Show notes –
Shannon & Christine discuss the 8th, and final, Dimension of Wellness – Environmental Wellness.
This week’s resources & references:
Stillpoint A Self-Care Playbook for Caregivers to Find Ease and Time to Breathe, and Reclaim Joy
National Domestic Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
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I am Shannon Mitchell, a black millennial business owner, the founder of ShealoGlo, an all-natural handmade shea butter company. I am a champion for your self-care, business care & intentional wellness
and
I am Christine Gautreaux, a white social justice advocate, an international speaker, coach & published author who helps you upgrade your self & community care.
Together we are Women Connected in Wisdom a Podcast grounded in the 8 dimensions of wellness
Join us and special guests for weekly intentional conversations about how to be wise in business, relationships & wellness.
Connect with us on FB, Instagram & YouTube for our live shows on Wednesdays at 5 pm ET & head over to Mighty Networks and join our community at https://women-connected-in-wisdom.mn.co/
Show Transcript –
NOTE: While it’s not perfect, we offer this transcription by Otter.ai for those who are hearing impaired or who don’t find listening to a podcast enjoyable or possible.
Christine Gautreaux 0:08
Let’s do this.
Shannon M. 0:08
Okay ladies, welcome to our podcast. I am Shannon Mitchell, a black female, millennial entrepreneur, the founder of shallow glow, a handmade shea butter company. I am a champion for your self care, business care and intentional wellness.
Christine Gautreaux 0:25
And I am Christine Gautreaux, a white social justice advocate, an international speaker, coach and published author who helps you upgrade yourself in community care.
Shannon M. 0:35
Yes. And together we are women connected in wisdom, a podcast grounded in the eight dimensions of wellness. Welcome, welcome to our show.
Christine Gautreaux 0:44
So how are you my friend?
Shannon M. 0:47
I am great. I am great enjoying this weather today? It is beautiful, especially if it’s supposed to be really cold this weekend. I don’t know, you know, here in Georgia does whatever it wants to do.
Christine Gautreaux 0:58
Well, it’s I love that you start out talking about the weather. Because you know, our topic today has a little something to do with that. And why I love talking about the weather. I don’t know if you know this about me. But I am a farmer’s daughter. I was raised I a gardener and a farmer. My dad was a public school teacher. But when he retired, he started a small organic farm. So I’ve been raised around farmers my whole life. And you know how when some people say, Oh, I don’t want to talk about the weather that superficial. Like well back up, like, the weather is what connects us to our food and connects us to our well being. And I think it’s a point of privilege. If you say oh, that superficial, because that means you’re walking anywhere. And that means you’re not growing your own food.
Shannon M. 1:51
That’s so true. And you know, it’s funny, at least think about Anne Frank, and how she was affected by the wedding with her emotions. And what I learned that I said, You know what? That makes a lot of sense.
Christine Gautreaux 2:01
Right? Oh, I know, I’m affected too. Like, if I go well, that’s why I live where I live. Like, you know, we had talked about when we were newly married Joe had somebody had offered him a job in Seattle. I was like, Oh, I can’t do those gray days. No. And I’m just like, No, I need sunshine. Georgia is even pushing it for sunshine for me. Because you know, I was raised in Texas, and I’m used to some wide open sunshine.
Shannon M. 2:36
Oh, this is beautiful.
Christine Gautreaux 2:40
Well, tell us about our topic today. Yes. So
Shannon M. 2:44
today ladies, we are talking about environmental wellness, okay, and I’m going to read this definition to you. Environmental wellness refers to your sense of safety, comfort and connection with your physical surroundings. Environmental wellness can be enhanced by living in harmony with a planet in your community. Wellness in this domain begins in your immediate surroundings. Your personal space has a direct impact on your state of mind, emotional well being and productivity. Environmental wellness also extends beyond your personal space to larger communities, geographic areas and the planet.
Christine Gautreaux 3:22
I love that. Well, I love that definition. Right? Because sometimes when I think environment, I just think outside. But I thought and I know this to be true about it increases my productivity like with my environment about what’s around me and and honestly my environment if I get outside interact with nature. Yeah.
