Jacqueline Rounsavill

Jacqueline Rounsavill

Journal 6

 

This week has been the most challenging for me so far because the changes that I have been trying to make are the most inconvenient for my everyday activities. The first challenge that I have been trying to commit to is limiting my use of single-use plastics. I noticed that I use the most plastic containers during lunch and dinner because of the way that the bison serves their meals. So far, I have not changed any of my habits because I could not come up with any ways around how the bison operates. However, when talking about this with my group today, they mentioned that I can ask the servers not to put a lid on my meals, which would minimize my use of plastic. For the most part, I should be able to do this because I eat my meals right in the bison and do not have to transport them anywhere. The one challenge this poses is when I would need to mix or shake the container. One of my peers suggested using another bowl (which is made out of decomposable cardboard) to put over the top when I shake it. I have yet to try this technique, but I am willing to challenge myself to get another cardboard bowl as a lid instead of a plastic one the next time that I get food from the bison. I also eat yogurt for breakfast, which comes in individual plastic containers. One of my resources talked about minimizing plastic waste by shopping in bulk. I would love to do this, but I do not know of any stores in Lewisburg or at home that do this. Ultimately, I was surprised to realize just how much of our food is packaged in plastic containers. I have realized that our society has made it difficult to avoid plastic containers, so something needs to change from the manufacturer. Despite this major systemic challenge, I would like to do my part as best I can with what is provided at the bison and in stores because much of the plastic that we use is unnecessary.

My second challenge has been to drive less. I mostly use my car to get groceries once a week, and I would find it difficult to stop doing this because of the number of groceries that I would have to carry home. However, I was able to walk to my friend’s downtown house instead of driving this past weekend, and I was surprised at how simple this was. Normally, I would have thought of just a few blocks as a journey in the cold (typing this makes me realize how lazy I sound), but it wasn’t nearly as treacherous as I expected (…wow). Something that I learned was that some places are creating neighborhoods and towns with “transit-oriented development” which makes it easier for people to walk to nearby destinations. While Lewisburg is already walkable, this feature would be very useful in bigger cities. I would like to make walking more places a habit because it not only helps the environment and saves gas money, but it also gives me an opportunity to relax.

My one-time challenge was to learn more about sustainable fashion. From my resources, I learned that “sustainable fashion” is used loosely to describe clothing that is produced more sustainably or clothing that is reused. Many sustainable production techniques make this type of clothing expensive, which can create a barrier. One resource pointed to thrift stores and marketing apps as ways to buy used clothing for a cheaper price. I would be willing to try to get some of my clothing from second-hand stores, or at least limit purchasing new clothing, because I should still be able to find items that I like to wear. I also learned about the Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act in New York that will require all companies to show how their products are supplied and the environmental impact that it has. If a company is being unethical, they are fined 2% of their revenue. I enjoyed learning about sustainable initiatives. I feel like we learn a lot about these issues but do not actually see any legislation that solves the problem, so I was surprised to learn about a current bill that actually seems effective!

Journal 5

Jacqueline Rounsavill

 

One of my daily challenges for this week was to lower my thermostat by two degrees. Usually, my thermostat is set very high, so I knew that if I was able to change this habit, I could create a positive impact on the environment. While I was able to keep my room around two degrees colder than normal when I was inside, I also realized that I don’t have to keep my room as warm when I’m out of the room. As a result, I also challenged myself to lower the thermostat an extra few degrees before leaving my room for the majority of the day. One barrier that I faced when doing this challenge was that my room was no longer as comfortable and warm as I liked it to be (especially at this time of year when it’s so cold outside). When I got cold, I tried to put on an extra sweatshirt or use an extra blanket when going to sleep. However, I was surprised at how quickly I was able to adapt to a colder room. After a day or so, I was no longer shocked at how cold my room was when I walked in. I would like to try to keep this a permanent habit because heating a room takes a lot of energy and money. From our website’s resources, I was also reminded that bumblebees and polar bears benefit from this too, as they are two of the species most affected by climate change. This fact motivates me to make this change even more.

