The most challenge aspect so far has definitely been taking cold showers, now the weather is getting colder I genuinely don’t think it is something I can keep up over the winter months.
Summer is usually no problem as I have cold showers during the warm weather anyway.
I think that having two minute showers is a better option with the cold weather.
Living in student accommodation with all my roommates having warm showers and realising the water is heated anyway has really set of an internal debate about wether or not my struggle has been making an impact. I can definitely feel my motivation draining right now and the only thing keeping me going is knowing that it will all be over soon.
Although the challenge has not been difficult I have noticed that I do tend to go into autopilot. Just the other day I was half way through eating a pizza before I noticed there was pepperoni on it. I thought ah well I’m nearly done might as well finish it which now looking back I regret because even though I made an honest mistake once I realised I should have stuck with my principles. I chose the easy option which I think is a major factor in why we are in the climate mess.
When talking to people about my challenge everyone seems to have a positive reaction. It is definitely encouraging to see that other people at least support you in trying to change your habits for the better. I find it very motivating to know and read the challenges my classmates face, seeing how they are trying to become more sustainable has kept me accountable for my actions and also open my eyes to other areas of my life I can improve for instance fast fashion.
Going Vegan for a day was a lot easier than I expected especially now that I’m living away from home and cooking my own food. As someone who cares about my sport performance I bought some vegan protein powder so I can still hit my macronutrient count even if I’m not eating meat. I am happy to report that it tastes great and works well in smoothies along with some oat milk.
The challenges I have set myself for the next 30 days are to eat vegan one day a week, give up all meat besides chicken and to take shorter showers using cold water.
Although these challenges are relatively small and might seem insignificant when facing the huge challenge of climate change, I am hoping to get some insight into how these changes eventually add up when they are undertaken by the masses.
I also hope to inspire others to at least consider what little things they can do to help fight the climate change crisis.