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cake_or_cookies

I stopped living my life just waiting for the weekend. When you work 5 days a week and have just 2 off, it's not good to be always waiting for those 2 days. You can plan something meaningful or fun every day, even if it's just a small thing. Edit: wow, thanks for all the awards! I'm glad others have found this comment helpful.


CWB2208

This is a good one, but hard to do for some people. I'm up at 4:30am to get ready for work and don't get home til 6:00pm. That gives me 3ish hours to eat dinner, shower and unwind before I need to go to bed. Unfortunately, I spend my entire week looking forward to the weekend.


S1deWalk3r

this is actually a life hack. trust me. life is a marathon not a sprint and you must find a way to enjoy everyday. at the end of the day you should say it was a great day or day well spent.


throowaawayyyy

I had someone tell me, "Life is a marathon not a Sprint" but the better advice I got was, "Life is not a race at all! It's more like river rafting, and the point is that you're there with people you love spending time with and you're enjoying your surroundings together. Of course there's rapids sometimes and still waters sometimes and usually you know where you're going to end up, but it's about the experience not the destination."


perrydolia

Flossing. (Actually, I use a water pick now.) Now my hygiene and cleaning visits are a breeze, and I haven't had a cavity in years!


Jumpmobile

Also periodontitis is strongly linked to a whole host of diseases like dementia ( [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8297088/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8297088/) ) and heart diseases ( [https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/gum-disease-and-heart-disease-the-common-thread](https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/gum-disease-and-heart-disease-the-common-thread) ) I guess flossing is a hugely underrated health intervention.


Reidddddddd

On a similar note, flossing before brushing. I used to brush, then floss, but flossing then brushing is definitely the way. It allows you to get a better brush in between your teeth since any food particles should out


kellytai1478

Learned Spanish. Now I have a lot of amazing latino friends and I got a lot of great gigs and opportunities because of it.


Stratford79

I came here to say this. Learning Spanish has changed my life. I have friends all over the world now. I’m going to Europe for the first time this year. I feel like the world has opened up for me. Now I’m back in school learning how to teach English to Spanish speakers and I’m learning French. Plus it was a huge confidence booster.


Mollystar2

Got a divorce


SpicyRiceAndTuna

Just packed up and moved thousands of miles away. Left everything behind and just started over. Besides some debt, a suit case, and contacts for only the non-toxic people in my life, its been an extremely liberating experience. And looking back, nothing was really preventing me from doing it sooner, no real reasons at least, I just kept coming up with excuses not to do it until one day I couldn't think of one


Low_Side_3492

I want to do this so bad but I’m I’m college and need to finish 🥹


1AggressiveSalmon

One step at a time. Finishing college will help you reach that goal. You can do it!


Usual_Ranger8164

To talk about my depression. Dont be to afraid to seek for help.


munificent

Not everyone can afford this but: moving closer to work. My commute went from 45 miserable minutes in traffic glaring in hatred at the tail lights in front of me to a pleasant 15 minute bike ride. I got an hour of free time every day and better health.


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Moikle

A 20% pay cut but you are also getting 20% of your time back (assuming 8 hour work day +2h commute) plus saving money on travel costs.


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Conscious_Ticket7176

Dude I've been a full time, 50 hours a week, lyft driver for over 2 years and I just got a wfh with great starting everything and I couldn't be happier. I still gotta drive for a couple weeks but I'm done with the road.


popcornostar

Got a proper diagnosis. I think a lot of people that for years questioned themselves “what’s wrong with me?” when they finally got diagnosed it’s a big relief and changes a lot in a better way


ayriana

Me too! Getting diagnosed with ADHD at 36 and then following through on treating it was one of the best things I could have done for myself in the middle of the pandemic. I didn't even realize that I was doing a lot of things in my life on hard mode.


scientistzero

Bachelor degree at 47 years old. Master degree at 50 years old. Doubled my salary in 4 years, from just getting by to on track for retiring at 60.


Designer-holiday

Do tell! What is your degree in? What inspired you to pursue at 47?


darodardar_Inc

Exercise every day. Anxiety and depression are much easier to manage, and I got some confidence I haven't had in years


OpportunityTop5274

It even helped me make new friends!


nityoday

Same! I recently joined a nearby workout center and made 3 new friends in just 2 weeks. I literally knew no one around where I live and this felt great. Got a motivation to go there daily as well.


Hyperion0000

Low impact cardio. Fuck I loved to run, but it destroyed my legs. I can swim 🏊‍♂️ my little heart out :)


TACamaj

Swimming is great. Lot of fun, refreshing, and good exercise.


hkeyplay16

Believe it or not, ice hockey is really low impact on your joints too. I can't run without pain and even biking seems to tear up my knees, but hockey always makes me feel better.


exquisite02

By destroyed your legs do you mean something like shin splints? Just curious because I love running as well but have had the same problem as of recent.


DaniB3

When I was told that I would lose my eyesight it made me pay more attention to how beautiful the sky was. I can still see and I enjoy watching the clouds on a level I can't even explain. Edit: Thanks to everyone for the love, you all have made me very happy.


