Sean Wasko – The Environment and the Mind

Sean Wasko

The Environment and the Mind

Come along as we dive deep into how our participant, Emma Castile, uses nature in order to establish a better mental state as well as stay motivated throughout her busy lifestyle. Emma is one of my closeted friends. She is female, age 19. Emma is an extremely busy person balancing school, a job, and her own hobbies such as weightlifting. With the pictures show below, Emma describes how these images relate to her techniques in creating a more positive mind set. This is heavily related to the on going and increasing mental health epidemic in our world today. With these techniques Emma has create a better environment for herself to strive in achieving her full potential.

Consent Form

I, Emma Castile, am hereby giving my full consent For the UCF (University of Central Florida) student, Sean Wasko, to use any of my documents, photographs, and recordings accumulated and created for the purpose of her PhotoVoice assignment within the course HUM2020.

These materials may be publicly viewed within the class in order to be critically assessed and graded by her professor. Such materials may also be distributed amongst classmates/peers and via Pressbooks if the assignment asks for such evaluation. Further inquiries into said materials can be answered by me through the contact information displayed below.

By signing below, I hereby give my full consent,

Signature: Emma Castile

Date: 06/12/2023

“This image represents the combination of my love for my dog and the ocean. Sassy loves swimming in the ocean after our long beach walks every Saturday morning. This demonstrates how simplicity in nature provides me with joy. Furthermore, this image captures a more positive mental health as a way to take my mind off the negative things in life. Nothing beats the beach and my puppy!”

This image provided by Emma demonstrates her love for the beach as well as her love for her dog sassy. It is transparent that a combination of a calm beach and her happy pup brings joy to her. This takes her away from all the negatives in her life. This just leaves her and the calm, coast breeze. Life cannot always be work, work, work. That is truly just not sustainable. It is activities like these that allow a person to have a stable mental mindset. Nature provides one with the ability to relax and take the time to enjoy the moment. Emma clearly exemplifies this is the image above.

“This is just one of the many bass I have caught in the lake in my backyard. This image captures how animals in nature can provide me with a hobby I truly enjoy. To me, the animals in nature are what interconnect the different systems of our earth. That interconnection establishes our environment. In regards to health, I started fishing today in order to relieve stress from the rigorous courses I am taking in the summer semester. As mentioned previously, mental health is crucial in becoming successful.”

In this photo taken by Emma, she takes part in a very basic outdoor activity: fishing. This is one of her many techniques to take her mind off the stresses of the world. The photo itself is extremely vibrate creating that nature feel and connection. It is the simplicity and accomplishment of this activity that brings satisfaction to the mind. Even when no fish are caught and excitement is low, one truly connects with their environment just by being outside. Overall, developing a hobby such as fishing demonstrates how one can reset their mind in order to push themselves further to reach success.

“This image is of two of my favorite things: my morning coffee and my gorgeous backyard. To me there is nothing like enjoying my coffee and getting outside first thing in the morning. It is therapeutic to me as I enjoy the sounds of nature as well as being in my own thoughts. This is my time to reflect and more forward to improve each and every day. The calmness that nature brings with the birds chirping and water flowing eases my mind to prepare for the day ahead.”

Emma always starts her day with a coffee and some morning sun. To me, this exemplifies how routine in a lifestyle, especially when connected with nature, will lead to success. In her statement, Emma exclaims that she uses this time to reflect and grow. A simple reflection on the previous day is something I believe needs to be normalized in today’s world. This will dissipate the buildup of stress that could lead to one’s downfall. In doing so one’s mental health is bound to remain constant rather than peak and then plummet.

Summary and Theme

In regards to Emma’s photos and descriptions, it is clear that she prioritizes her mental health in order to progress through the stresses that life throws at her. She likes to keep her mind busy, yet can always appreciate a moment of silence and peace. It is appropriate to assume that she is very in-tune with nature as she enjoys the wholesome outdoors. She also prioritizes her bonds with others. Taking family walks allows her to connect with the rest of her family. Furthermore, all of her images were taken during daylight hours. Taking this into consideration, Emma is scheduled to follow the sun. She keeps busy during the day taking nights to rest and the mornings to reflect. As a whole, Emma is universally in tune living a very balanced lifestyle. One theme transparent throughout Emma’s images is the idea of how nature can contribute to a more positive mental health. This is clearly demonstrated via her outdoor activities and how they bring joy to her active and busy lifestyle. With Emma’s photos in combination with the reading of environmental justice, it is shown how beauty in an environment brings joy within the average person. However, if this Environmental justice is not maintained including items such as air and water quality, this can be detrimental to human health. Therefore it is imperative to maintain a healthy environment to in turn develop healthy human living.