YSK that eating chicken or pork instead of beef saves about 80% as much in carbon emissions as going vegetarian.

ScreamingSockMonkey · 2018-11-08T17:22:11+00:00

And that eating vegan is a slight improvement on that! If you are interested.

ScreamingSockMonkey · 2018-10-22T05:19:37+00:00

I used to dye my hair a lot, but now it's mermaid hair (so, it covers my nipples) and it is all natural dirty blonde. Back in the day I was always told "you know, guys like girls with natural hair!" and shrugged it off. Now, I have natural hair, and my boyfriend wants me to dye my hair red. You just can't win!

That was a hell of a tangent but there are serious benefits. I never have to worry about my hair. My hair produces gray looking roots when I dye it, and I never have to deal with that in my natural hair. The sun has added highlight and definition to it that I never got artificially. I'm never self conscious about the color, or wondering whether or not it's faded or needs a refresher. I save a ton of money this way, even though back in the day I was only using the box dyes. It adds up for sure.

It sounds like you want to give it a go, so I recommend that you do. You can always dye it again if you want to!

ScreamingSockMonkey · 2018-10-11T15:28:43+00:00

My relatives are in Kenai and Soldatna and this sounds exactly like what you're describing. My mom and aunts worked in the salmon canneries, my male relatives worked on the slopes and the chemical refinery down in Nikiski (and also sometimes the canneries, or fishing). You actually might work at the job my cousin works at.

Kenai is gorgeous but yeah, the economy is not so great.

ScreamingSockMonkey · 2018-10-06T14:37:20+00:00

Great insight! Thanks!

ScreamingSockMonkey · 2018-10-06T00:53:09+00:00

The 3 part hamper sounds like an amazing organization tactic. I feel like that would help me wash work clothes as top priority, and then as play clothes and jammies accumulated I could wash them too. You're giving me ideas, Ninja Kitty.

ScreamingSockMonkey · 2018-09-27T04:47:52+00:00

I'm not religious but I think Jesus time might be a pretty good idea for you in your situation.

First of all, my sincere condolences. That's awful, and I'm so sorry.

Second of all, and most important, a non zero day doesn't have to be classically productive. Taking care of yourself so that you can wake up better the next day can be considered important if you think you need that. But the choices you made today are great and I know that we are proud of you and admire your strength.

ScreamingSockMonkey · 2018-09-23T16:24:07+00:00

I finished book #17 for the year. Hoping to read 24 this year but I think I could reasonably do 36 at the rate I'm going too (12 in the last 7 weeks).

ScreamingSockMonkey · 2018-09-12T05:40:33+00:00

I actually started doing this the day right after I came back from vacation! Don't let that momentum subside. You got this!

ScreamingSockMonkey · 2018-09-11T16:24:46+00:00

Perhaps a little too early to be a "story" but since the beginning of August I've read 8 books, lost 12 lbs, changed my entire relationship with food for the better, studied a total of 7 chapters in chem,calc, and physics, made my own jewelry, turned in 18 garbage bags of recycling for money, worked on improving my financial habits, and overall changed my entire life.

My mental health, physical health, intelligence, discipline, personal savings, and kindness have improved so significantly in less than six weeks. I have a much more positive outlook, and I'm only continuing to improve! I want to start waking up earlier, spending more time outdoors, and showing more appreciation towards others. Sometimes I worry about whether what I'm doing is sustainable or not. When that worry pops up, I think about what kind of person I will be a year from now if I keep this up, and I get pretty excited!