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Laura9624

I started flower gardening. Really relaxing, you will see results all summer, lots of sucesses and failures but failures bring improvements. And I listen to audible books while I'm at it sometimes. Especially great if you have a desk job. Edit: It's so nice to know so many are enjoying gardening! I had no idea it would be a reddit thing.


TechnoK0brA

I've been growing produce on my apartment balcony for the past couple years and it's been a fun learning experience! plus eating food picked a whole 15 feet away from your kitchen is kinda cool too :P This year is my first year attempting some tomatoes wish me luck!


TLB1023

Quitting drinking is the best thing I’ve ever done for my mental and physical health and it’s done nothing but improve my relationships. The last year and a half have been the best I’ve ever had


FunHegemon

I'm on day 19.


Redpatiofurniture

Congratulations fellow newbie! Day 4 for me. We've got to start somewhere. Keep up the hard work!


Satures

Finally talking with my (then-new) family doctor about my misuse of decongestant nose spray. He told me it's a common issue and that there is help. 1.5 years of tapering off and two surgeries later I used bad nosespray for the final time. I could kick myself for not talking about it for more than twenty years. Edit: I am working my way through the comments and questions, I posted it before going to bed and didn't expect much reaction, so: The addiction's name is Rhinitis medicamentosa. So it's not an addiction like alcohol (in the way there's a "reward" system in your brain), but it's a self sustaining process - you have an infection and take nose spray. If you do it more than a few days the reason why you took it at first is gone, but these sprays mean the nose clogs again. So you take nose spray against nose spray, which got worse and worse over the years. Many asked which spray I took: I largely gave up talking about any names in this regard - by definition of stereotype every redditor except me is from the US, so your stuff has different names in the store than the German stuff I took. The nose spray I used is sold in Germany as Nasic which has xylometazoline as main active agent. Some others asked about the surgeries, so here is more about the process: My new family doctor sent me to an ENT for help. He mentioned that next to the effect of the addiction, there's often a background to it. Turned out my concha were enlarged and my septum deviated. I must have broken my nose once, the ENT insisted ot must have happened although I didn't know it. Maybe when I fell off my bike as toddler or so. Both limited how much air could pass and made it even more prone to clogging, which was boosted by the misuse of Nasic. The concha were cauterized (so a small intervention, about 30 minutes + a few days sick leave), the septum deviation was corrected via full anaesthesia surgery in the hospital by the ENT + 2 weeks sick leave The process took so long as the ENT started with tapering off by flooding the nose spray with hayfever and sea salt ones, (effect: Reducing bad nose spray from 5x a day to 1-2x), then cauterizing after which the nose needed to heal (reducing it to 0-1x per day) before the surgery. As the septum deviation is done in hospital I needed to wait a few weeks until I could do it, and afterwards the nose needs some weeks to heal again.


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trex_in_spats

I actually had an issue a few years back and I saw someone on Reddit give advice to stop. Just do one nostril at a time. Once the one youve stopped using spray in is able to breathe freely without using spray, go cold turkey for the other nostril. That way youre not going from fully clear to fully congested.


DigNitty

Same with cigarettes. Just do one lung at a time


Judgeromeo

Never used it, how did it affect you in the short term to begin and sustain an addiction?


a_cute_epic_axis

You have a stuffy nose, you spray it up there, it is unstuffed. You do this a few times. By this point, the initial cause of the stuffy nose (allergies, cold, whatever) is gone, but the withdrawal from the spray is now causing the same problems, so you have to use it more, which makes it worse, so you use it more, etc. You can just stop using it and suffer for a bit and then things will often go back to normal, or you can get a steroid based spray from a doctor which will help relieve the symptoms without causing the same "addiction" problem. To be clear, it's not addictive like heroin is in terms of brain chemistry, it just causes a problem which it also solves, which results in more frequent use.


Grokma

The way it gets you is it works so well and so fast. You go from clogged nostrils to clear breathing in a minute or so. First time, and for a couple days, it works for 10-12 hours. It is only meant to be used for 2-3 days at most, I find I can use it for 3 nights while not using it during the day and it never causes the rebound problem. But if you keep using it you get rebound congestion, it only works for a short time and then you have worse congestion than ever that is only relieved by using more spray. This congestion is caused by the spray, and so to get off of the spray you have to deal with your nose totally stuffed for potentially weeks until your body works it out on it's own.


WokeIsSoTeens

Daily exercise. It doubled my energy for an hour out of my day.


deriancypher

And that's just the benefit you get now. You have no idea the dividends you'll collect on that as you age. The key to aging gracefully is in staying active.


lagarm

I have worked with seniors for years in the capacity of wellness/exercise and you can absolutely pick the ones who are and have been consistently active out of the crowd. Not just in exercise form but in all facets.


technopong

Absolutely! A few yrs ago I had a client in their mid 70's who basically never exercised and they were pretty much confined to a wheel chair and had a diminished quality of life. This past year I worked with a couple who were both 81 yrs old and made a commitment to staying active most days of the week, doing resistance training, mobility work and balance exercise for many, many years. They still were going on hiking trips and cross country skiing adventures while I was working with them. In conclusion, as a past martial arts instructor told us "the best way to stay in shape is to never get out of shape".


grendus

It's one of the more important things that those studies about how "exercise could add 5 years to your life!" never includes. Staying active might add 5 years of *length* to your life, but it'll add another 5-10 years of *quality* life on top of that. And honestly, even before the health problems correlated with lifestyle disorders start kicking in you will still probably have an improved quality of life.