Shannon M. 3:49
Yeah, you know, and I was thinking about you and your farmer background, your dad’s background, because, you know, my dad has been doing mines literally for 20 years. So I grew up as a young black girl with these long braids in the summertime, right? Because you know, we have braids, and then I had jeans on because girls aren’t supposed to get cut or bruise. Right? Which is why I love shea butter, okay, but I was outside in the summer, doing people’s yards and so I’ve always been outside even in the summertime, I would be in the truck with the doors and the windows closed all the way up under a blanket. Okay, like chillin reading my book just enjoying being outside. And so I’ve been used to it then I was in bed. So we’re outside in the morning, in the middle of the day, at night, late at night. And so it’s definitely been something that I’ve grown accustomed to and I didn’t even realize how much it was necessary until the quarantine happened. And I can tell the difference in my mood and my attitude if I’m inside too long. Or if I take too long to go run. It’s like you know what, I probably just need to go outside and get some fresh air.
Christine Gautreaux 4:58
And that’s a good thing to notice. Right, I asked my clients that my coaching clients when I’m talking like when was the last time you went outside? Walk? Like not, I mean, sometimes it can be for the purpose of exercise, but just the purpose of walking around and seeing what you can see. Yeah, you know you say that about band I was not a band kid. I was more chorus and sport, but it took me you even saying that took me right back to track means in Texas. We all did. Crack meets that, you know, we were there from when it was chilly to all the blazing heat cuz you had a sunburn and you had run all day, so
and how you know that really good, tired you get after you’ve been outside all day. And the Yeah, that and I know we’ve talked about it before offline, but I share that mowing lawn things with you. Because when I was saving money to put myself through college, I mowed lawns. That’s what I did. Before I went to college in the summer after I came home. And I Yeah, it was an awesome gig. I loved it. And I was so I was so excited this how much of a nerd I am Shannon, I was so excited when I had enough money to buy my first TroyBilt lawn mower. Because it was like the best small lawn mower like it was below industrial but it was above what most people used in their lawns, right. I thought I was a big deal with my old Orange pickup truck and my mower in the back.
Shannon M. 7:01
It’s funny that you say that. And mind you I love being a nerd. Okay, so it’s not a problem. But I was actually in Home Depot yesterday. And Home Depot is one of my favorite stores, I just love the smell of the way I was looking at the tools, you know, I want a little toolbox out, you need to have everything you need. Just like we have tools for wellness. Sometimes you need actual tools, I just love Home Depot for IT stuff like that. Right?
Christine Gautreaux 7:27
It is so true. You know, as we were prepping for the show, I was thinking about environment. And you know, I was thinking about the book I co wrote with Sheila about stillpoints, and self care and community care. And we have a section in there about physical the power of physical environment, we have a whole section about work environments, too. But as I was looking, I wanted to share this with you and our readers, because I felt like it really, it really was appropriate for today. In the book, she visited with Ralph Kaplan, who was a designer and a writer who consults on workspaces. I didn’t even know there was such a thing, honestly. And she was talking about the environment, how it affects our comfort level, our ability to focus and concentrate, and finally our sense of ourselves. So like our environment affects our comfort level, our ability to focus and concentrate. And finally, our sense of self. Chaplin. He said that it it he said it? Well, in some points he wrote for an ad campaign to promote office systems. So I was just going to read this poem that’s in our book in our book, it’s on page 51. Everyone needs a here, a nest, a niche, A Room of One’s Own, a space with enough of its own character to accept yours, a corner that belongs to you as much as you belong to it. Somewhere you know, that knows you. A homeroom at school, a familiar street, a ship in port, anywhere that welcomes you back when there is no one there to say it. A sense of place solid enough for light to break against. No one wants to be nowhere or closed in any environment is wrong if you feel stuck in it, a sense of place, a sense of light and openness, a sense of choice. These are qualities we seek in the spaces where we live and work. Yes. Right. I’m even reading that a new way. You know, our book came out a couple of years ago and I hadn’t read that in a while. I’m totally reading it in a new way since this last year, because, you know, I said recently, it’s not like we work at home anymore. It’s like we live at work. Yeah. It
Shannon M. 10:12
was crazy when you said that. And it’s funny because I did used to live where I worked when I was an RA, and you’re a resident assistant on campus, right? Your residents are right there with you. So you could be doing something for yourself. But you’re still an RA, because you’re there. You know, it’s kind of like, being an any job that’s on call. How do you separate it? And the physical and social boundaries are very important and useful in those situations?
