don’t make time for the planet’s wellness, we’ll be forced to make time for its illness.
You may have heard the phrase, “If we don’t make time for our wellness, we’ll be forced to make time for our illness.” It’s a profound reminder of the importance of prioritizing self-care before the consequences of neglect catch up with us. But have you ever considered how this wisdom applies to our planet?
If we don’t make time for the planet’s wellness, we’ll be forced to make time for its illness.
An unwell planet doesn’t just affect itself—it impacts every living thing that depends on its resources. It looks like waste buildup choking ecosystems, resource scarcity driving conflicts, soil degradation threatening food security, and air pollution endangering public health. It shows up as deforestation wiping out habitats, ocean acidification disrupting marine life, and the heartbreaking loss of biodiversity. Over time, it looks like the slow disappearance of natural resources that once felt abundant and the degradation of the very soil that nourishes our food supply.
The symptoms of an unwell planet are all around us, but they’re not irreversible. Just as we can nurture our own bodies back to health, we can restore the planet’s wellness with intentional care and effort.
The next generation deserves a planet as beautiful and as plentiful as the one we were so lucky to grow up in. They deserve forests teeming with life, oceans alive with coral reefs, and clean air to breathe. They deserve the opportunity to be inspired by the awe of nature and to benefit from the resources it provides.
But ensuring this future requires action. It means reducing waste, conserving resources, and restoring ecosystems. It means nourishing the planet the way it nourishes us, through choices that prioritize sustainability, like supporting regenerative agriculture, reducing single-use plastics, and protecting natural habitats.
Ultimately, our wellness is inseparable from the planet’s. When the earth thrives, we thrive. It provides us with clean water, fertile soil, fresh air, and a stable climate—the foundation of our well-being.
So let’s take the extra time to care for the planet, the way it cares for us. Because if we make space in our lives for the earth’s wellness now, we can avoid being forced to confront its illness later—and ensure a thriving future for generations to come.