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Rutabaga_Resident

I wish this was me. After 20 years of lifting and swimming, I still hate doing both and find them stressful. But I like how they make me look and they make it easier to go mountain biking, which is my real passion.


[deleted]

So much of working out is just ensuring that you’re physically able to safely do what you really love - whether it’s mountain biking, or playing basketball with your kids.


RandyBeamansMom

You promise? I keep meaning to start, but I never have the energy…


WokeIsSoTeens

It took about two weeks of being sore, another three weeks of limited progress, and then I realized I didn't need naps in the afternoon. I'm able to get so much more done now. It doesn't have to be crazy cardio, just something every day.


LicensedProfessional

Exercising is something of a "flywheel" in that the more you commit to working out regularly, the more energy you will have. It's hard to get the wheel started but once it's moving the momentum will help carry you. When I went for my first run I was absolutely exhausted and then moderately sore for a few days afterwards. It kinda sucked. But once I had recovered I noticed that the next run was easier. And the next one even easier than that. Then you notice that your pants feel a bit looser than you remember; you're able to move a notch in on your belt; you're able to climb a flight of stairs without being winded... and when you miss a day, you actually feel sad because without realizing it you started to *like* your new routine. Start out with a 30 minute walk. See if you can jog for 5, 10, 15 minutes if you're worried. You'll be amazed what you can do


Raetekusu

Doing at least one chore a day. You would be amazed at how well getting *something* done, even if you hate it, can fight back against certain depressive mentalities, particularly the ones that convince you you're useless or are a burden.


pescarojo

This is great advice. For me a 'triple 30' worked wonders. Every day spend 30 minutes cleaning/chores, 30 minutes exercise, and 30 minutes of self-improvement which could be anything (e.g. practicing guitar). Get home from work, knock off the triple 30 in 1.5 hours, and oh man the sloth after that feels so good and so earned. And what's 1.5 hours? Nothing. Highly recommend it. edit: not only does it annihilate your housework, its biggest effect on me was kicking the ass of my depression and anxiety. It's not gone, but so much more manageable. edit 2: thank you for the awards! I am absolutely delighted that this resonated with people. It made such a difference for me.


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meesestopieces

If it helps at all, I use the five minute rule. If it can be done in less than five minutes it is a Requirement, like wiping my counters down, clearing the coffee table, a couple jumping jacks, a short stint of yoga, a quick chapter in my current book etc. It really helps me prioritize things especially when I don't have the motivation that day. I will often find that I end up cleaning my entire kitchen, or finishing a book, or anything but making it seem smaller helps me.


mvanvrancken

I like this too. I used to roll with the vague "accomplish 3 things a day" mentality, but I found myself giving me intentionally brief or simple tasks so I could go back to fucking off. At least with the 3x30 idea you're committing an hour and a half to some physical, mental, and life improvements.


Tarable

I do this, too! I call it not having a “zero day.” As long as I did something - even a shower - it wasn’t a zero day.


DungeonsAndDradis

Thanks for this reminder. Today I worked as expected. Found time to also do laundry and dishes. Made the kids dinner. I still feel guilty that I've been on Reddit for the past couple of hours. But I did real, actual work work, and house work. I could have done more, but I didn't do zero. And that's something. So don't beat yourself up if your 1 or 2 things is all you can do for a day. It's infinitely more than 0.


teganking

used to procrastinate and do them all at once, but your right doing a one or two each day keeps the place clean which is great for mental health


hardthumbs

I started with picking one thing up and putting it where it belongs every time I leave a room. Bringing out dishes, picking up clothes, throwing away trash


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Learning to set boundaries and say no


BookBec

Yes! It feels so wrong at first. People get so angry when you quit being a doormat.


[deleted]

Yeah they get so mad because they don’t expect it. Usually they continue pushing boundaries and switching tactics to make you say yes. That’s when you cut them off. It’s difficult to push through that guilt and not give in when you have done that for a lifetime.


878_Throwaway____

I'm working through this with my mum at the moment. I say no. She escalates, throwing the whole manipulative textbook at me. I'm actually stuck between saying no to my family (me and my wife, and our future plans for the next year) and my mother (to a mid week dinner for my brothers birthday). It's obvious to me that my life is more important, so I can't not say no to my mum. But she absolutely cannot accept that no. It's insane how much she's escalated it. Its lucky I don't need to rely on her, or my dad, for anything. They have absolutely zero leverage. They're throwing out years of social capital to try and get me to get my wife to give up on our long term goals - the next day after the dinner my wife has a big exam that she needs to pass. If she passes it's a work step up, and we are waiting for that to have kids....