Christine Gautreaux 10:41
Right? Yeah. It’s, um, it’s always fascinating to me, I’m taking a class right now I’m on we just had week two, this past Monday, and I’m taking a class on I think it’s called shine for 2021. It’s about decluttering. And organizing. So this is a perfect time for this show. And this is by a woman named melody LeBaron. And we’ll put a link to her info she is fabulous. I am so enjoying her class. So she uses little bit of Fung Shui way where like you have your your place needs to be in certain in certain order. And she learned uses a lot of practical we should have a Come on. Actually, yeah, we should have her come on. And she was talking about how different personalities need different environments. So that different, and in some of its according to your birth year, some of its according to your personality, it’s a combination of things. But different elements need different environments. So some people like really tall ceilings and empty in like, counters all cleared off. Some people need to have their knickknacks and need to have things surrounding them. Like, I had never really thought about our homes and our environment. I mean, I guess I thought about it reflecting our personalities. Right. But not as fully as she does. Yeah,
Shannon M. 12:15
right. I had never thought about breaking it down by type, kind of like, you know, you eat different things for your blood type or your body type, things like that. But it makes sense.
Christine Gautreaux 12:25
Right? It didn’t make sense. And what really made sense is, you know, I’ve been in a relationship for 27 years. And there’s some things that had never really made sense to me. I just thought, Oh, we just come from some different places. But I think it may just actually be because I mean, I’ll just be fully transparent like I did I have a whole system for laundry. I like laundry to be completely put up. I like it. And my husband likes to be able to see his laundry. So like there’s in our bedroom that he likes to drape his laundry over. I said something the other day, because I was redoing the old system. And I said I need it. He said like he said, Do you ever see no shows where they they have a butler and there’s a there’s a chair? I don’t even know what he called it. I laughed and I was like, Yeah, we don’t have a molar. And if your stuff over here, let’s put that in the closet. For it like a I don’t I don’t know. But it was funny. But I it made me think about environments, right and then compromise when we live with. Because that’s the thing.
Shannon M. 13:44
And what you’re talking about, that’s usually what I think about with the homepage, right is organization. Some people again, like stuff out, I don’t I think I’m kind of in between, I’m not necessarily a minimalist where I like things to be almost completely gone right, or whatever that type of minimalist is. But also definitely don’t like to stuff all over the place. So like we were talking about before, all the way into the drawers and the cabinets or even my file on my computer with my work stuff. I like to know that it’s organized. And if there’s a point where it’s harder to get an organized, I might not be looking at it. But it definitely affects the amount of anxiety that feel lower that to do list in my mind. That’s like racking stuff up like this needs to get done, you know. And I think it also helps in terms of the things that we have control over. Right during quarantine. In life. There’s a lot of stuff that happens, but you washing your dishes before you go to sleep. You have control over that. Now again, as a young adult, when I first moved into my own apartment, I like leaving the dishes sometimes I do what I want, you know what I mean? But that’s also the wellness in your environment that you get to choose what it’s like and that it reflects you like the poem was talking about so yeah, I just Like to be organized and something else that I like to do is aromatherapy, you know, especially with everything going on a candle flickering, or an instant or something soothing or something uplifting depending on what’s going on. Really helps.
Christine Gautreaux 15:16
Right? I know one of the things for me is environments can be overstimulating. So I’m not a big fan of unless I’m watching the TV that the TV’s on, like I’m not I like, I like, I like it to either be quiet, or I like some, you know, my favorite music. And I have different different playlists for different things like I think most people do, right? But especially this time of year with it being we’re coming up on Spring Equinox is, you know, in Georgia, we’ve got spring like daffodils are coming up red, but my friends in the north hate us right now, because and I used to write, um, but it’s gorgeous out there today. And so I went up all those windows and let the breeze flow through and listen to the birds. And that’s my favorite is just, you know, what’s I love that that is one of my favorite, favorite smells, and sounds and everything.
