Tristan An

This week I chose the spend time outside and the go for daily walks challenges. These Challenges were actually something I looked forward to everyday. I love spending time outdoors and going on walks especially hikes, however recently being at college it has been really difficult for me to do this especially with track. As a track athlete feeling fresh is really important to do well in meets and practice. Although it may not seem like a big difference to walk the day before a meet however if you are on you feet a lot the day before a meet, it can impact you negatively. Which is a part of the reason why I avoid walking a lot. However recently due to the challenge I have been able to partake in walks with my friends as well as spending time outdoors with my friends often times at night to watch the stars. This has been extremely beneficial to my mental health and has allowed me to relax and have a time to relieve my stress, away from work and technology.  I have also chose to do some challenges that require me to reduce waste. I chose to not use plastic bags and also use reusable water bottles. These challenges have been really easy for me especially because they are so easily avoidable I could have been doing these my entire life and can continue too. In the passage " Defining and Debating conservation, on page 20 it states, "There has come gradually in this country an understanding that waste is not a good thing and that the attack on waste is an industrial necessity". This quote emphasizes how it is factual and common understanding that it is essential to reduce waste being produced so that the environment can be less polluted with waste. I believe that there will be a few challenges that I will continue to do for the rest of my life and some including the spending time outside along with the walks. These challenges are extremely helpful to my mental health and performance especially in track. Running and jumping on a clear mind and also practicing with a not as stressed mind can help a lot especially during training. I believe that these are very beneficial and can help me and my mental health. 

The eco challenge so far has been an overall great experience. I have decided to add on 2 more tasks which included 5 minute showers and to turn it off. Both which were challenges for me especially because I have a lot of devices in my room and I also enjoy long hot showers, especially after cold walks from practice. I have come to a realization that in order to make this challenge easier, not cheating on the first few days is extremely important. The first few days are always the hardest in these challenges because it is not something I am used too, like turning off my computer before I go to sleep, along with my speaker. Although the impact is not huge it is something to help the environment which is also what motivated me to keep going. The 5 minute shower was the hardest for me because it is so easy to stay in the shower for an extra few minutes, especially because of how short 5 minutes is. I also tried to hop in the shower close to right when I turn the water to reduce the amount of water being spent. It is difficult but I feel as if it is getting easier for me to make small "sacrifices" for the environment and is something I can see myself continue to do. Making this into a habit would not only be beneficial for the environment but it would also be beneficial for me because it can teach me discipline and self control. 

I am excited to continue to add challenges and push myself to become a cleaner person. 

After the first week of the EcoChallenge, I have already been excited about the new daily challenges I can complete. As a track athlete, I value the health of my body. I wanted to complete the eating more portions of fruits and vegetables daily challenge because I seriously lacked both fruits and vegetables. I always knew the importance of diet however I have not have had much initiative myself to actually eat healthier, but this daily challenge gave me the motivation to take care of my body. The first few days were kind of hard to eat vegetables, however the fruits part was made easy because of the new smoothie bar that I get 2 times a day. I always look forward to getting a new smoothie especially because I know that it can contribute to my daily challenge. What I have been doing to eat vegetables is going to the V2 bar which is the vegan option. I have also been trying to get salads if I don't eat enough vegetables in my meal. 

I feel as if my body feels cleaner and more fresh because prior to this challenge, I have not really put many fruits or vegetables in my body. I am extremely excited to see the effect in my performance as a track athlete as I have a meet coming up. Now that I got over the first barrier (the first week), I am excited to continue this daily challenge and continue to take care of my body.

I am also excited and scared about my new challenge which is the 5 minute shower. This would definitely contribute decreasing my footprint. I tend to take longer showers after practice because of how cold it is outside and it feels relaxing after a long day. However I know that I use so much water. This challenge will allow me to limit the amount of water I use, and will also save me some time. I am scared about this challenge because of how cold I will be after my 5 minute shower and how I will not be able to relax. However overall I am extremely excited to continue these challenges moving forward.