Organic is big business, but when most people think of organic, they think of food products. However, organic extends greatly beyond food production, as organic products emanate from any number of markets. After all, what does organic really mean, but something that was produced free from any chemicals or synthetic treatments, radiation or genetically modified influences.
That means the clothes we wear can also be organic, although the vast majority of the time they are not. But what would the benefits be of wearing organic clothing, aside from the positive environmental impact in the production of those items of clothing. Surprisingly, organic clothing can have a positive impact on mental health. Here’s how:
The knowledge that you are doing something good for the planet
When it comes to the mental health impact of wearing organic clothing, there are both direct and indirect influences. Starting with indirect influences, it is clear that the commercial mass-produced clothing market is unsustainable and damaging our planet. In the production of the vast majority of clothing items, toxins and chemicals are used for the dying and treatment processes, and the run off from these processes is seriously damaging local environments by running into streams and damaging water supplies, and permeating the soil.
“Don’t forget that any materials that are grown are farmed in a non-organic way also severely harm the environment, and there is the impact that has on small farmers and the wellbeing of those who work in the industry, often in poor countries and on dangerously low wages. Going organic is an important step in the fight against such practices,” advises Carrie Saunders, a journalist at LastMinuteWriting and Writinity.
The knowledge that you are supporting sustainable and worker-friendly production processes
Not only is organic production far more sustainable, and with a much less greater environmental impact, the farmers and workers who produce these materials are more often than not doing so in circumstances which are far more conducive to wellbeing that those who work in factories for mass-producing companies. If you want to make a difference, then being more careful in the products you choose is a great first step.
Non-organic clothing can irritate the skin
Remember those toxins and chemicals that are used to dye and treat the clothes you wear? Now we are into the realms of direct impact on your health, because although the clothes are subsequently ‘washed’ to eliminate those chemicals before they arrive in the store, the reality is that they more often than not still contain some residues. After all, that’s where that ‘new clothes’ smell comes from. This, of course, is not good at all for your skin. In some cases it can lead to irritation, and in more extreme cases it can lead to a spike in allergies which cause great discomfort, and have a secondary effect on your mental health.
“If you are sleeping in cotton pajamas that have been treated in chemicals back in factories, and these chemicals are subsequently causing your skin irritation at night, that will affect your sleep, and then the impact on your mental health that poor sleep patterns can have is well documented,” warns Sam Poulson, an eco-blogger at DraftBeyond and ResearchPapersUK.
Non-organic clothing can sap energy
Those same dyes and toxins that remain on the clothes that you wear – those non-organic pieces – have also been proven to sap energy, which then has a secondary effect on mental health. The reality is the toxins that are present in non-organic items of clothing can cause all manner of harmful physical and mental issues.
The placebo effect is real
Some may argue that this is all placebo – that there is no actual physical difference to the clothes you are wearing; it’s all in the mind. While the physical differences are in fact real, placebo is very powerful too, because it is the mind we are exploring. Mental health is in the mind (although physical impacts are also important influencers) and so any placebo effect that is positive is worth its weight in gold too. This positive consequence is certainly not to be dismissed.
Writer, editor and travel enthusiast Claire Bookman can be found at LuckyAssignments and GumEssays. Passionate about writing and the ways tech is changing our space, Claire is full of irreverent and useful titbits in her blog articles.