Shannon M. 16:20
Yeah. And I mean, it when you said that it reminded me of, I think it was maybe 2017 2018 I went to Costa Rica for my birthday, right. And that whole year, I was paying attention to you know, I watched rainfall. You know, I watched the the wind blow the leaves in Costa Rica and just watch nature do its thing and enjoy it, you know, with zip lining upside down in the rain force. So when I was growing up, and we were talking about ecosystems and environments, I said the rainforest sounds so cool, you know. And I thought about it, I never thought that I would see it the first time upside down. You know, so it was really interesting.
Christine Gautreaux 17:05
It was on my wish list, my friend. It is actually I was talking to my friend and colleague at a NFRC. Last week, and we were talking, we’ve been talking about doing some international retreats for years now. And we I think the pandemic has just made us want to do it even more, right. Serega was one of the places that made the list. We were talking about Costa Rica, we were talking about South Africa, we were talking about
and, and just really getting out in different environments and different places. Would you say that was one of your favorite places you’ve ever traveled to?
Shannon M. 17:54
Absolutely. And I’m the type of person that I like almost every place I travel is my favorite, my favorite place, you know, but definitely I loved eating eggs and rice for breakfast and watching the monkeys run on the telephone lines and the market. You know, like recently during quarantine again, I love the street food, Netflix shows, right. And it’s talking about women in the economy and things that people have done to get their families where they need to be and what that looks like in other countries. And I love the fact that I was there. We were at the bus station and it took us like $8 for a three mile trip to Manuel Antonio when we went to the beach and the market just the fresh food and the culture. I you know, I love it. And I you know, I love Spanish anyway, so any Spanish speaking country where I get to be immersed in it is great,
Christine Gautreaux 18:49
huh? Boy, I have a longing for travel. I’m just missing it as so many people are right now. But I have hope that that’s all coming back sooner than later. I have. We have a potential to speak at a conference in Puerto Rico in October. So yeah, I I hope it’s right on time. I hope it works. Well, you read the definition again.
Shannon M. 19:19
Absolutely. So environmental wellness refers to your sense of safety, comfort, and connection with your physical surroundings. Environmental life can be enhanced by living more in harmony with the planet and your community. Wellness in this bill may begins in your immediate surroundings. Your personal space has a direct impact on your state of mind, emotional well being and productivity. Environmental wellness also extends beyond your personal space to larger communities, geographic areas and the planet. And I think that For me traveling different places is synonymous and on the same line with reading different books and expanding your mind to different perspectives, you know, walking on the street, like something else that relates me to environmental wellness is when we would move when I was younger, and we moved them. Okay, like every year. So when we would move well, almost every year, let me correct that. I would acquaint myself with a neighborhood, right, me and my friend, that was all I was always with, we would walk around in the morning at nighttime, and I wouldn’t feel comfortable in that new house until I did that. And it’s kind of like that with different places. You know, it expands your mind to what it looks like, and you getting used to it. But again, there’s different walking around neighborhood in America than it is walking up in the mountains in Costa Rica, you know, so I love being able to have different perspectives like that, and then coming back home to your space where you feel reflected, and you feel like you can be still and have you’re still point with everything that’s going on.
Christine Gautreaux 21:07
Right. I love that. Yeah, I am. I love both like I’m a homebody, and I love my space. And I love to go and I love to come back. Right. I I love that that definition started out with your sense of safety? Because I think as women that is not I mean, that’s real, right with domestic violence and with abuse. And I think that if that’s in your background, or that, or you’ve had it before, that this could be a challenge, right?