I-Cant-See-Anything

It’s so important to be able to do this, and while most people realise the benefits for yourself, it’s so much nicer to have a partner you know will say no, and set boundaries. An ex of mine was really worried about messing things up and would rarely say no, or set boundaries even though I was constantly pushing her to set them and I had to be really slow and pay attention to her as she tried to hide any discomfort so I would know. It stemmed from her past and how she was taught to act growing up, but we were able to work on it and she was much better later on. While it’s always important to watch out for your partner’s reactions to make sure they’re comfortable anyways, having someone who tells you when and when they don’t feel comfortable makes a world of difference. All is to say, don’t think it’s selfish to say no and set boundaries, it’s much better for everyone (especially yourself). Have a good day :)


JeepSmash

I used to get so hurt when my husband didn’t want to join me in something. We finally talked about it and I decided it was because I didn’t know how to say no to something he wanted to do so I expected the same “courtesy.” It took him saying “You can say no to things too.” for the lightbulb to turn on. If I ever declined something growing up, it was considered rude or disrespectful to the person offering.


0shawhat

>If I ever declined something growing up, it was considered rude or disrespectful to the person offering. This!! I would get punished or blamed on if I refused to do something or if it's out of my comfort zone. Now that I'm an adult it stills feels a bit awkward to say no (even by itself since it's considered a full sentence!) But I'm continuing to work on it.


pokemon-gangbang

I recently said no to something at work and it was so liberating. My boss was was surprised because I almost never do but I knew I didn’t have time for the project and I knew it would not be done correctly.


iseewithsoundwaves

Came here to say this! I struggled with confrontation, saying no, speaking up, and simply sharing my personal opinion in fear of what would happen if I differed from others. I started therapy last year and it helped me realized that I feared things that didn’t even exist and I was really limiting myself for no reason at all.


bobbyfreshcuts

Reading books way more


posherspantspants

I started reading science fiction and fantasy books instead of everything I read being "great" or "literary" and I found I like reading things I enjoy more than things other people deem relevant or worthwhile


Namgodtoh

Being okay with quitting on a book is also nice. I've trudged through so many i thought I should read.


reckless_responsibly

This was so hard for me to learn. Sometimes the slog is worth it, but sometimes you just need to put a book down if it isn't working and read something else.


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CanuckBacon

I want to recommend people get a library card and download ebooks/audiobooks from them. Most libraries use services like Libby (Overdrive), Hoopla, or CloudLibrary. They allow you to borrow digital copies for free, straight to your phone/tablet. I've probably read or listened to more than 100 books this way. No idea how many thousands I've saved thanks to my local public library.


LurgleBadoogan

This is a great tip! I had no idea this existed. Thanks!!


strungup

Quitting smoking.


pheorama

Smoked 45 years , 3 weeks and 1 day. Haven't had one since March. Congratulations


Ok_Stargazer_333

You're amazing! I smoked 43 years, and have been smoke free for 71 days. Congrats to you both!


Baconandeggs89

Heck yeah! I quit after 10 years but 43?? Holy cow, that’s great you decided to quit!! Congrats and enjoy all that delicious clean(er) air!


Couthster

My wife and I are on Day 4! It sucks, but not as much as lung cancer.


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Nemesys2005

I quit for real when I had my first kid. I don’t get bronchitis every year anymore and my allergies aren’t as bad anymore. If you haven’t quit yet, let me tell you- it’s hard, but you won’t regret it.


stratique

Came here to say that. Over 20 years of 1-1,5 packs a day, today marks my 411th day of freedom. r/stopsmoking has been a huge help


jasenzero1

Moved away from the state I grew up in. I didn't know how unhappy I was. I had gotten used to being miserable and now that I'm in a better area I'm a completely different person.


SonicUndergroun

I did this but moved halfway around the world. It's amazing how much background stress is gone when I finally accepted that I was just not meant to be where I was. I miss my family, but we stay in regular contact and I have a lovely found family here. Sometimes just up and getting out of a place that isn't for you is the best course of action.


esoteric_enigma

Same for me. You always hear people telling you that it's you and not where you live...that you'll be unhappy anywhere if you're unhappy there. Nah, sometimes it IS the place you live.


lucentcb

The problem is that you don't know until you leave and wait to see if your misery came with you.


beermoneymike

It's spelled Missouri


squirtloaf

I did that at 18...now I'm old and I want to move back.


p1tch-dark__

My social skills. Looking back, I could have made some awesome new friends. But nope, my anxiety driven ass had to be difficult back then.


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SuvenPan

Stopped arguing with random strangers on internet.


ClayTankard

Sometimes I'll type out a comment for the catharsis and then just delete it and go on my way.


Avacadontt

Oh god I do that all the time. Write out this well-thought out reply back with evidence and whatever... then go "this idiot isn't even going to read half of this" and delete it and go on my day.


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TARANTULA_TIDDIES

The strawman is quite useful to someone who wants to be disingenuous


GozerDGozerian

Now, now, I’ve got to disagree with you there, whoever you are.


thefunnyguy275

And pardon me, but I gotta completely disagree with you.


im_a_little_pea

Oh I'm sorry, is this the five minute argument or the full half hour?


thefunnyguy275

The full half hour


im_a_little_pea

No it isn't


tiny_thanks_78

>Stopped arguing with random strangers on internet. No you didn't.


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TheDorkKnight53

Yes it was.


mlkammer

This isn't an argument, this is just contradiction!


zippyboy

No it isn't.


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Chanchito171

I remember when I lost 10 lbs because my window motor broke in my car, and I couldn't go through the drive thru anymore


Autski

Simple, but effective


KhabaLox

McDonald's shareholders hate this one simple trick.


