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April 1 - April 21, 2021
Ellie Pattillo's avatar

Ellie Pattillo

Dickinson Green Devils 2021

"My mission is to be more mindful of my everyday choices. Sustainability is so intertwined with mindfulness for me, and I'm looking to explore that more!"

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 958 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    476
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    48
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    514
    minutes
    spent exercising
  • UP TO
    45
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    987
    minutes
    being mindful
  • UP TO
    9.5
    pounds
    food waste prevented
  • UP TO
    151
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    3.3
    pounds of paper
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    5.0
    more servings
    of fruits and vegetables

Ellie's actions

Simplicity

Core Values

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

Food

Reduce Animal Products

I will enjoy 3 meatless meal(s) and/or 0 vegan meal(s) each day this week.

COMPLETED 18
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

More Fruits and Veggies

I will eat a heart healthy diet by adding 1 cup(s) of fruits and vegetables each day to achieve at least 4 cups per day.

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Turn it off

I will keep lights, electronics, and appliances turned off when not using them.

COMPLETED 17
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Healing & Renewal

Happiness

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

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Go Paperless

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by 0.11lbs (0.05kg) a day or 3.3lbs (1.6kg) a month by opting into paperless billing, ending unwanted subscriptions and opting out of junk mail.

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

Simplicity

Eat Mindfully

I will eat all of my meals without distractions, e.g., phone, computer, TV, or newspaper.

COMPLETED 19
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Switch to Cold Water

I will switch to washing my clothes in cold water, saving up to 133 lbs of CO2 a month and 1,600 lbs of CO2 over the course of the next year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Exercise Daily

Exercise is a great stress blaster! I will exercise for 10 minute(s) each day.

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Weekly Meal Planning

I will reduce food waste and save money by planning a weekly menu, only buying the ingredients I need.

COMPLETED 19
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Healing & Renewal

Go For A Daily Walk Outside

I will take a walk outside for 20 minutes each day.

COMPLETED 10
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
    Simplicity Core Values
    What are your top 3-5 core values? How did you narrow it down to those as being your core values?

    Ellie Pattillo's avatar
    Ellie Pattillo 4/20/2021 3:46 PM
    I narrowed my top 5 core values to community, sense of self, personal growth, adventure, and harmony with nature and the world. I thought about making these my core values because of their representation of my multifacetedness. They relate to my inner self, what I can give to the world, and what the world can do for me!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Action Track: Healing & Renewal Go For A Daily Walk Outside
    Fresh air and movement are good for our entire being and can help us think more clearly and creatively. How does taking a walk each day affect yourself and/or your work?

    Ellie Pattillo's avatar
    Ellie Pattillo 4/05/2021 3:57 PM
    It makes me feel more productive and happy about myself and the direction I'm moving in. If I'm feeling really lazy and unproductive, going on a walk reminds me that I have accomplished something and that the day has not gone to waste!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Reduce Animal Products
    Why do people in richer countries eat more meat than people in other places? How does eating more meat affect our planet and other people?

    Ellie Pattillo's avatar
    Ellie Pattillo 4/05/2021 3:56 PM
    The whole process of raising animals and then making them into meat that people can eat is such a long and expensive process - richer countries each more of it because they can deal with that expense. Eating more meat affects our planet in that more greenhouse gases are released and it can affect other people in creating poverty if people are affected by the environment and/or not making enough money in the meat business.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Health More Fruits and Veggies
    How does eating more fruits and vegetables and less meat positively affect yourself, other people, and our planet?

    Ellie Pattillo's avatar
    Ellie Pattillo 4/03/2021 8:16 AM
    Personally, eating more fruits and vegetables and less meat has made my body feel better and my energy levels higher. It has also made me more conscious of what I'm putting in my body and more mindful of how my body responds to food. In terms of our planet, not contributing to the meat industry nearly as much is helpful for the environment as well as animals.

  • Ellie Pattillo's avatar
    Ellie Pattillo 4/03/2021 8:13 AM
    Having a friend doing the EcoChallenge with me is so motivating! We've kept each other accountable for doing certain actions and it's so fun!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Energy Turn it off
    How is electricity generated where you live? How does it impact the environment, animals, and humans?

    Ellie Pattillo's avatar
    Ellie Pattillo 4/02/2021 9:34 AM
    Electricity is generated from a power plant. It doesn't have the best impact on the environment - it is non-renewable! It could also be dangerous for humans and animals as well.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Action Track: Healing & Renewal Happiness
    How does/can practicing gratitude keep you centered and motivated to work for a better world?

    Ellie Pattillo's avatar
    Ellie Pattillo 4/02/2021 9:25 AM
    Practicing gratitude helps me realize the privileges that I already have and see where disparities lie that I can help with.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Waste Go Paperless
    Reducing your paper mail can reduce mental clutter as well as physical waste -- by reducing what is coming in, you can reduce what is going into the recycling bin too. How does it make you feel? What is the next step you will take to reduce your waste?

    Ellie Pattillo's avatar
    Ellie Pattillo 4/01/2021 2:45 PM
    Decluttering is one of my favorite things to do. I love trying out ways to live more minimally, and decluttering excess mail as well as physical papers that I don't need have always helped me feel more in tune with my space. For a next step, I want to focus on reducing waste in food packaging. That produces a LOT of waste and I could definitely do better in that department.

    • Jessica Bajorinas's avatar
      Jessica Bajorinas 4/02/2021 9:28 AM
      Yes! Same, it's so nice to have less clutter and it helps clear my mind too.  Also reducing packaging food waste is tough but so important
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Energy Switch to Cold Water
    What do you plan to do with the money you save from making more energy efficient choices?

    Ellie Pattillo's avatar
    Ellie Pattillo 4/01/2021 2:43 PM
    I would love to funnel that money into providing my family extra money to check out the BOMB new restaurants in my area! 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Nature Explore My Area
    How might spending more time outdoors enhance your brainpower?

    Ellie Pattillo's avatar
    Ellie Pattillo 4/01/2021 10:17 AM
    I love walking outdoors when I'm feeling stressed about a paper or another assignment. It clears my head SO much, and when I return to the assignment I can usually think so much more clearly. I think this is because I'm breathing fresh air, getting my body moving, and appreciating the beauty around me. Once I've appreciated the outdoors, I can come back to my assignments with less pressure on me to think because the thoughts are flowing freely.