Shannon M. 21:48
And that’s something that I’ve been thinking about since quarantine started, I might thankfully I had a healthy living space. What about the people who don’t you? I mean, what about the people who were waiting to go to school waiting to go to work, and they’re, they feel trapped at home? You know? And if you talk about especially being a black woman in America, you could argue that, do you feel safe at all, you know, especially with the history of everything? It’s interesting to say, you know, I think it was last week, we were talking about Brianna Taylor, and I keep March 13 is coming up, you know, and now that’s the year anniversary of when she was murdered. And we’re talking about oh, you candles and incense and organizing your home? She was sleeping her bed, like where are we supposed to be able to go? You know. And so that’s why it’s so important to have a center in yourself. Because sometimes your environment may be crazy, it’ll look different at different times. So what what is it that you can control that will make you feel safe and have connection with the things you need to have connection with, so that you can do what you need to do for your life? While you can’t you know that that’s where I have to focus? Because environmentally even at work, you know, it’s just, it’s different things that we have to consider.
Christine Gautreaux 23:13
And that sucks my friend. I’m so sorry. Thank you for it, because you know that it’s a reality here. And, um, yeah. And it really stinks that it is. Yeah.
Shannon M. 23:29
And you know, it’s a reality everywhere. That, you know, the the darker of any culture is treated differently. But that’s also why the conversation is so important. The conversation with you and I together is so important. You know, because there are white Freedom Riders, I got beaten and killed and threatened along with everybody else. And I don’t know how brave I wouldn’t be if they were lynching black people when I’m white. And I don’t have to say anything, you know what I mean? So that’s why I always commend your bravery in the work that you do, because it’s not always easy to hold space and everything. But it’s also important to be able to unpack what it is, you know, so that we can find out how to heal from it. Have that conversation, and then what is healthy wellness really look like? You know, and again, I know that things still aren’t perfect. There’s still a lot of work that needs to be done. But every day there are parts of my life that I have control over. And for me organizing all the way to my paperwork and my files on my computer and my socks. Makes it it helps me feel better. You know what I can?
Christine Gautreaux 24:43
Do? I have a random question for you. About socks. How much is appropriate amount of socks in a sock drawer? Hmm, what’s your number? Cool
Shannon M. 24:55
That’s a good question. I would say around 14. And if not, maybe double that, depending on what you use. I’m basing this off of uniforms, right? When I used to teach people how many uniforms they need, I would say if you work four days, you need five sets of uniforms, you need an extra one. So with the socks, I’m thinking about laundry, right? We do a couple of times a week, but 14 is two weeks worth of thought.
Christine Gautreaux 25:25
Right? Yeah, I’m curious. Because I am, I did the thing. I don’t know how it was growing up in your house, but in my house, like, we’ll have a basket that has unmatched socks in it. And then all the socks are and like, it’s just like, where do the socks go? So like, everybody bring your socks into a pile like Bree will make sure they’re all washed and cleaned. And then we sit and we watch a show and we match the socks. We had a mound of socks. Like I’m like, Nicolas, like, how did this happen? And a lot of them are Christmas and stuff like you know, because they’re cheap stocking stuffers? Yep, fluffy socks. But I was laughing about that talking about as I look at organization and decluttering like, you know, how many stocks do somebody really need? And then nowadays, you know, you’ve got the running socks, and you’ve got the if you run in the cold and your wool socks and you know your hiking socks first world, right?
Shannon M. 26:34
Definitely, Oh, I’m so stressed out about my sock, definitely, you know, a privilege to be able
Christine Gautreaux 26:39
to write,
Shannon M. 26:43
and I mean that that’s the conversation I would have with my friends in college, you know, Jessica and Shai, we will be complaining about class and work and they’re talking about chemistry and all this. And I’m like, listen, like 100 years ago, black woman wish that this is you know, or maybe I can’t say that. But a lot of people would love to say that these are the problems that they have, you know, it is definitely privileged to be in that position.
Christine Gautreaux 27:08
You saying that my walking buddy, today we were walking, and she is an incredible author. And she writes paranormal, sci fi, and shout out to my friend and nice. And she she, you know, is always improving herself. She is always taking classes. She’s I’m always like, you did not realize how incredible of a writer you are. And we were walking and talking today about a couple of different things. And, and what came up to me is something that I read recently, and I wish I could quote where I read it. But it said, You are living someone else’s dream. And it really thought about like, if we are in the present moment, right? And we take a breath and Yeah, cuz we’re always striving, we’re always looking, you know, we’re thinking, oh, yeah, a lot of people are thinking, Oh, I’m not good enough. Or I haven’t, you know, I’ve written two books, or I haven’t gotten this degree, or I haven’t gotten this job or, you know, but really taking a deep breath, and acknowledging the gratitudes of where we are. And the fact that we have shelter, and we have vehicles, and we have jobs, and we have food, like we are living somebody else’s dream that they’re green. Right.