My second daily challenge for this week was to brush my teeth without running the water. I usually do not keep the water running while brushing my teeth, but when I need to turn it on, I usually blast the water. This week, I tried adjusting the amount of water that I was using to ultimately still conserve it. The challenge that I faced when doing so was simply reminding myself to break the habit. This is not a difficult thing to do, but it was hard for me to remember to adjust the water when I am so used to just turning the faucet fully one way. This exercise made me more aware of how many other people run the water while brushing their teeth. I took note of the other people on my hall if we brushed our teeth at the same time, and I was surprised that many people still run their water. After reading our website’s resources, I learned that a single person uses around 80-100 gallons of water each day at home. I think that the majority of this comes from showers and flushing toilets, but I hope to reduce the number of gallons that I use by using less water while I brush my teeth.

My one-time challenge this week is to switch to cold water when doing laundry. I have not yet done laundry this week, but I have a feeling this will be an easy change. Since I only have to remember to choose a different setting on the laundry machine, I do not think that I will face any barriers. The only challenge that I can see is if somehow the cold water makes my clothing less comfortable/stiffer, but I do not think this will be the case. There were no additional resources on the website, but I am surprised that the automatic setting on most laundry machines is to have a warm or hot cycle. We should program most machines to automatically be cold to save more energy. I would like to continue this habit because it is very simple and easy to do.

Journal 4
Jacqueline Rounsavill

I enjoyed this week’s challenges associated with mindfulness and simplicity because I feel that they can greatly benefit my life if I successfully incorporate them into my daily routine. I have been trying to slow down throughout the day, so this assignment helped me to finally do so. While it was relaxing when I was successful and able to think more mindfully about my daily habits, I found it very challenging to remember and designate the time to do so. 

The task that I felt was the most difficult was to eat more mindfully because I have a habit of eating quickly, and my meals are typically rushed due to the other commitments that I have going on. As a result, if I didn’t remind myself to slow down before the meal, I would not remember to do so. However, when I was successful, I felt content after the meal. I enjoyed trying to think about the source of each ingredient in my meal because it made me more appreciative of nature’s resources. Something that surprised me was that during the meals that I tried to appreciate my food more, I ate more slowly and felt fuller and more satisfied when the meal was over. I think this reflection allowed me to connect with my body more. One of the online resources recommended starting with one mindful meal a day. This tip is helpful because it will allow me to gradually adopt the idea of mindful eating without being too overwhelmed.

The other daily challenge that I did this week was to meditate. I usually designate the last five minutes of my day to reflect on my feelings before going to bed, but this week, I tried to meditate by being more in tune with my physical body and the state of relaxation. I have used the app Headspace before, so I was aware of some tactics that I could use to get my body to relax. One of the online resources recommended a body scan, which I was able to use and enjoyed very much. Visualizing each part of my body and the tension that it was holding allowed me to relax individual muscles and become calmer. I was actually surprised at how easily this practice came to me and how significantly it helped me to go to bed.

The one-time challenge that I did this week was to explore my area. I initially thought that I would visit a local park, but instead, I walked downtown in places that I had never been before. I found this challenge to be refreshing, and I enjoyed getting outside. I would have preferred it to be warmer, so I am looking forward to spending more time doing this in the spring. Something that surprised me was that there were many houses that I had never noticed before because I don’t take the time to take in my surroundings when I am driving around the area. I was also surprised with how much this affected my mood. I felt a lot happier and more motivated after taking the walk, which I actually learned is a scientifically proven fact in one of the online resources that I read for this activity.

I think that these practices were very beneficial to me and added an element of grounding in my life that I usually do not take the time to find. That being said, my busy schedule and the constant demands of school are a great barrier for me when trying to make these habits permanent. Not only is it hard to find time in the day to practice these things, but it is also difficult to remember to do them with everything else on my mind. I hope that as I continue to practice these behaviors, they will become second nature to me, and I will easily incorporate them into my schedule. Overall, I am definitely willing to make these changes permanent because they made more in-tune with my physical and mental state, which made me happier (plus they are also not too difficult to implement). :)