Earth Month – Week 1

For my first challenge of Earth Month, I chose to take colder showers, as well as limit my time in the shower altogether. While I still took just as many showers as normal (because otherwise this week would have been a little gross and unhealthy), I did manage to cut down on the time I spent (and the water I spent) in the shower. I also managed to shower with water that got progressively colder with each passing day.

Last week was refreshing, to say the least. Cold showers are definitely a crisp, mildly uncomfortable way to wake up in the morning, which is a bonus for a tired engineering student. Through this challenge, I learned just how much my morning routine centered round warm water. It made me realize that with minimal effort, I could use significantly less energy than I normally do when showering. I thought deeply about how important it is to me that I have some slightly warmer water for a few minutes every morning, versus what the impact of getting that water is. I also learned that, while i used to take cold showers every morning in high school, getting back into the practice of cold showering is for more difficult than the transition to warm water was.

Next week, my challenge is to never once turn on my bedroom light, unless it is night outside and I absolutely need to see. The inspiration for this challenge comes from my ability to generally navigate my bedroom without anything more than ambient light. I want to see if I can go a whole week without using the light, just to see how necessary it is. I anticipate that I won’t notice a difference for a few days, but it will get more difficult as the week goes on. I anticipate coming out of next week with a deeper appreciation for indoor lighting.

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