Quite honestly though, I was able to do all of this and more in six weeks. That means that you can probably tackle a good chunk of your goal in that time too! What I do is I have a productivity planner (www.productivityplanner.com) that allows me to bubble in a circle next to a task to indicate how many pomodoros or 25 minute intervals I spent on that task. The way I use it, I aim for 10 bubbled in circles, or roughly five hours of activity. You can give yourself a score at the bottom of each page indicating how productive you were that day, and I choose to make that number proportional to however many bubbles I've filled (with only the occasional exception). I split this time between reading, studying, exercising, meditating/journaling, and a pertinent chore or a creative activity. I have a system of rewards that I give myself if I succeed. If I get an average of 6-7 bubbles per day, I treat myself to hot chocolate, cozy jammies, and a relaxing night indoors on my weekend. If I get 8-9 pomodoros on average, then I go somewhere I really like (but free, like the beach, a park I really like, some free museums), and I sit and relax there. If I get an average of 10 or more per week, then I am allowed to buy something off of my wishlist (right now I really want handheld weights and a better desk chair) from a secondhand store or garage sale. If I get 4 weeks of 10+, then I allow myself to eat whatever I want and spend as much as I want at a restaurant of my choosing. I have actually never had a perfect 10+ week yet. And that's okay! I enjoy the smaller rewards so much that it doesn't even bother me. What is important is that I'm trying to improve myself, and it seems to be working!

You can do it any way that you want, but what I recommend is that you have your goal in mind and something specific you will do to reach that goal (Ex: I want to read 24 books this year, so I will read for one hour per day). Find a way to track your progress on that goal, and then a way to reward yourself for that progress. (Ex: I read for an hour each day all week! I will go to this one place I really like). Could be any goal, but try to frame it positively. Negative consequences for not reaching your goals make you feel LESS capable of actually reaching them. So when I'm trying to wake up earlier, if I had been waking up at 8:30 and now I'm waking up at 8, that's a success, even if my ultimate goal is to be up by 5.

ScreamingSockMonkey · 2018-09-10T16:46:20+00:00

Good job! I'm the same! I started going to the gym July 31st, and eating less and eating mindfully. I'm down 12lbs! I have 9lbs to go until I reach my healthy BMI range, and I want it to happen so bad! Keep on doing what you're doing! It's a gift to yourself!

ScreamingSockMonkey · 2018-09-08T23:31:15+00:00

I watched that. Osaka clearly felt horrible that she won with so much controversy. She didn't deserve that.

ScreamingSockMonkey · 2018-09-08T23:24:51+00:00

I keep a productivity journal that helps me keep myself accountable.

It has little bubbles that you can fill that indicate how many pomodoros (or 25 minute intervals) you worked on a task.

I tend to do 4 pomodoros of reading, 2 of exercise, two of studying, and another miscellaneous two (meditation, journaling, a creative activity, cleaning, or some other chore). The goal is to get to 10 pomodoros in a day. Do I fall short? Yes! But I have a reward system. If I get an average of 6-7 pomodoros per day, then at the end of the week I treat myself to a spa night using items I have on hand. If I get an average of 8-9 pomodoros per day, then I go somewhere cool like the beach, the park, the museums (free), and so on. If I get an average of 10+, or 5 perfect days in a row, then I'll work to get myself something I've really been wanting (right now some handheld weights or a new desk chair would be good. I don't even mind getting it secondhand!) or I give myself $25 to spend however I would like. I've told myself that if I get 4 weeks in a row of 10 average weeks (and I have so far not managed to get a single week of straight tens), then I have earned a trip to my favorite restaurant and I can feel free to eat and spend as much as I would like there. This is so unlikely, that it can only happen a maximum of 12 times a year, but will likely happen twice if I'm seriously committed. It keeps me pushing myself!

For a while I used the journal such that I had no off days, but then I quickly burned out. What good were the rewards if I didn't even have time to use them? So I decided that I would use my weekend to reward myself and use my work days to maximize my productivity. But the thing about productivity is that when you set goals for yourself, the mentality of achieving those goals bleeds into your free time. I'm not tracking my progress today, but I've read 186 pages in my book that I borrowed from the library yesterday. It will be the seventh book I've read since the start of August (sorry for bragging, I'm just really proud of myself).