Shannon M. 28:35
And that’s why we talk about our self care, right, in our practices that we do. That’s why during the quarantine, my list of Gratitude has helped me so much, you know, everyday listing 10 things I’m grateful for. And I thought that that would be a lot, but like you just rattled off a few and those are huge things, you know, and again, you know, that’s what the the logo of shallow glow is about. If you look at it two birds, and then it looks like it has three wings, depending on if you’re looking at the vinyl or not, but the leaves are actually read. And if not for anybody else. It’s a reminder to myself, you know, it’s a tree, Look at the birds. And remember that they’re taking care of you’re more important than the trees you’re going to be taking care of. Everything is fine. And even with everything that’s gone on in my life in the last two years, which is a lot. I’m still starting, I started a business. I started a podcast, I make my own schedule. You know, like there’s so many things, I cook more I run four times a week, there’s all these things that I’ve been waiting to enjoy, and I’m doing them all right now. So I would say out of my dream life, you know, and that’s what I focus on.
Christine Gautreaux 29:45
I love that Shannon and I love that gratitude practice. Like really? I don’t know if you remember back because it’s been a minute when Oprah very first started talking about the gratitude practice and She would have a gratitude journal and you’re supposed to write every night three to five things you’re grateful for. And I can’t remember the challenge because this was way back when it’s been a minute. But I remember, I had this potato peeler that I loved so much, it was ridiculous. And it was awful. But it was something that was a simple tool in my environment that made my life so much easier and joyful. And so I just heard that silver potato, and I don’t know what happened to it, I swear that my sister took it when she moved, but she swears she doesn’t. But that’s a whole nother. Right. I just, I remember the feel of that potato peeler, and how much I loved it. And I think I bought it for $1 at an estate, right. And so it doesn’t always have to be a high ticket item, or it doesn’t have to be something that is, you know, it really can be walking outside and seeing the sunshine Well, being that being the gratitude for the day.
Shannon M. 31:16
It could be you being able to see the sunshine, having the time to go outside, you know, having the clothes to be physically prepared to go outside, it’s a lot that could go into that. And something that I specifically do as well is, like you say, when you talk about the potato peeler, it wasn’t just Oh, I love potatoes. And I’d like to see where it was, this makes my life so much easier. And I’m grateful for that. It’s, you know, niching it down further than just the physical item. So we’re not being materialistic. So when I’m grateful for water is not just oh, I’m glad I could pay this water bill. It’s other countries don’t have running water. They’re walking six, six hours, and then and then a big corporation comes in, builds a highway. So now these native people are getting hit by cars to get water. What do you mean, talk of environmental wellness? You know what I mean? What is going on? So yes, I’m grateful for writing one, that I don’t have to have never had to take six hours to get it.
Christine Gautreaux 32:16
Right. It just makes me when you said that I was thinking about my first podcast was a podcast called incremental steps. And it was about environmental wellness, and really talking about the tiny steps we can take to make a difference in our lives in our planet. And I think that’s important, you know, with global climate change, and what’s going on Yes to our inner environments, like really, garments in our bodies, our workspaces where we work, but sharing for Mother Earth and our planet, like, what are the steps we can take to have a lesser footprint. I mean, I didn’t have control over this one. But I’m really grateful for it. I mean, my commute and travel is gone for the past year, you know, like, and not open back. When that opens back up, I’m really already contemplating, because I had several gigs that were 45 minutes away without traffic. And so I’m really looking in Gwinnett County where I live and local, so I can reduce that. And you know, do good meaningful community work, but closer to home, you know.
