Day 15

Wellness

PARTNERS

OVERVIEW

“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”
– Audre Lorde, Author, Feminist, and Civil Rights Activist

Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Take a moment to relax and just breathe. The last two weeks have been a whirlwind of education and action, so it’s normal to feel a bit overwhelmed. To care for the planet, you must first care for yourself. The world needs a healthy and balanced you, now and for the long haul — with the robust energy and stamina to be an effective and enduring changemaker. In moments of high personal, academic or social stress, wellness may feel like a low priority. It never is. With a toolbox of techniques and commitment to prioritizing health, you can actually accomplish a lot more, while also feeling your best!

Today, we invite you to sustain yourself! Take another deep breath, clear your mind, and celebrate your extraordinary accomplishments thus far in Project Green Challenge and in life! With that, let’s get started on your daily dose of wellness.

Here are ten simple ways you can choose health and well-being in daily life!

Eat well. You are what you eat, and eating healthy foods can keep you energized, sharp, and yourself! Fruits, vegetables, proteins, and good fats can all help your mental and physical health. Use the Seasonal Food Guide to find what’s in season where you live. And also remember that snacks or even the occasional “junk food” can work wonders! Eat what makes you happy; no food is good or bad, as long as you’re maintaining balance and listening to your body’s needs.
Exercise. It’s important to schedule time to move your body, especially after sitting for extended periods in class or studying. Find a way to stay active that you enjoy — anything from yoga to football to hiking and more! Exercise has immense physiological and mental benefits, including reduced risk of chronic disease, increased productivity, and improved mood. Even a walk around the neighborhood or opting for the stairs instead of the elevator can yield positive impacts. If those don’t work for your body, try to find something that you can do to feel strong and alive!
Disconnect from electronics. You undoubtedly spend a lot of time on your electronics, so let your eyes and mind rest from digital stimulation. To reduce strain, try turning on the blue-filter on devices or wearing blue light glasses. Find leisure activities that don’t involve a screen; even being off for just 30 minutes before bedtime can help you sleep better.
Sleep. Prioritize quality sleep, even when an all-nighter seems like the only option to accomplish everything on your agenda. Sleep helps you retain information, perform better, maintain a healthy metabolism, and strengthen your immune system. For optimal sleep, have a consistent sleep schedule and calming nighttime routine, but don’t be afraid to take a nap when you need it! Most importantly, listen to your body; it knows what it needs.
Study smart. Eliminate distractions when studying. Turning off your phone when hitting the books means you’ll be more productive, leaving extra free time to spend however you’d like. Try the Pomodoro method as a productivity tool or the Forest app, where you can plant trees while staying away from your phone!
Follow your bliss. Have fun! Carve out time to do things that bring you joy and help you relax. Whether that means going for a walk, talking with a friend or family member, painting, tidying up, or reading a good book, make conscious time to do what feeds your soul.
Practice mindfulness. Being fully present and aware of the world around you has proven to help manage stress, increase memory and attention, and even boost immune systems! Try a simple meditation practice here or here, and read this article to see how you can incorporate mindfulness into everyday activities.
Practice gratitude. Be thankful and show appreciation for your life and those around you. Similar to mindfulness, gratitude has been shown to increase happiness, lower blood pressure, improve sleep patterns, and even prolong life. Check out this 2-minute video on the science of gratitude and how to integrate it into your life.
Explore holistic alternatives. Holistic medicine helps people regain balance in life by considering the whole person: body, mind, spirit, and emotions. Consider natural remedies and preventive self-care. It doesn’t work for everything, but there are reasons some techniques have been around for centuries!
Reconnect with the planet. Immerse yourself in nature! Find a natural space — whether your backyard, a nearby trail or community green space — where you can sit and engage all senses. Spending just 2 hours weekly in nature has proven positive results physically, mentally and emotionally!

Our partners for today’s challenge are united by missions of looking after wellness through responsible practices. Natracare provides organic, sustainable, plastic-free products that champion health for people with periods and for ecosystems worldwide. Women’s Voices for the Earth works to eliminate toxins from our bodies and the environment. MADE SAFE is the first third-party certified non-toxic seal for daily use products. Here’s to coming together to prioritize wellness!