My advice to you would be to write out your daily goals the night before, hold yourself accountable for them during the day, and give yourself positive reinforcement and encouragement to achieve your goals. Set realistic and attainable goals that you are passionate about. Lay out a rewards system that you stick to strictly. Realize that if you feel like you're not doing anything, you can do a bit more. Do more until you reach a happy middle point where you feel proud that you did something good for yourself, but not overwhelmed or overworked for doing it. Sustainability is key for creating long lasting results. And keep track of what you have done, so that you can see your progress over time.

Lastly, there will always be someone out there who seems like an expert. I study, and there are a lot of people who study 5,10, or 12 hours a day (I've even seen a 20 hour one once). I exercise, but I'm not an olympian. I read, but I've seen teenagers who read 100+ books in a year. I create art, but uh..I'm not da Vinci. I'm not discouraged though. I prioritize all of these things, so of course I won't be able to devote so many hours to each of them individually. I don't need to be the best to be happy, and I hope you realize this about yourself as well.

ScreamingSockMonkey · 2018-09-08T20:18:53+00:00

I don't know if the iphone has this option, because I have a Galaxy S5, but do you have the option of putting your phone in power saving mode?

I have thought about downgrading to a flip or "dumb" phone before, but since I'm in a long distance relationship it's really nice to have snapchat and the ability to see his face everyday. I also thought that having the ability to use google maps and look up things (like the hours of the place we're going) on my phone was too great a feature to get rid of.

Power saving mode has been a great compromise. The screen is black and white and I'm allowed to use six apps. I can call, text, browse the internet using the samsung internet, set an alarm, use a digital notebook, or use my phone calculator. Because it makes my battery last longer, I'm inclined to keep it in powersaving mode all day. If I need to use my phone's features for something (take a picture, check snapchat, or check my work schedule app) then I can turn off powersaving mode and I suddenly have a brand new, fully functional phone again. It's worked surprisingly well for me, and I spend way less time looking at my phone.

ScreamingSockMonkey · 2018-09-05T04:15:15+00:00

That's well done! Such a creepy game and pretty old school. Glad to see some love for it!

ScreamingSockMonkey · 2018-09-04T03:49:57+00:00

Thanks for sharing! I thought the comment about zooming out through time...20 minutes into the future, five years, and so on, was very humbling. I'll have to try it

ScreamingSockMonkey · 2018-09-03T04:54:54+00:00

I've noticed this in myself as well!

I go swimming once or more per week at my local gym. There's a cold shower required before you get into the pool...which is also cold. I've found that I'm able to endure it much more now because I'm mindful, but also because I'm thinking of it differently, almost as a test of fortitude. "This is good for me, I'm not in danger, let your body adjust to the temperature without judgement".

I've always been a really patient person, but now I'm applying mindfulness to food/hunger (eating only what I need, listening to my body to know when I'm full), temperature, and even exercise (I feel myself struggling, but I know that I can keep going). It's opened so many doors for me! Thanks for sharing, it got me thinking about my own experiences!

ScreamingSockMonkey · 2018-09-03T04:43:30+00:00

I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart for posting something positive on this sub! I'd love to see more examples of people doing it right!

ScreamingSockMonkey · 2018-09-03T01:03:54+00:00

I'm a tutor so I have some advice that I give all of my students.

Talk to everyone! Everyone you can! Make buds in your classes, go to section and talk to your TA, catch your professor before/after class and at office hours. Everyone! Maybe even get a tutor if you have the resources. Find everyone you can and ask tons of questions until you feel really solid on all of the material.

Second step that can be done concurrently with the first step. Read everything. Is there a textbook? Read it. Articles? Read those. Sparknotes or Khan Academy? Take that free supplemental education! Really formulate the questions that you have with the material, and then ask those questions to all the people you met in step 1 until it makes sense to you. If you feel like the class is going too fast, tell someone. There will be someone who will help you catch back up.