Shannon M. 33:39
And one thing I will do is, it’s funny because I bought the Aldi bags, you know, they have the bag at the front of the line. And I never took them with me to the store of like I have these bags and not use. Always remember why I didn’t lie, you know. But one thing that I do now is if I’m paying, and I’m chopping up peppers, and tomatoes, all this stuff, I put everything into the grocery bag. So we keep the grocery bags that you know, everything comes out of and then I reuse them at least once. I will love to recycle stuff like that. But right now, where I’m at, that’s something that I do is make sure that I at least use it a couple of times. Instead of always using plastic bags, we have reusable bags with snackies and or any way that I can replace it with something that I don’t have to buy over and over again. One that’s financial wellness right and using your money wisely, but to is also for the environment is interesting. My best friend of 20 years her birthday is on her birthday. So I’ve been thinking about Earth Day since elementary school, you know, and we only get one. So we go outside. We want to avoid all this stuff. We talk about travel, but even Puerto Rico, I said hey, I wish I would have been able to go to Puerto Rico before this huge storm came and wiped all this stuff out. And that’s it That’s the important part of the storm in Puerto Rico, of course, it’s about the people, they’re in their homes, but things happen to the environment. And if we’re causing global warming, if we could take better care of our world for ourselves in our gender, the next generation, I don’t think it’s too much to ask to, you know, use less water bottles or do something that wouldn’t take too much energy.
Christine Gautreaux 35:23
Yeah, I agree with you completely. I really, I’m really, I’ve been for years trying to reduce my single plastic consumption, you know, things that are use plastic and, and be more conscientious about that. And I’m with you on the bag thing, I have them in my car. But, you know, I often, I just forget. But there’s all, you know, there’s all kinds of ways and when we do remember, just affirm it for ourselves that all right, you know, here we go. And I think just as many of those as we can take, and I know there used to be all look it up so we can put it in show notes. About there was a way that you could jump online to track your your, your footprint. Oh, wow. Yeah, I’ll find it and put it in our show notes. So if people want to look and and check how big their footprint is, in.
Shannon M. 36:26
And I was gonna say, if we don’t know, what the environmental footprint or what an environmental footprint is, right, it’s basically pointing to you and your life, the consumption that you had, and how much of an effect it has on the environment. So if you’re drinking three bottles of water every day, and throwing that out, if you’re constantly using plastic, constantly driving three hours a day in one direction, so six hours total, like Christina was talking about, things like that, you know, I was gonna say when you were talking about your commute, because the I’ve been working on consolidation, not just in the grocery store, right, and not going back in between aisles. But in general, in the car, I don’t like driving back and forth, you know. So if I’m going to go out somewhere, if I’m going to go to the post office, get gas by the post office, then do that and go into circles. So we’re not unnecessarily driving around for no reason wasting gas and negatively affecting the environment.
Christine Gautreaux 37:24
So the one I’m going to put is, it’s called footprint calculator.org. So check that out and see what you think about about, we’ll have to check in with each other next time. Or we can do it on social media about what our footprint was. I’m on I think I’m on Georgia Power. And they send me monthly, they send me a thing about like how I’m doing compared to my neighbors, who, oh, I drives me crazy, but I try to, you know, like, I try to switch it up. It’s, it’s definitely what is it’s a term a psychological term of behavior change.
Shannon M. 38:13
This is what you do compared to everybody else. It could be healthy or negative when you do that, but yeah,
Christine Gautreaux 38:19
absolutely. Well, you know, I’m all we mentioned earlier about environment and things changing with most of us work, a lot of people working from home right now. Or more, you know, is there anything you’ve done, specifically to change your environment in this last year?
Shannon M. 38:39
Yeah. And I mean, you know, especially with my bachelor’s in psychology, I’m very intentional about where I work in the organization of space, right? Because if you are always working in the bedroom, then when it’s time to go to sleep, and you usually work on your bed, your brain is gonna say, Okay, I’m gonna work, and you’re not going to go to sleep. So, because we have not, you know, we don’t have offices and everything in this space that I’m in what I do is kind of set up my own office. So if I’m at the counter, I set my computer up, set my notebooks up, so my brain knows his time at work. If I’m chilling on the couch, I do the same thing. I’m in the room. I set it up like I’m working, and I intentionally don’t dress too comfortable, right? I intentionally sit a certain way. I’m not just chilling on the bed all gouged out like we’re watching a movie. That way when it is time to do those things and we’re eating and relaxing and enjoying the spacious space in a more casual way. It’s easier to do that. And I found that I don’t have to switch my mind as as hard because it it already knows what’s going on.