Life is stressful and PGC is surely adding to your workload this month, but we want you to always always remember: you are important and deserve to rest. Taking time to yourself, to breathe, to be will help you and everything you are trying to do, far more than burning yourself out ever will.

CHALLENGE

Green

20 POINTS

THINK

Healthy habits don’t just become a part of your life overnight. Project Green Challenge is thirty days back-to-back for a reason! No one has ever created or broken a habit instantly. It takes conscious thought, attention and repetition over time, so let’s focus our energies on wellness practices to make them an enduring part of our life. During PGC, we’ve asked you to go outside, to explore, to get in touch with nature, to listen, to set intentions, and to reflect, all of which connect us to ourselves and surroundings in meaningful ways. But how do we make those types of practices second nature, and thereby improve our long term health, concentration, and happiness?

CHALLENGE

Think about positive habits in your life. Sit comfortably inside or out, with your phone off (or at least on airplane mode to remove distractions) and a notebook or upcycled piece of paper and pen in hand.

First, define wellness in your own terms. What does it mean to you?

Now, write down at least three habits or activities that foster wellness and bring you joy. Then, write three habits or go-to behaviors that you would like to change or let go of to be a healthier version of yourself physically and/or mentally.

Create a visual depiction, doodle or word cloud with as many positive habits that support WELLNESS as you can think of. Take inspiration from the above introduction or anywhere else. Post it on Instagram with a brief caption of what wellness means to you, tagging @TurningGreenOrg and @Natracare in the image and caption, plus #PGC2022.

DELIVERABLES

Upload a PDF Document with your responses and a screenshot of your social media post. Include your name (or team name), username, and school on your upload.

Submission Guidelines

Submit all entries as PDFs; no Word or Pages documents
Be sure to include all content for your submission in one document
Save file names using the following format: firstname_lastname_challengeday_challengelevel_year.pdf (ex: kasie_shils_day15_green_2022.pdf)
Do not include symbols (including #) or spaces in file names
Do not upload a file larger than 5 MB
You will see a confirmation in green that your submission uploaded correctly; if you do not see this confirmation, please try again
If your total points does not change, your submission did not upload correctly; please try again
Send any questions to info@turninggreen.org
Don’t forget to post about the challenge and your learnings/doings on social media and tag us on Instagram @TurningGreenOrg, Facebook @Turning Green, Twitter @TurningGreenOrg, and use #PGC2022

The deadline for entering this challenge has past.

Greener

40 POINTS

THINK

Showing appreciation for life and those around us is one of the simplest ways to improve well-being, yet few make gratitude a daily practice. It’s never too late to start being thankful or put that into higher gear!

CHALLENGE

Start by watching An Experiment in Gratitude: The Science of Happiness.

After taking a moment to reflect on this video, think of a person for whom you are grateful. Write a letter to this person detailing why you are grateful. Include at least 5 ways they have positively contributed to your life. Be personal, intentional and genuine.

After you have written your letter, read it to that person (if possible), whether face-to-face, by phone or video call. Take note of their reaction and how it made both of you feel.

Share your letter and write a short reflection on this experience.

We will post winning submissions, unless you prefer to keep it private. If so, simply let us know and it will stay between you and our team. If you feel comfortable, post it on Instagram. We would love to see and hear to inspire gratitude practices far and wide. Tag @TurningGreenOrg and use #PGC2022, like always. THANK YOU!

DELIVERABLES

Upload a PDF Document with a copy of the letter and your short reflection. Share how they responded and also how you felt. Include your name (or team name), username, and school on your upload to be eligible to win.

Submission Guidelines

Submit all entries as PDFs; no Word or Pages documents
Be sure to include all content for your submission in one document
Save file names using the following format: firstname_lastname_challengeday_challengelevel_year.pdf (ex: kasie_shils_day15_greener_2022.pdf)
Do not include symbols (including #) or spaces in file names
Do not upload a file larger than 5 MB
You will see a confirmation in green that your submission uploaded correctly; if you do not see this confirmation, please try again
If your total points does not change, your submission did not upload correctly; please try again
Send any questions to info@turninggreen.org
Don’t forget to post about the challenge and your learnings/doings on social media and tag us on Instagram @TurningGreenOrg, Facebook @Turning Green, Twitter @TurningGreenOrg, and use #PGC2022

The deadline for entering this challenge has past.