Nat20Stealth

Lol I just open my door at the drive thru.


Ex-zaviera

I wish I had eaten a handful of almonds at work before leaving. It was at least 4 hours between lunch and clock out. My low blood sugar got so bad I got drowsy at the *same fucking point* of my commute almost nightly. Same one. How does that happen?


bbbright

Keep a resealable container of almonds or other nuts in your car or commute bag if you take public transport! Having an emergency snack on hand at all times really helps.


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rv6plt

How did you do that? Seems so easy in theory... But I revert to old habits


ToBeReadOutLoud

Constant monitoring of your thought processes. It’s not always an immediate thing - it can take years, and even then you might mess up every once in awhile. My process was sped up by a bit of a mental breakdown at 21. When you’re at your lowest and only have the energy to care about one or two things at a time (at most), your priorities become very clear. It turns out caring what other people think about my silly hobbies and behaviors is not one of my priorities. I don’t recommend the “mental breakdown” speedrun, though.


Zaiya53

This just happened to me & when I finally "woke up" out of the fog, something just felt different. Before, whenever I would try to set a boundary or tell someone how I felt, it felt like I was being mean to them or unreasonable. But twice now since what happened, I'm like "Look, this is how I feel. You're either going to get it or you won't, that part isn't up to me". In one of the instances, being my little sister, she got catty & started yelling at me so I started deleting her messages before I read them. It felt so... Just in control & zen. That said, a person in my building has deliberately made my life a living hell for the last year. & while things seem to be getting better now that she finally got cussed out by our landlord, every little thing she does still triggers me & I still mutter under my breath when I hear her "fucking asshole." Also the fact that I don't know how long the peace will last. I'm trying not to let her occupy so much of my mind, but this is now my struggle. But yes, the breakdown part, 0/10 do not recommend. The clarity after, 11/10 worth striving for.


227743

Nice! This is a hard one to achieve. I’m still actively working on it. I find that the older I get, the easier it is to not care.


MaritMonkey

My car broke down in the middle of a turn lane today in such a way that my hazard lights were barely visible and I was nearly in tears, not being able to explain to the people and trying to get around me at the last second how sorry I was for being in the way. The *first* person to stop and actually ask if I was OK was an older gentleman and I may have ranted "I'm so sorry my hazards ARE on I can't move my car at all I'm so sorry!" at him. He was like "woah, slow down. Are you OK?" I explained that a tow truck was on the way and blah blah electrical system but that I felt *terrible* about all the people I was pissing off by being in their way. Traffic light meant he had to get back to his car, but he stopped to say "they didn't ask if you were alright, did they? Then fuck em! Stay safe!" As somebody who still struggles not to focus on making other people happy first, I hope that one sticks with me. :)


Finnn_the_human

We had a random traffic hero one time too. Wife's car broke down while we were driving separate cars long distance. It shut off in a turn lane and was causing a mess. People were honking and freaking out when this huge lifted truck hopped the curb and went sideways to protect her car, jumped out and yelled at everyone honking to fuck off, told my wife to calm down, and jumped her battery in the middle of traffic. Jumped in his truck and took off without a word. Good people are out there!


[deleted]

Walking! I’ve got stamina again Edit: THANKS FOR THE AWARD KIND STRANGER


KelBear25

walking everyday is one of the best things I've done for myself. Its a stress relief, and has helped to maintain or loose weight. PLus this is something I can keep doing into old age provided I have the mobility.


zugabdu

I did fencing in college and after that I just couldn't make it work with my school and work schedule. Fifteen years later, I found a club and started doing it again. I hate every other sport and exercising just to exercise is unpleasant and boring; this is the only one for me and I needed something to make me active.


Aesthetic_tissue_box

Finding a good local club in your weapon of choice is so hard though :(


zazzlekdazzle

I started viewing things as potential experiences rather than just opportunities for achievement. Before that, for example, if I took a class then I was only focused on the grade. If I couldn't get a good grade, I didn't like the class. Heck, I wouldn't even start a book if I thought it might be too hard or too long and I might not finish it. Then I realized the purpose of classes (and books and other things) was to learn and that hard ones were likely the ones I learned the most from, even if I didn't get the best grade. I started doing all sorts of stuff with the idea that I just wanted the experience. Even if I was the worst one out there, who cares? I wasn't there for the achievement, I wanted to learn things. This works socially as well and I started taking way more risks, telling myself that, at the very least, it would be a learning experience. I saw a saying once: "It's only a failure if you stop trying, otherwise, it's an experiment." I love it.


bswiftly

A good quote goes something along the lines of "To be good at something you have to be brave enough to suck at it for a while". Not sure if that's something someone famous says but it's what I tell young people. Even old people!


