Shelby Roberts

I would like to spend more time reflecting on how I can be more effective and productive with my time so I do not suffer from burnout as bad with work and especially with my classes. I would also like to reflect more on how I can do more recycling while I'm home.

For people with economic privilege, it is important to not partake in the consumerism influenced by social media that we often see today with fast fashion or overindulgence because its horrible for the world we live in for so many reasons. For people with less income, its more difficult because they have less options, but I would start with looking for food that comes in easily recyclable containers or no packaging, but we need to be understanding that not everyone has privilege to do these things when they are just trying to get by.

I find myself more stressed when I cant check these things to make sure all is well, but I know that I should not stress when there is nothing I can do in the moment to fix any of these things. My energy levels were low because I had to work 10 hours shifts lol. I think my use of time was worse because when I would usually check my emails on my breaks I found myself filling the void with social media.

Often times it is hard to find the joy in simplicity when it feels as if though you are bored or tired of everyday life and the chores that come with it. It helps if you find things that you can enjoy for free or that are beneficial for your mental health or physical health as opposed to impulsive buys or doing things that will add clutter to your life, so you have to be creative to find helpful and insightful hobbies to add to your life.

the water that flows from a drain from my house trickles down to our freshwater stream, which then feeds into a river about 0.2 miles from my house. The river then feeds into the nearby state park waterway of Rock Island.

When you walk, its easier to enjoy the scenery and breathe the fresh air and really just enjoy where you live. I like to walk my dogs so they can get some exercise with me too. Its nice to take a walk every now and again to just slow down a little and relax.

I'm from middle TN and last year in March tornados destroyed parts of Nashville and many other cities, one of which being Cookeville. I live about 45 minutes away from Cookeville but my boyfriend lives there. The night the tornados hit, I was getting so many alerts for Cookeville on my phone and I kept calling him and getting no answer until finally he picked up and said everything was fine. Then later on in the morning, the deaths from the tornados start being counted and one had completely decimated Echo Valley Dr, which was only 5 miles from where my boyfriend lived. I ended up volunteering to go clean up like a lot of people did but seeing all of the demolition really changed my perspective on things, especially when I saw survivors pulling things out of what was left of their homes, like children's toys or crumple photographs. It was heartbreaking. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJIB5IYgHk8
This video I believe shows Echo Valley, where I volunteered, because of the houses shown and from what I remember.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20Hx7t5ndsY

I think that some social inequalities lead people to feeling less than or better than others. People do not think about how to help others, they just either feel bad for them or wish they were in the position of someone else who may be wealthier than them. This can lead people to feeling like they arent part of a community because of social status and prejudice.