The start of July signals that half of 2018 has now passed. It has happened so quickly that many people do not know where the time has gone. True, time waits for no one, but if we look back at the previous 6 months, are we sure that we have used that time wisely? That does not mean making major changes in life or achieving lofty goals. Using time wisely refers to doing things that matter and doing them in the right way.
For example, both World Environment Day and World Yoga Day occurred during the past few months. How many of us joined in to promote these very important causes?
Health issues crop up with increasing regularity as we age. What have we done to protect our health and the environment we live in? Most of us do live very busy lives with little free time to devote to such issues. However, protecting one’s health is not an issue that should be ignored or postponed – the reasons are obvious. As for the environment, the situation is at a critical tipping point and if we all do not act now, it may be too late to protect the world we pass on to our children. We can make a simple and effective start by saying goodbye to plastics which are killing flora and fauna across the globe.
Look at the plastics we all use every day, from the drinking water dispenser to lunch containers, shopping bags and so on. Simple steps like reducing our use of plastic, teaching our children to avoid using plastic products and disposing of the plastics we do use in the appropriate manner will all make a difference.
We may not be able to devote time to yoga or work out at a gym, but there are exercises we can do in the home that will help to keep us fit and make life better for all the family. Doing normal household chores can be very good exercise. If we start ironing our clothes, washing dishes, filling reusable water bottles, cleaning the house and teach our children to do the same, we will be making a huge difference to both our homes and the world we live in.
Let July be the month when we all make the change to better health and a better environment.
Dr. Kavitha S
Family Physician