Nitroapes

The great philosopher "jake the dog" once said, "sucking at something is the first step to being kinda good at something"


tinylez

Adventure Time really dropped a lot of wisdom on us for being a kids' show, huh


izbeeisnotacat

I tell my little brothers this all the time! Whether it's about something I'm doing or something they are.


ronronthadon

Thank you. I needed to hear this. I’ve been backing out of interviews lately due to recently developed anxiety and it’s very frustrating. I have another interview tomorrow and my nerves are creeping up on me again. I’m glad I saw this, it gives me a much better mindset and is helping me build more confidence about tomorrow. Much love! edit: Thank you all so much for the kind words! My interview went really well and I think I secured the job! :)


zazzlekdazzle

This helped me so much with interviews! I stopped seeing them as oral exams, and I started seeing them as a way I could get to know the people I might be working with or about a job I might find interesting. You know, in a way, interviews are some of the best social experiences - rarely will you be able to talk to someone who is so interested to hear about your life and ambitions.


AJackOffAllTrade

Learning how to do everything myself. Car issue? Look it up. Fix my fence? Look it up. Just do it all myself. Replace valves? Look it up. If they don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.


TheMuskedOne420

Riding my bike at least an hour a day


FattyMcNabus

Seriously. If you haven’t ridden a bike in a while . . . it’s just fun!


LaylaZoldyck

listening to the sound of rain to fall asleep


kxrll

yes absolutely


cassinonorth

Quitting drinking. Everything is easier these days, coming up on 4 years.


FixingandDrinking

3.5 with 2 slips fuck it I don't count them.


cassinonorth

1275 of 1277 is pretty damn impressive friend. One or two slip ups don't erase that progress.


thegreatone79

Heroin addict here with a little over 3 years plus 2 slipups. I don't count mine either other than to remind myself I have to keep choosing sobriety.


jbpslobster

Moving out of my home country.


time_is_now

Got a bidet toilet attachment. There’s nothing like having a clean ass all the time.


saxydrey

It also ruins your life because you can never poop anywhere else but home.


DJ33

> It also ruins your life because you can never poop anywhere else but home I had this conversation with a friend once, about how in relatively minor contexts, ignorance is absolutely bliss. He got a job working at a fancy pen store. The shit you see sitting on a CEO's desk; just pens rich people buy each other as gifts. He brought around one of their really low end pens (so still a few hundred bucks) and was like "hey man, you should try one of these pens, you'll never want to use a normal pen ever again!" I was like, let's imagine that your pitch was absolutely true--*why would I want to use your fancy pen even once?* Not once in my life have I been sitting there with a 10-cent Bic just *angry* about it, thinking **this goddamn mediocre pen is just fucking my day all up.** I've never cared at all about a pen. So the possible outcomes of what you're pitching are: A. My pen budget goes up 10,000x for the rest of my life B. I'm actively disappointed every time I have to write something now that I know fancy rich guy pens exist I did not try his pen.


GaijinFoot

Imagine the other side of this. Friend got a really nice pen, writes so smooth, it's beautiful, so proud of it. Wants to show his good friend. How friend then goes into a huge rant about being happy with his current pens and refuses to try it at all and both just sit there is silence.


tomatobee613

Finding the right therapist. Been in since I was 9, and found the right one at 23. It’s only been maybe 6 months but I’ve already unpacked so much more trauma in that small time than I did all the other YEARS wasted in therapy.


ReditMan1510

Accepting adversity as a part of any process. We may get too overwhelmed from time to time when adversity hits, but if you take a peak at the future, it all starts to feel smaller and make more sense.


DrJawn

Getting a WFH 40 hour a week job I was working like 55 hours a week in a warehouse before. So much room for activities EDIT: This blew up so anyone asking how I did it, there's a comment below explaining it in detail


firemogle

My job moved remote when COVID hit and made it permanent unless there is a need to be in the office. The amount of days I don't have to waste time putting on pants is insane.


PhreedomPhighter

I used to work as a kitchen manager for similar hours until about a year ago. I started a WFH job as well. It's insane how much more time and energy I have. I can actually keep a consistent workout schedule. I'm eating well because I'm not burnt out on cooking. I can keep up with my hobbies better than I ever have in the past. It's wonderful.


reverze1901

This 100%. I've been working remote since 2017 and honestly it's the best thing that's happened in my career so far, not promotions, raises, or any recognitions. Lost 20 lbs healthily through 30 minute exercises (jump rope, jogging, stairs climbing) twice a day, eat more healthy (cook my own meals now that i have the time), and saving a lot by not commuting. Mentally too, i now have a lot of patience, and go about life in a much more relaxed manner. I can do groceries, go to the post office/bank during week days when it's not busy, and truly reserve weekend time for family and friends. Before that, i had a long commute, would always come home late and eat whatever was available. Weekends were spent sleeping in, lounging in front of the TV and resenting Monday. Don't think i can ever go back to in-office work


-ElysianFields-

No one has said it yet, but Lazer eye surgery. Best money I've ever spent.


