Happy Sustainability Spring!

As we all work from home and practice social distancing, let us remember that sustainability reaches way beyond environmental mindfulness. Let us remember to also prioritize ourselves and our personal and mental health amid all the craziness happening around the world. 

To help you think about this, we’ve created a short list of ideas to help make working from home more sustainable. Have an idea for the list? Share it with us!

1. Spring is here, turn up your thermostat. Adjusting your thermostat 2 degrees up in the summer and 2 degrees down in the winter can save up to 2,000lbs of carbon dioxide per year!

2. Go paperless! Working paperless allows you to keep track of your work while being sustainable. It’s a win win situation.

3. Turn off your lights and open the windows. Natural light has been shown to increase mood and alertness, decrease fatigue, and increase productivity. Breathing in fresh air has a multitude of benefits including improved mood, increased energy, and a sharper mind.

4. Take time out of each day to focus on yourself. Especially when you are trying to balance work with family responsibilities, it is easy to forget about yourself. Take scheduled breaks to do some stretches, drink some water, or go for a walk. 

5. Work with what you have! Mend clothes, make meals with pantry items (just like a cooking show, see how creative you can be), or create an area in the fridge where things that need to be eaten soonest go. This encourages less trips to the store, less crowding, and fewer shortages.

Because of the uncertainty due to COVID-19 and its economic impacts, many of us are looking at our department budgets and being asked to reduce our spending.  Often there are ways to reduce our environmental impact while we also save money.  Here are a few ways we thought of:

• Localize guests invited for speaking next year or plan for remote events now that we can see how well they work
• Invest in reusable goods-- in the long run reusable goods save money and the environment
• See if things can be fixed instead of buying something new. Ask facilities for existing furniture or place a work order before looking to buy something new.
• Buy fewer things, be more accurate in assessing how much of something you need so that it isn't wasted
• When purchasing swag, don't get something with a year on it that can't be used at a later date 
   

Celebrate some days of interest.

In each month there are a number of days dedicated to celebrating or honoring a certain quality of life we often take for granted. This May, consider these days as opportunities to reflect on what you can do in your space.

1: May Day
Workers at a number of different places are striking and we should avoid shopping at these stores so that their demands are supported and met faster. These places include: Amazon, Whole Foods, FedEx, Instacart, Walmart, and Target and are being led by a coalition of workers that are mainly not otherwise unionized. More here and if you google May 1st strike!

2: National Fitness Day
Peel yourself away from your screens and papers and get active! Celebrate national fitness day by taking a walk outside, setting aside time to do some yoga, or doing a few jumping jacks in your living room. 

4: National Renewal Day
National Renewal Day is meant to reinvigorate us after a long winter so take the opportunity to set new goals, reach out to old friends, or do some spring cleaning. 

31: National Smile Day
Smiling is good for you! It relieves stress, can brighten our moods, and cheers up those around you. Smiles are free, so share them freely!

WHAT SUSTAINS US?

Williams students, faculty, staff and affiliates have experienced unprecedented and severe disruption as the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has forced universities across the country to close and send their students home. For many, leaving Williamstown in such an abrupt manner and trying to self-isolate has been immensely difficult. In the past few weeks, daily, comforting patterns of life have suddenly been broken with an uncertain end, leaving us in search of new ways to navigate through this pandemic. In light of this, we ask the Williams community: What sustains you? What have you found sustains others around you? How are you finding fulfillment or comfort? In what ways are you reconstructing your daily motions? What might you suggest to others so they can be sustained? We welcome your submissions to our “What Sustains Us?” project by visiting our Google form or submitting an answer to any of our social media forms. #whatsustainsus #notesfromwilliamstown

CHECK OUT THIS BLOG!
April showers bring May flowers: Have you also been gardening and appreciating plants during quarantine? This blog started by Baladine Pierce, Zilkha Center gardening intern, is a chance to gather remotely around nature. Intended for the extended Williams community. Check it out and contact bp5@williams.edu with any questions or comments!