Greening NE Florida through environmental education and simple changes
Transportation is such an integral part of our lives. It is how our world moves. Whether it is getting to work, how our goods get to the store, or how we travel to new places. While important, transportation produces greenhouse gasses and air pollution that …
The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a sudden transition to remote work for many in Jacksonville. With this, people quickly came to the realization that a workweek spent sprawled out on the couch with their laptop was simply not going to be sustainable. This is because of how easy it is for “living space” and “working space” to become one in the same. With our days now being spent at home, this is especially true. So, it is important …
Pre-pandemic, we went to the gym, swam, and stayed active however we wanted. We could also work out with friends, and a lot of the time they were the reason we stayed motivated in the first place. Now, with social distancing orders in full effect we must shift from our comfort zones and find new ways to stay active. Luckily there are plenty of creative ways to do so!
Staying active is a state of mind, and you must feel good to want to move around and accomplish tasks for the day. This can be difficult during times like these when your options are limited. To escape the state of mind that keeps you in bed all day, create a routine is your best bet. Everyone’s routine will be different, but here is an example of a one that will encourage you to stay active:
Having a solid morning routine that includes some physical activity will not only start kickstart your day, it will also boost your mood and stabilize your daily energy level.
Another thing you can do to stay active is start a garden on your porch or in your backyard. Not only will gardening get you out of the house, you’ll get some exercise, too. Gardening is also a great way to occupy your mind as you will need to research how to keep your plants alive. You will also get some excitement when your first vegetable or herb sprouts! For more information on starting a garden, follow this link.
The most important step in staying active…is the first step you take! If the gym isn’t open and you do not have any workout gear at home, there are hundreds of equipment-free home workout videos online. Simply put on your favorite workout clothes and follow the instructions. You can also search for yoga videos for a more meditative, relaxing workout. YouTube, FitOn and other fitness apps are also helpful tools for finding the best at-home workouts for you.
Lastly, if you need a little extra motivation to get off of the couch, call few friends. You can set up a zoom meeting, put on the same workout video and stay active together! Not only will you get to “hangout” with friends and have some laughs, you’ll also be keeping each other accountable and in shape during social distancing. It always helps to have friends to motivate you especially during times like these when we are apart.
Minimalism is a powerful tool used to help individuals reflect on the importance of living a complete and meaningful life based on personal values. These values can be work or family life, or hobbies like disc golf and cricket. One universal value that is positively impacted by the incorporation of …
Warmer weather leads to people spending more time outdoors. Our built environment, especially here in Jacksonville is peri-urban; meaning we have altered our landscape to have rural characteristics. These rural characteristics include building residential areas around natural parks, having fragmented forests in public, and more …
What is Minimalism? Some perceive it as a dogmatic practice for monks or an analogous pious religious role. Some think of minimalism as a tool to save money, or a conscious effort to reduce consumption for the environment. The truth is minimalism is a matter of lifestyle and preference that drives oneself into finding what the word means. Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus have traversed the continent to help others find “their own” answer to minimalism. The pair are known as The Minimalists, and their definition of minimalism is:
“a tool to rid yourself of life’s excess in favor of focusing on what’s important—so you can find happiness, fulfillment, and freedom”
– The Minimalists
The definition may resemble that of a Gautama Buddha quote. Thoughts of mindfulness and self-identity can be traced to what minimalism is. To live a meaningful life, is to live a life full of lasting happiness and growth. It is the ability to know what quality values you encompass. Having actions aligned with one’s values can lead to a more fulfilled and intentional life in which you are able to contribute to yourself and to others. Aligning one’s actions with their value’s can eliminate distractions, the superfluous, and disparities that affect quality of life. The minimalism life is a life full of joy and experiences, disregarding the tangible.
Picture this: you walk into your doctor’s office or clinic and you check in at the front window. You are told to have a seat and wait to get called back when the doctor is ready for you. You start to look around the waiting room and you notice they have recycling bins out, an automatic …
Social isolation, social distancing, and quarantine; not a day goes by where we do not hear these phrases in context to COVID-19. Officials are urging people to stay home in order to help flatten the curve, stating that quarantine and social isolation are key in …
One of the most interactive and cost effective ways to switch out products in your home with more environmentally and health friendly alternatives is to make them yourself. DIYs give you control over what environmental exposures you put on your body and in your home as they allow you to control the ingredients, cost, and packaging of the product.
Some easy and common DIYs are listed below.
Composting can be a fantastically frugal way to reduce your waste and your impact on the planet. Compost diverts waste from landfills and creates a highly valuable and nutrient-rich product that can be used in your own garden, or gifted and sold to neighbors, friends, family, etc. There are endless ways to compost, and although most of them are outdoors, composting can be possible indoors as well. Learn how to compost yourself, or check out the cool resources available to you on the Green Jax Project blog!