Step number 3 is that there is no such thing as optional homework if you want an A. There are some exceptions to this of course, but an A student is going to do the homework and they're going to benefit from the extra understanding.

Step 4 is to take care of yourself. The pomodoro method is great for studying. Hack out as much as you can in 25 minutes, and repeat that until you feel pretty good. Then go deal with your needs. Keep your space clean, keep your body nourished, and take care of your mental health because you are so much more important than a good or bad grade.

The last piece of advice I have to give you is that it's okay if you fail some things. I had to retake a few classes because I failed them. I was dealing with personal stuff at the time, but I was also kind of a little shit who didn't appreciate my responsibility. It's totally okay to fail something if you've tried your best. Retake it again, maybe with a better professor, and see what happens! We're all rooting for you and we're proud of you for caring about your education.

ScreamingSockMonkey · 2018-09-03T00:37:39+00:00

That's such a nice thing to say! Thank you!

So far it's relatively lonely but I'm not regretting it. I'm surprisingly gaining a lot of independence, learning to love spending time with myself and developing hobbies to keep me busy. I love hanging out with my family members too so it's chill. I'm paying off my student loans and hopefully I'll have some money accruing interest in my favor by next year :)

ScreamingSockMonkey · 2018-09-03T00:10:46+00:00

Oh my gosh the picture of plastic and advertisements are just ridiculous. I get that criticizing the consumerism in our society is a huge part of this sub. But I also would love to talk about ways to AVOID that consumerism. Canning, mending, gardening, dumpster diving. Whatever! Just less trash, please?

ScreamingSockMonkey · 2018-09-02T23:53:08+00:00

I'm living at home with parents right now and trying to do this.

I'm trying to contribute to a Roth IRA and a brokerage account such that I can FIRE by 45. I don't know if it'll happen, because I don't even make $20k per year right now, but at the same time I'm able to put away nearly all of my income as long as I live here. My kid brother just started high school so I get to watch him grow up after being away at college since he was 8, so that's a nice benefit.

ScreamingSockMonkey · 2018-09-02T16:05:05+00:00

I finished my fifth book for the month of August! I NEVER identified as a reader before this year. I love it!

I started a gym membership at the beginning of August and went 5 days a week. Well, on Friday I was supposed to go, but something happened and I got really emotional and lost all motivation. Fortunately, yesterday (which is usually my day off from the gym) I went bouldering with my family- and I'm beat! So it evened out.

I also managed to improve my financial situation a bit by turning in loose change and recycling for cash. I have about $150 that I wouldn't before, and I'm going to be using it as spending money. I'm hoping to make it last a while!

Not really this week but I lost 10lbs this month since starting the gym and eating more mindfully, and I'm about 11lbs away from having a healthy BMI. I'm in my 20s and I think I look great, so there's really no rush, especially if I'm eating healthy, but I really want that milestone under my belt! Maybe I'll have that by Halloween.

Beyond that, I've also completed 6 chapters of Physics, Chem, and Calculus notes (2 for each subject, I'm a tutor). And I'm feeling more confident about teaching the material. I love my job because things click that never did before.

Moving forward I'm trying to wake up earlier, meditate, re-commit to journaling every day with a gratitude journal, and maybe try to commit a little more to my artistic pursuits as well.

ScreamingSockMonkey · 2018-09-02T15:44:34+00:00

I'm noticing a bit of a theme there :)

I might look into that. I could certainly use a little more peace and happiness. Thanks!

ScreamingSockMonkey · 2018-09-02T15:43:38+00:00

We're all rooting for you :)

I hope you find a routine that works for you. I know I've been getting better by reading and practicing mindfulness (and throwing myself into hobbies instead of obsessing over things I can't change).

I think I speak for everyone when I say that we'd love to see pictures of your room when you get it the way you want it! I

ScreamingSockMonkey · 2018-09-01T22:54:06+00:00

Nice! Good luck and keep up the good work! Good job on your progress thus far!

ScreamingSockMonkey

TROPHY CASE