Greenest

60 POINTS

THINK

The benefits of mindfulness are widely known, promoted by health professionals, celebrities, self-help gurus, students, and many more. While it may seem complex, mindfulness is simply practicing the art of creating space to think, to breathe, to recognize connections between ourselves, others and our surroundings. Mindfulness is a mental and spiritual practice, but dedicated physical space to support the process is very helpful. We hope that heightened self-awareness will propel you to think about and further develop a vision of how you seek to effect change in the community and world.

CHALLENGE

Envision a self-care sanctuary for practicing mindfulness, self-connection and relaxation. Get creative and dream big in creating your own! And remember to prioritize sustainability and health, with the key learnings from PGC around plastics, waste, organics, toxins and more.

What would help you destress or create a soothing environment? Include a note about why you included each item.
With your imagination flowing, pick a space (however small and cozy!) in your room, home, park, or backyard to designate as your self-care-sanctuary.
Start transforming the space using items you can find at home. Take advantage of light, your own art, natural elements! Be innovative! For inspiration, look over these tips.
Once complete, sit in it for a moment (or a few!), breathe deeply, and center yourself through a practice of your choice. Reflect on your personal mission and reasons for taking part in PGC. Environmental work can take a lot out of you, so it’s important to find a good place to reaffirm your commitment to our planet.
Afterwards, write a brief reflection on your experience. How did it feel creating a sanctuary? How do you plan on using it and the knowledge you acquired moving forward?

Share a picture of the space you curated on Instagram with a caption about why self-care matters and your experience in creating space for mindfulness. Tag @TurningGreenOrg and @Natracare, as well as #PGC2022.

DELIVERABLES

Upload a PDF Document with a picture of your new space, reflection and a screenshot of your social media post. Include your name (or team name), username, and school on your upload to be eligible to win.

Submission Guidelines

Submit all entries as PDFs; no Word or Pages documents
Be sure to include all content for your submission in one document
Save file names using the following format: firstname_lastname_challengeday_challengelevel_year.pdf (ex: kasie_shils_day15_greenest_2022.pdf)
Do not include symbols (including #) or spaces in file names
Do not upload a file larger than 5 MB
You will see a confirmation in green that your submission uploaded correctly; if you do not see this confirmation, please try again
If your total points does not change, your submission did not upload correctly; please try again
Send any questions to info@turninggreen.org
Don’t forget to post about the challenge and your learnings/doings on social media and tag us on Instagram @TurningGreenOrg, Facebook @Turning Green, Twitter @TurningGreenOrg, and use #PGC2022

The deadline for entering this challenge has past.

TODAY’S PRIZES

Up to 10 Greener and 10 Greenest outstanding submissions will be selected as winners.

Each Greener Winner will receive:

People who menstruate will receive a deluxe kit of products from our partner, Natracare along with a copy of “Go Toxic Free: easy and sustainable ways to reduce chemical pollution” by Anna Turns. Natracare is the world’s first brand of organic & natural period and maternity products since 1989.
People who don’t menstruate will receive a copy of “Go Toxic Free: easy and sustainable ways to reduce chemical pollution” by Anna Turns, Safe to flush moist tissues and a tote from our partner, Natracare and Shave Oil from Badger Balm
Everyone will receive 2 Organic Tinctures from Wish Herb Garden and a Fizzy Bath Kit from Aura Cacia

Each Greenest Winner will receive:

People who menstruate will receive a deluxe kit of products from our partner, Natracare along with a copy of “Go Toxic Free: easy and sustainable ways to reduce chemical pollution” by Anna Turns. Natracare is the world’s first brand of organic & natural period and maternity products since 1989.
People who don’t menstruate will receive a copy of “Go Toxic Free: easy and sustainable ways to reduce chemical pollution” by Anna Turns, Safe to flush moist tissues and a tote from our partner, Natracare and Shave Oil from Badger Balm
Everyone will receive a tin of Organic Herb Tea, an Infuser and a notebook from Mountain Rose a company whose foundational philosophy is “People, plants, and planet before profit.”