Ecochallenge.org

2020 People's Ecochallenge

October 7 - October 28, 2020

Lorrie Blanchfield

Mayo Clinic - Kern Center

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
917 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

325

minutes

being mindful
UP TO

674

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

1.0

waste audit

conducted
UP TO

1,265

minutes

of additional sleep
UP TO

1,479

minutes

not spent in front of a screen
UP TO

30

minutes

spent learning

Lorrie's actions

Health

Forgiveness

Do at Home

I will begin, or continue, on the journey of forgiving myself and/or other(s). I may do this through journaling, meditation, prayer, and/or talking with a licensed healthcare professional.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Take Control

Do at Home

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

Simplicity

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

Waste

Personal Waste Audit

Do at Home

I will collect all of my unrecyclable, non-compostable trash to raise my awareness of how much I send to the landfill.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Learn About & Practice Sustainable Fashion

Do at Home

I will spend 30 minutes learning about sustainable fashion and begin trying to practice it in my own life.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

Limit Social Media

Do at Home

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

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Practice Loving-Kindness Meditation

Do at Home

I will spend 10 minutes practicing Loving-Kindness Meditation to nurture love and compassion for myself and others.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Healthy Sleep

Do at Home

Effectively working for sustainability requires self care! I will commit to getting 45 more minute(s) of sleep each night to achieve at least 7 hours per night.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Practice Gratitude for Earth

Do at Home

I will spend 10 minute(s) per day outside, practicing gratitude (prayer, meditation, journaling, etc.) for Earth and my natural surroundings.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

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 22
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?

Lorrie Blanchfield 10/28/2020 9:29 AM

Made a few good habits during this Ecochallenge that I plan to continue, added to those I made in the Spring! Compounding in this way it good!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Personal Waste Audit

Why is it often difficult to understand the impacts our purchases and waste have on other people, animals, and places?

Lorrie Blanchfield 10/28/2020 9:27 AM

I think it is easy in the US because we put out our trash and someone comes and takes it away. I live in a condo and we have a compactor. At times it will malfunction and people will pile their trash bags on the ground and that big mound of trash really makes you realize how much waste there is and not want to add to it! Since the last Ecochallenge in the Spring, I have thought a lot about what happen next before I make a purchase. How long will it take this item I want (and the packaging) to be discarded in some fashion....? Will I tire of it and donate/discard it in short order? Then it's not worth it!!!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Health Take Control

How do environmental health, community health, and your personal health intersect?

Lorrie Blanchfield 10/28/2020 9:23 AM

My community is working toward making healthier food options available and encouraging a more natural, sustainable diet (which is also good for the environment). I have also worked a lot more plant based foods and reading labels into my choices in the last year and a half. I'm not vegan but I do have some meatless meals, look for ethically, sustainably harvested seafood and try to shop local as much as possible.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity Core Values

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

Lorrie Blanchfield 10/28/2020 9:19 AM

1. Integrity
2. Respect
3. Kindness
4. Look for the good (be positive/gracious)
These are the values that I have always tried to live by and to instill in my children; how I treat and want to be treated by others...

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature Practice Gratitude for Earth

Kathleen Dean Moore says that a sense of gratitude leads to a sense of moral obligation. Do you agree? How can we cultivate a sense of gratitude as individuals, and as a society?

Lorrie Blanchfield 10/28/2020 9:17 AM

I agree that as we become more grateful and feel the benefits of a gratitude, we want to sustain that and be around other likeminded people. Negative people bring you down - some of my favorite people are! I can either help them be more positive by my attitude of gratitude, succumb to being negative/ungrateful or spend less time with them. The last two aren't an option! We have to reflect our attitude and hope they want to feel the same way...

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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?

Lorrie Blanchfield 10/28/2020 9:13 AM

I would like to get to bed earlier. I am still getting 7 hours of sleep some nights (due to short commute to the dining room for work - lol) but am genetically predisposed to staying up late. My whole family does it. Was more alert and more well rested when I was going to bed much earlier on a regular basis. Need to keep working on this one...

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Health Happiness

How does/can practicing gratitude keep you centered and motivated to work for a better world?

Lorrie Blanchfield 10/28/2020 9:10 AM

Gratitude is contagious. When others are the recipients of someone's gratitude, I think most pay it forward. When I am feeling grateful, it permeates me attitude and is reflected in other ways, making me happier overall.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health Forgiveness

How has the process of forgiving, or contemplating forgiveness, benefited you?

Lorrie Blanchfield 10/28/2020 9:08 AM

Forgiving and contemplating forgiveness has helped me feel lighter and let go of some of the burden I carry around. I also tend to hold onto relationships that are no longer healthy or positive and forgiveness (of myself and others) has helped me to move on, if nowhere but in my head/heart.

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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 take more time than we realize or intend to give. After doing this action for a few days, how do you feel? What do you notice?

Lorrie Blanchfield 10/28/2020 9:05 AM

Still WAY too much social media time. I need to plug my phone in in another room in the evenings and forget about it....will be my next habit....!

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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?

Lorrie Blanchfield 10/28/2020 8:54 AM

I have really started to think about sustainability with regard to my wardrobe. Do I really need it? Do I have something that I can repurpose instead? Will I love this for a moment but then not wear it again after the 'newness' wears off. I have experimented with same separates paired differently and with switching up accessories, as well as thinking of my current lifestyle not an idealized lifestyle.

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