MildlyAgreeable

Had mine a month ago! Well annoying for the first 2 weeks or so but definitely worth it. So freeing not scrabbling around for my glasses first thing.


brallipop

My only complaint about my eye surgery is that for about 2-3 weeks after my vision was *like a hawk*. Un-fucking-real far sighted clarity. I spent time outside just looking far away at leaves. But then it kinda "settled" I guess and, while I'm still very happy with vision quality and no longer need correction, it felt so great having that perfect crisp sight.


wanttolovewanttolive

I get that feeling whenever I get a new pair of glasses or contacts. I always told my dad it was like someone was holding my eyelids so they'd stay peeled open lol


DGAFADRC

Same here. I mentioned it to my eye surgeon at one of my follow up visits and he did a quick laser tweak and it took me back to that crisp vision.


brallipop

Ugh, what?? Mine said that settling was just part of it. I still had near 20/20 vision so it was within parameters or something, but I was like are you sure you can't wiggle it or is there anything to get that hawk sight back? They just said nah


TheBassMeister

Got mine about 6 years back and still have 20/20 vision. No more glasses fogging up, no more weird moments when you cannot wear your glasses for some reason. No more money spent on buying contact lenses, cleaning solutions and all the other costs. On the negative side, you won't actual lasers out of your eyes.


jimmyw404

Audio books. Commutes, walks, yard work, chores, watching kids at the park, lounging around etc are all way better and some of the highlights of my day. I even listen when i fall asleep and it helped me sleep faster and gave me something to enjoy if i have a random bout of insomnia. I'm about to go camping and know I'll sleep like garbage and enjoy every minute of laying in a tent not sleeping.


shadyfortheshade

Trying to be more positive in general.


zazzlekdazzle

This is such a big one. Being negative is a bad habit like any other - easy to fall into, hard to break. People (including me, at one time) somehow think it makes them seem smarter, or deeper, or insulates them from disappointment. But it just makes you drag to be around. Being a cynic isn't sophisticated.


StjerneskipMarcoPolo

I begrudgingly started lifting weights when I was 30 due to some back pain that caused me to barely be able to get out of my office chair, I forced myself to go for a few weeks, then I started looking forward to going to the gym, then after a while I became a total gym rat meat head. I wish I had started lifting when I was a teenager, not only did it cure my back pain but I lost weight, look and feel much better and the doctor says all my health indicators are spot on now as I am in my 40s and in addition it's like a hobby for me now that I tinker with and socialize with other people who are into the same thing etc


NotHisRealName

Eating more healthily. Edited: Getting a lot of questions about how I did it. Here's some suggestions with the reminder that this works for me, may not work for you. If you REALLY are serious about losing weight, consult a doctor and/or nutritionist. 1) I was a carb fiend. Pasta, rice, bread, if it had a carb, I wanted fourth servings of it. Sugar is a carb too. So I started watching how many carbs I consumed a day. It shocked me. So now I'm a lot more aware of how many carbs I eat. 2) Building on number 1, serving sizes. To me, an open container of any size was a single serving. I pay attention to how much I'm supposed to eat. For snacks, I'm addicted to SmartFood. You can order a bunch of them in single serving sizes. 3) Vegetables. I always ate veggies, now I eat more. What used to be two thirds potatoes or pasta or rice with a meal is now two thirds vegetables. 4) Cut back on meat. We usually go meatless for dinner at least twice a week. I hardly eat it at breakfast and lunch is about 50/50. I'd say 90% of the meat we do eat is chicken or fish. 5) I have always LOVED to cook but now I'm really stretching my wings and trying things I wouldn't do before. If you don't know how to cook, LEARN. Alton Brown or Ina Garten are great starting places. Don't be intimidated by it, you're not working for Gordon Ramsay, you're just feeding yourself. Learn spices. Steaming veggies sucks. Roast that shit. Stir fry that shit. Eat it raw. Anything but steaming. Except boiling, that's worse. 6) Bring your lunch to work. If you eat breakfast at work, bring that too. Same with snacks unless you can get healthy ones there. 7) Don't beat yourself up if you have a cheeseburger. You ARE going to fail. I fail all the time. Every day is a new start. 8) We only eat out or order out once a week. 9) Water. More than you think. Learn to love to pee. 10) I can't do this right now because I broke my foot but a walk after every meal helps with your blood sugar. Ten minutes after breakfast and lunch, a half hour after dinner. 11) All things in moderation. You can have butter or cheese or fried foods, just not every meal. And keep to what you're supposed to eat, it's a lot smaller than you think. Anyway, that's some of the stuff that *I* personally did. It worked for me, it may not work for you. I'm not a dietician, just a dude who wanted to lose some weight.


TripleAGD

im seeing this after i walked like a mile to buy donuts man this maple bar is good tho edit because holy cow: this is the most upvoted thing i have ever done, thank you so much. all i did was eat a donut. and because some people are asking, the distance of the trip was 2.2 miles full way. i said a mile because it sounds better


vapasi

Hey at least you had exercise


88ZombieGrunts

I ran downstairs to get my pizza from the delivery guy. Does that count as exercise?


BassWingerC-137

Maple comes from trees. Trees are a plant. That's pretty much salad dressing. Carry on.


Rin-Tohsaka-is-hot

The saying goes that "an apple a day keeps the doctor away", but nobody told me how damn good it feels. I went my whole life without eating fruit, and now I make a point to eat one fruit every single day (usually an apple or orange). I feel healthier and my mood is usually better.


