Amanda Aman
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 96 TOTAL
Amanda 's actions
Water
Conserve Toilet Water
I will save up to 12 gallons (45 L) of water a day by flushing only when necessary.
Simplicity
Limit Social Media
I will limit my social media use to once each day reducing my daily use by 60 minute(s)
Health
Know My health
I will get my Core Four Biometrics tests (blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and BMI).
Transportation
Use Public Transit
I will use public transit 20 mile(s) each day and avoid sending up to (___) lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.
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?
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Amanda Aman 11/21/2023 12:26 AMEco-challenge 7: Riding the train!
I visited a fellow birder and photographer up in Seattle this weekend. Instead of driving, I decided to take Amtrek! It was incredibly peaceful. So much better than sitting in hours of traffic and although my tickets weren't super cheap, I most likely saved money! Gas is super expensive. I decided to look up the ecofoot print comparison of cars, trains, and planes. Apparently taking the train instead of your car for medium length distances can reduce emissions up to 80%!
https://ourworldindata.org/travel-carbon-footprint-
Amanda Aman 11/21/2023 12:26 AMOops. Eco challenge 8!
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Amanda Aman 11/13/2023 10:12 PMEcochallenge #7: Washing / reusing old appliances instead of purchasing new.
As I declutter my room, I’ve found a lot of items I forgot I had or items that can be used and just need a good cleaning! For example, I thought I needed to go out and get new makeup brushes because of how dirty and old mine are. I don’t have makeup brush cleaner / remover, so I decided to be innovative and attempt to clean them with baby oil. It worked fabulous, but took at least 30 minutes of massaging / “shampooing” the brushes. As I mentioned in my recent post, cleaning can be therapeutic. I’ve noticed I am always rushing for no reason, especially when I clean or get ready. Slowing down and being present can be hard if you are used to unhealthy, fast-paced functioning — but it’s pretty therapeutic when you do it.
The brushes below were pretty much orange on top and now you can see some of the light fibers! Woohoo. -
Amanda Aman 11/13/2023 10:05 PMEco challenge #6: Decluttering my space.
I have realized that having a relatively organized, simple space helps with mindfulness and over all health. I have also read it improves concentration, which I would definitely benefit from! I have been prone to collecting and holding on to things I don’t use or need anymore. It’s my goal to live simpler and give my time to clean. Also, when there’s less stuff — less is prone to getting lost or dirty!
Cleaning can actually be therapeutic if you practice not rushing yourself / grounding yourself in the moment (I’ll delve more into this in my next ecochallenge)
Note: I donate or give my mom usable belongings so that I don’t have waste them.
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Rose Luna 11/19/2023 4:19 PMHey Amanda! I find it so fun cleaning out my closet. I get so distracted because I always find random stuff shoved in the very back that I completely forgot about. But I agree that it is so hard to let go of things. Sometimes I feel so guilty of letting go of a piece of clothing someone gave me as a gift. Or sometimes when something doesn't fit me I always tell myself I can keep it for my future daughters. It's so sunny because I have all these attachment issues to items that it's been hard for me to let go of things.
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Amanda Aman 11/05/2023 8:36 PMEco-challenge #5: Limiting Social Media
I recently made the decision to take a social media break (Instagram and Facebook) for health reasons. Limiting social media time also helps with mindfulness, which is at the center of my Eco Change project! I hope to build a healthier relationship with social media overtime. Although there are benefits to social media, it can be super addictive, promote unhealthy behavior, and feed into anxiety. Taking breaks from social media can also help with sleep -- an essential part of good health.
Here's an article about phone usage and mental health:
https://www.butler.org/blog/phone-affecting-your-mental-health-
Amanda Aman 11/06/2023 11:03 PMThat sounds awesome! What a great function!! I've been having issues with removing people who make me anxious /setting boundaries on social media! I would love help with cleansing my feed and page and that app sounds like it would do just the trick!!:) -
Samantha Gibbs 11/06/2023 10:18 AMGood for you!! I found that having an app timer works really well. I use the built-in digital well-being function on my phone (not the in app timer, it's too easy to ignore that one), because that one actually cuts off access once you reach the time limit. Some days I hit the limit, but most days I don't. And it also makes me think about using my time wisely, both in app and off my phone. It does make me think, is it really worth my time to post this on IG? Most of the time, it isn't!