Christine Gautreaux 39:48
I think that’s so smart. I am lucky enough to have my own office that has a door that shuts I had to I do a lot of have online classes, I switched my whole business to virtual in a day. And so I, one of the things I had to do really quickly and I teach this when I teach the, the on camera confidence on Zoom, I had to switch my whole office around and switch my desk around so the door was not behind me. So, so my teenage young adult children wouldn’t burst into the room inappropriately dressed or not dread. Video, or we’re doing a podcast or something like that is one of the first things that we teach in in on camera confidence is know your background, and know. And let your folks know when you’re online because we seen some stuff in this last year. Yeah, it’s it’s been pretty funny. So yeah, I have really enjoyed our conversation today about environmental wellness. Is there anything else that you were thinking about that we should talk about before we jump?
Shannon M. 41:13
No, I think I think that covered more than enough, you know, being intentional about being outside, being intentional about the things you can control and recognize in your environment. I think that’s more than enough to handle for one week, as we talk about our wisdom and action. And what I’m going to do this week is look at some output print. I wonder how they use that idea even how to think about that. So I’m interested, right?
Christine Gautreaux 41:39
Well, and I’m getting into spring cleaning, and I’m doing this decluttering class. So my wisdom and action this week is going to be around decluttering I’m so she this is kind of late in the show to jump into this. But it was kind of funny, she did this whole analogy about decluttering being like your love life, and that, that sometimes you need to schedule it and make a plan. And so, but this was the funny part, she said, and you need to schedule it, but it also needs to be on repeat. And so my wisdom and action this week is I’m scheduling both, and I’m scheduling them on repeat. So
Shannon M. 42:29
yeah, like it makes sense. Because decluttering could be emotional, you know, certain things that people don’t like letting go. And it’s yes, it’s a whole again, oh, another episode, you know, maybe spiritual wellness or emotional and mental wellness. But to have a tie for it probably helps, you know, helpful. Right?
Christine Gautreaux 42:51
Absolutely. And, and, you know, given ourselves props for when we do well for stuff like this, especially in the middle of a pandemic like and, and if we want to switch things around or spruce things up, but if we don’t have the energy to that’s okay to being gentle with ourselves, like what do we eat in this moment in this season? This time? So well, my friend, as always, I have enjoyed our conversation. This is Episode What are we on episode number eight, Episode Eight. Right. And y’all this is the exciting part. If you’ve already made it to this part on audio, you know that we are live on all the platforms we the official launch with Episode Eight, but we are here every Wednesday at 5pm. Eastern time, we’d love for you to join us and give us some comments and on whatever platform you’re watching, whether that’s Facebook or YouTube because we can interact with you and have a great time. And if you don’t catch us live, you can catch us on all the major platform platforms that host podcasts. So,
Shannon M. 44:10
so exciting. So exciting. And we’ve gone through all eight, we have gone through all eight dimensions of wellness. So next week is going to be the recap and we’ll start over.
Christine Gautreaux 44:20
Right How fun I’m loving doing this
Shannon M. 44:23
was great. It is and I love environmental wellness for last because this is one that I struggle with the other ones make sense. But outside of spending time outside. When I learned about the eight dimensions bonus, I really had to look at this one. What does that mean? What does that look like? How can I be more well, environmentally sound? I don’t even know what to think about right now. You know, so this has been great.
Christine Gautreaux 44:47
I think it’s perfect. All right, my friend. Thank you for a great conversation you taken us out.
Shannon M. 44:52
And don’t forget, be well be wise and the whole thank you so much.
Christine Gautreaux 45:00
I’m looking forward to it.
Unknown Speaker 45:05
Thanks for listening. This has been the women connected and wisdom podcast on-air live on Wednesdays at 5 pm. Eastern via Facebook and YouTube. Be sure to like, share and subscribe be part of the conversation and get connected at women connected in wisdom.com.
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