Before the Thrive Challenge, I spent my time working, sleeping, and stressing about money. I was thinking about work constantly, even when I was at home. I never really separated my work life from my home life. I was stressed out financially, and my physical health was also suffering.
Our store manager, Mike Ferguson, mentioned the Thrive Challenge at one of our morning meetings.
I wanted to start living my life again — to try and get my priorities in order. Mike encouraged us all to give it a try. I decided to download the Thrive app to help me identify my stressors and turn things around.
I started small — taking five minutes to breathe when I would get overwhelmed.
I continued to remind myself to breathe and meditate, and to keep a positive mindset. I lost my nephew in a tragic drowning accident in 2017, which affected me drastically. I met a few great people during that time who helped me through. And today, I no longer surround myself with negativity. I’m all about promoting a positive mindset.
I try to walk every day when the weather permits it.
I’m doing a virtual Conqueror Challenge with my friend Heather, which is a challenge that logs the kilometers you walk. We’ve set a goal to walk seven kilometers each day and we encourage each other. But if there’s a day I can’t get my walk in, it’s OK. I try not to be so hard on myself.
On payday, I take $20 out of my account and put it into a savings account.
I’ve also started investing in stocks, and preparing more meals at home to cut down on takeout. I even set up an automatic biweekly withdrawal of $20 directly into my savings, as well as $10 biweekly investing into our Walmart stock program. Once I started saving, I was able to trade in my older car for a new one. I’m no longer constantly worried about financial strain.
At 8:00 every night, I put my phone away to charge for the night.
Before, I was only getting six hours of sleep each night, and I’m now getting between seven and eight. I have set a bedtime at 9:00 p.m., and I have a “no screen time” rule after 8:00 p.m. I feel happier now that I’m sleeping more, and my team at work has noticed an improvement in my mood. I’m even spending more time with my parents, and I set down my phone in another room when we’re together. We go for drives together on my days off, and after work we have supper together. My dad and I even took up kayaking and motorcycle riding in the summer.
I no longer feel the pressure to get everything done right this second.
The Thrive Challenge has helped me cope with stress, remember to breathe after difficult conversations, and manage my finances. It has also taught me not to be so hard on myself. I try to remind myself that it’s not always about moving mountains. Sometimes it’s about taking a step forward, continuing to work towards your goals, and not losing sight of them.
— Amanda Rogers, Walmart Store #1016, Yarmouth, NS; $2K Winner