I find it can also help to clean up who you follow, and get rid of the people you don't jive with or are feeding into that anxiety, and follow things you like or make you happy. I did that, and I feel so much better and now I get to see content I actually like, like cute cat and dogs, instead!
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Amanda Aman 10/29/2023 9:12 PMEco-challenge four: Conserving toilet water.
I've been making it a priority everyday to flush only when it's necessary. I have only been flushing once or twice a day. Sophomore year, I took Environmental Sustainability and completed a water audit. My professor said "If it's brown flush it down, if it's yellow let it mellow!" haha. My mom and I realized how much water our out-dated toilets were using per flush, so we went so far to install new toilets! Replacing inefficient toilets with newer or watersense models can save over 10,000 gallons of water per year. It can also save around $140-$150 per year in water costs!
Most sustainable toilets:
https://www.leafscore.com/eco-friendly-bath-products/most-water-efficient-sustainable-toilets/
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John Equihua 10/29/2023 10:04 PMThis is super intriguing! I've never really thought about the amount of water being wasted simply by flushing, at least until reading this water chapter. And "if its yellow let it mellow" is the most hilarious thing I've heard! I think the only times my family and I have practiced that is when the pipes would be out of service at times in my neighborhood.
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Amanda Aman 10/25/2023 10:36 PMAction: Knowing my health and body and making sustainable changes.
I connected with a holistic psychologist who has been helping me identify health concerns and map out possible care plans. Her intake form was lengthy and forced me to reflect on my habits. Instead of automatically prescribing medications, she sent me a long list of dietary, supplement, and therapeutic suggestions based on my current conditions and concerns. I'm excited to start making healthy, mindful, and sustainable changes.
One of the particular topics we discussed was deciphering what my trigger foods are. In other words, finding out what foods trigger negative mental and physical reactions. Example: a lot of sugar can lead to fluctuating hormone levels and mood swings. For me, reintroducing dairy caused some issues. I haven't eaten meat in over 7 years and was vegan up until last year. It is my goal to gradually cut back on dairy products once again-- for my body, mind, and the planet! I have a few vegan cookbooks on the shelf that have been collecting dust. Perhaps for another challenge I can cook a vegan meal!-
Brady Pierce 10/29/2023 6:22 PMHey Amanda,
I like your approach of working with a food psychologist, food can become such a part of our life and daily habit that it becomes difficult to see our own bad habits some times. I did a similar program where they did blood work and everything to see what foods cause inflation or what supplements I should take. I found it super useful having someone more knowledgeable then myself to help navigate my way to a healthier diet
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Amanda Aman 10/25/2023 8:48 PMI spent the past week immersing in nature. With recent health struggles, I have had a hard time going on nature and photography walks. I've gradually been reclaiming spaces, moving my body gently, and have been able to enjoy birding again. I am making it a goal to get out in nature at least 4 times a week -- whether that's for 20 minutes or an hour.
I explored some new areas in the San Francisco Bay, San Jose, and Pacific Grove area. I got to spend time with some incredibly curious Common Ravens and various shorebirds. Common Ravens, like all corvids, are incredibly intelligent. Studies have indicated that by four months old, Ravens can have the intelligence of a 7 year old human! Near the end of my trip I laid on my belly on a quaint beach with Sanderlings, Black-BelIied Plovers, Marbled Godwits, Whimbrels, Willits, and a Dunlin. Along with being adorable, shorebirds are sadly pretty vulnerable to a variety of environmental disturbances. I hope to help volunteer with shorebird recovery one day.
Pictured below is a non-breeding Black-Bellied Plover and one of the many Common Ravens I photographed :)
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Amanda Aman 10/22/2023 8:37 PMI'm currently down in San Francisco and have decided to use public transit for the majority of my trip. My footprint is higher than average for transportation, so I want to make it a goal to use the bus, max, trolly (etc) more often. Public transit improves community health in a variety of ways. For example, it not only reduces CO2 emissions by apprx. 45%, it improves road congestion and mobility.