2020 People's Ecochallenge

October 7 - October 28, 2020

Amanda Ketchum

"Bring awareness to the things I currently do and changes I can make to live a healthier, cleaner, and more sustainable lifestyle. "

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
934 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

285

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

60

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

19

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill

Amanda's actions

Waste

Use Reusable Bags

If at all possible, I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

De-Clutter My Home

Do at Home

I will de-clutter, clean, and donate or recycle unneeded items in my home.

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Healing and Renewal

Learn About Constructive Communication

Do at Home

I will spend 30 minute(s) learning about constructive communication.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Watch a Documentary about Racial Injustice

Do at Home

I will watch 1 documentary(ies) about systemic racism.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Healing and Renewal

Core Values

Do at Home

We may find more meaning and joy in life when our actions are aligned with our personal values. I will determine what my top 3-5 core values are so that I can better align my actions with them.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

Family Game Hour

Do at Home

I will spend quality time with family and friends by playing low-tech game(s) and/or through the spirit of imagination.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

Do at Home

I will spend at least 60 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Explore My Area

I will explore at least one new hiking trail or nature walk in my area.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Try a New Way to Prep

Do at Home

I will try a new method of food preparation, such as canning, pickling, or baking bread.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Know My Health

I will get my Core Four Biometrics tests (blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and BMI).

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Audit Toxic Cleaning Products in my Home

Do at Home

I will spend 30 minutes researching toxic chemicals found in cleaning supplies and personal care products and remove them from my home.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Go Get a Check Up

I will make an appointment for my annual physical.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Happiness

Do at Home

I will write down three things every day that I am grateful for, or send one email every day thanking or praising someone.

COMPLETED 21
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
Community Watch a Documentary about Racial Injustice

What did you learn about racial injustice in the documentary(ies) you watched? How does what you learned connect to your understanding of sustainability?

Amanda Ketchum 10/28/2020 4:03 PM

Racial injustice is engrained into our society in many ways that we ignore or have accepted as normal life. By having systematic racism or creates communities that don’t have access to sustainable practices or don’t have companies in the immediate area working to ensure the community is safe from harmful chemicals or manufacturing practices.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Healing and Renewal Learn About Constructive Communication

How can you, your loved ones, the community, and environment all benefit from constructive communication?

Amanda Ketchum 10/28/2020 4:00 PM

It helps to build others up and not only focused on the areas for improvement but how to get there and what is going well. By changing the perspective of the conversation it can have a more lasting impact and lead to the desired outcome.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Healing and Renewal Core Values

What are your top 3-5 core values? How did you narrow it down to those as being your core values?

Amanda Ketchum 10/28/2020 3:59 PM

Loyalty, lifelong learning, and gratitude.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity Family Game Hour

How does being playful with others enrich your life?

Amanda Ketchum 10/26/2020 7:18 PM

It helps me to connect to those that I care about in a way that is not tuning out and watching a movie or tv. While playing cards with my family or board games with my friends we're able to have a conversation, friendly banter, and really engage with each other in a meaningful way.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Health Audit Toxic Cleaning Products in my Home

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

Amanda Ketchum 10/26/2020 7:16 PM

I think environmental factors play a huge role in my own health and issues with my health. For instance as someone who suffers from severe environmental allergies being away of sustainable ways to combat them helps me to enjoy everyday life without using harsh cleaning chemicals or resorting to taking daily medication. The more possible carcinogens and mutagens we're exposed to, the greater our risk is of developing different diseases related to those chemicals.

Read More
Amanda Ketchum 10/21/2020 12:42 PM

Since March we have been exploring new areas and trails around us to make the best use of our down time. By doing this we have discovered how diverse the landscape of IL is, even around the Chicago area. We've also found some great spots for kayaking, long hiking loops, and more dog friendly trails and preserves.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature Explore My Area

How can spending more time outdoors enhance your sense of place -- your deep knowledge of and appreciation for your surroundings?

Amanda Ketchum 10/13/2020 1:31 PM

Spending more time outdoors helps me to unwind and really appreciate the beauty of the area I live in. Many of our local nature preserves provide great information on conservation efforts and impacts to the local ecology.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity De-Clutter My Home

How can you prevent yourself from accumulating more things in the future?

Amanda Ketchum 10/12/2020 10:48 AM

Understand what value, if any it brings to my life. Also by asking how often I will use the item can help reduce accumulation of things.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Health Know My Health

How do you deal with the physical and emotional stress of the big problems we face? How can you help others cope?

Amanda Ketchum 10/12/2020 10:47 AM

I attempt to break the big problems down and identify what the real problem is. I reach out to my support system to help me through and make time for myself to decompress. I can help others cope by listening to how they're asking for help instead of assuming I know what they need to go through the big problem they're facing.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health Go Get a Check Up

How do you practice self care?

Amanda Ketchum 10/09/2020 1:47 PM

Taking time for myself including exercise, yoga, and reading.

Read More