Nikita Massaria

RIT Sustainable Living Class - Fall 2021

"My mission is to become more sustainable everyday by changing my habits and ways of doing things little-by-little to make a bigger impact."

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
252 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

energy audit

conducted
UP TO

8.0

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

60

minutes

of additional sleep
UP TO

60

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

180

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

30

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

60

minutes

not spent in front of a screen
UP TO

3.0

people

helped
UP TO

131

pounds of CO2

have been saved

Nikita's actions

Nature

Spend Time Outside

I will replace 30 minute(s) each day typically spent inside (computer time, watching television, etc.) with quality time outside.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Waste

Learn About & Practice Sustainable Fashion

I will learn about sustainable fashion and begin trying to practice it in my own life.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Online Energy Audit

I will complete an online energy audit of my home, office, or dorm room and identify my next steps for saving energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Learn About Renewable Energy

I will spend 30 minutes learning more about renewable energy alternatives (i.e. solar, wind, biomass) in my region.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Switch to Cold Water

I will switch to washing my clothes in cold water, saving up to 133 lbs of CO2 a month and 1,600 lbs of CO2 over the course of the next year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Brush My Teeth Without Running Water

I will save up to 8 gallons (30 L) of water each day by turning it off while brushing my teeth.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Simplicity

Limit Social Media

I will limit my social media use to once each day reducing my daily use by 60 minute(s)

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Health

Exercise Daily

Exercise is a great stress blaster! I will exercise for 60 minute(s) each day.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Health

Healthy Sleep

Effectively working for sustainability requires self care! I will commit to getting 30 more minute(s) of sleep each night to achieve at least 7 hours per night.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Health

Audit Toxic Cleaning Products

I will spend 20 minutes researching toxic chemicals found in cleaning supplies and personal care products and remove them from my home or dorm room.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Take Control

Both systemic and personal sustainability are important! I will develop a plan with my medical professionals to achieve my best health and live my life to the fullest.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Go for a Daily Walk

I will take a 20-minute walk outside each day.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Help Others

I will offer to help 1 person(s) who are in need each day.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Simplicity

Go For A Daily Walk Outside

I will take a walk outside for 20 minutes each day.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Participant Feed

Reflection, encouragement, and relationship building are all important aspects of getting a new habit to stick.
Share thoughts, encourage others, and reinforce positive new habits on the Feed.

To get started, share “your why.” Why did you join the challenge and choose the actions you did?

REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature Spend Time Outside

Rachel Carson said that we need the beauty and mysteries of the natural world for our spiritual and emotional development. Does that ring true for you? What are the implications for a culture that spends most of its time indoors?

Nikita Massaria 10/31/2021 4:09 PM

I love to spend time outdoors. I think it grounds me. I feel more fulfilled when living simply and spending much time outdoors. I went camping for a few days this past month and I had a great time. I went with friends and we are always sure to do so sustainably as our friend owns the land and we want to keep it in pristine condition. The cabin which some of us stay in is completely off the grid, and the owner focuses on being sustainable with the off grid living practices. We went on many walks and hikes during this trip

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Nikita Massaria 10/31/2021 4:06 PM

Good. I wish I joined earlier. I did, however, start doing many of these actions within the past month or two, consistently, as I always try to improve my sustainable living habits.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health Audit Toxic Cleaning Products

To what extent do environmental factors contribute to your own health or issues with health?

Nikita Massaria 10/31/2021 4:05 PM

I began using white vinegar to clean, as well as regular dawn dish soap with warm water to wash surfaces. I like to use these because they are simple, cost-effective, and better for the environment and the heath of those in my apartment.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Learn About & Practice Sustainable Fashion

How can you express your personality, creativity, and values in ways that don't require fast fashion or buying more clothes and accessories?

Nikita Massaria 10/31/2021 4:04 PM

I started thrift shopping 90% of my clothes this past summer and for the past month I have not bought anything from fast fashion retailers. I try to buy from thrift stores for all of my 'new' clothes, and I only donate clothes that are in good shape because I learned that there is a surplus of donated clothes and the donation centers end up having to rent large storage areas to store the donated clothing because it is too much to sell, so they are suggesting to others to only donate clothes that are in good condition. I love thrift shopping. I have been buying second hand clothes for years now, especially with sites like Poshmark. I sold many of my clothes on Poshmark to give them a second life, to someone who wants them as a 'new' item to their closet. I don't like buying new clothes from fast fashion retailers because I think they are bad quality nowadays.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Energy Learn About Renewable Energy

What inspires you to act on sustainable energy and other energy issues?

Nikita Massaria 10/31/2021 4:02 PM

I love to learn about sustainable energy especially in how it relates to the permaculture lifestyle movement, and how people can use sustainable energy methods to live off the grid.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity Limit Social Media

Social media can keep us connected with loved ones, make us laugh, and help us to learn new things. It can also create echo chambers and take more time than we realize or intend to give. After completing this action for a few days, how do you feel? What do you notice?

Nikita Massaria 10/31/2021 4:01 PM

I noticed that for the few weeks I deactivated my instagram account, I felt more freedom from my phone addiction and felt more fulfilled in my life, and also less sad sometimes.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health Healthy Sleep

Consider how many hours of sleep you get now. How would you like to shift your sleep patterns? What are you finding works for you to be successful in this action?

Nikita Massaria 10/31/2021 4:00 PM

I have been trying to get more consistent sleep this past month. I try to limit blue light before bedtime and go to sleep at the same time every night which I find helps me get better quality sleep.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health Exercise Daily

How can you incorporate other personal values (like quality time with friends or spending time in nature) into your exercise routine?

Nikita Massaria 10/31/2021 3:59 PM

For the past month I have been getting back into my daily workout routine where I try to go outside and workout, do a video workout at home, or workout at the gym, everyday for at least 30 minutes. I try to do it for 60 minutes, though. I love to walk briskly outside to workout. I also began rock climbing again, with my friends, which we carpool to.

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