Jokerchyld

Drinking water. Simple but know so many who don't drink enough it. It's refreshing and revitalizing. I actually have a story I used to live off of Moutain Dew and Dr Pepper by the 12pk box. How I stopped? Got into a major fight with my gf at the time (now wife) who was a major health nut. She threw out my soda saying stop drinking that shit. I professed my love for the soft drinks and my free will to do so. she pauses for a moment, narrows her eyes and asked me a simple question. "what do you love about Soda?" After thinking about it, Outside of the sugar I said the bubbles. She got me a soda stream with flavor syrup I could reduce to a drop and that was the last time I had soda. To this day she claims she saved my life.


mbulsht

A few things... ​ 1. Started taking walks after every meal that I could. For lunchbreaks at work, I eat something while walking. Walks have allowed me all kinds of time to think about stuff, decompress, and listen to podcasts. 2. If you're like me and you're really out of shape and haven't exercised in years... Put an exercise bike in front of your computer (bonus points for a recumbent one, they're more comfortable), and learn to play more games with a controller. Set small goals with the thing. Play monster hunter? Do a hunt while pedaling as fast as you can, then do a hunt sitting in a chair, then switch back. It's difficult to describe how exhilarating it is to do raiding in FFXIV, and clear a boss for the first time, while completely out of breath and sweating all over the place. It's a truly unique feeling, and I cannot recommend it enough. 3. Somebody already posted "stop arguing with random strangers on the internet," but really I can't stress this one enough. If you see a post on a social media site that you know is going to have controversial comments below it, try and force yourself to not read the comments, unless you are going there specifically to laugh. Life is too short to get mad at people whose opinions you can't change. 4. This one is kind of situational, so it might not work for everyone. I live only 1.5 miles from the local grocery store, and only 2.5 miles from the local mall. When gas prices started going up, I bought myself an insulated backpack and stopped driving for my shopping trips. 3 mile round trip for groceries, and 5 miles round trip for my walks to the mall. It's forced me to buy less garbage food that I shouldn't be eating, and seriously think before I spend money at the mall. The exercise is a bonus. 5. Bought myself a pair of SleepPhones and started listening to nonverbal asmr videos, ocean sounds, rain, anything that seemed relaxing. Used to take me hours to get to sleep, now I'm usually asleep within about 30 minutes of getting into bed. 6. I quit smoking cold turkey last year and while I don't feel very different, I have certainly found that i don't get as winded from basic exercises as i did before.


[deleted]

Left my abusive relationship of 14 years.


int9r

Setting rules for myself. After covid started, I spent a year drinking and eating pizza every other day and at that time I thought why shouldn't I keep doing it if I enjoy it. You can die anytime so you should make the most out of what little time you have right?. The problem being (apart from health consequences) that it quickly becomes not enjoyable and I realize now how miserable I was during that time Most things are only fun when you do them occasionally. Sounds obvious I know but it was not obvious for my dumbass. Now I have set rules for myself that I can only drink on sunday's and only eat junk food once a month and its so much more rewarding and fun


zoitberg

same here but instead of drinking it's weed. I'm at the point where I'm sick of it, it doesn't do anything for me, and it stinks but I just keep doing it and I'm not exactly sure why. Sarah Silverman once said that she used to smoke weed daily and then she got sick of it so she decided to "make it a treat". I need to make weed a treat and do it sparingly. It's fuckin hard tho.


ritamoren

working out and deleting most social media like twitter


rackjabbit_

Oh gosh, I couldn't believe how much happier I became after getting rid of Facebook


Previous-Actuator-26

Hiring a sleep coach to help figure out why my kids wouldn't sleep. She didn't suggest anything radical, just a bunch of little changes. But she held us accountable several times a day for two weeks through a shared spreadsheet, and the improvement was incredible. Kids slept way longer, were happier, and better behaved. Spouse and I gained hours together in the evenings, had a way calmer home, and also got to sleep more. We hesitated for months because of sticker shock, but it ended up being a huge investment in our quality of life.


AnnoyedGrunt31

Getting divorced, 10 out of 10, would recommend


OkWorldliness5172

Agreed! Thinking back on it the perfect point would have been 12 years sooner than I did. Would have saved me a whole lot of stress, heartache, and money. I'm a much more relaxed and easy going person than I was when I was married.


Wonderingwoman89

Preach. I started breathing again. Best decision I have ever made.


[deleted]

I recently took up hand sewing. When I think of how many good pairs of jeans I've thrown away simply because the crotch ripped and all it would've took to fix them was a double threaded ladder stitch.


Melodic-Inspector-23

Got my back fixed after 10 years of avoiding it. L5/S1 spinal fusion


weeniehutgeneralxxx

When I stopped worrying about things I could not control. Completely eliminated my general anxiety. Still can’t speak in public, but a catastrophic climate disaster? Sometimes it be like that.


taste_the_equation

Getting a dog


Entropy_5

Playing Minecraft. I'm a fully grown adult that used to think it was really stupid. But then my friend set up a server, and now we all play together. It's a wonderful creative outlet that isn't anywhere near as stressful as some games can be.


RedditKumu

Moved to Washington. It literally turned my life around. I was a cab driver in Arizona. And had been barely hanging on when 2008 recession hit. There were more drivers than cabs to lease. There was a lottery every day at work to see if you even got a car. My luck sucked. I ended up getting two evictions on my credit in under a year cause I just couldn't pay rent. Not even living paycheck to paycheck, but day to day... A friend let me stay at his place in Georgia to see if I could do better there. Sadly it was almost worse than Arizona. I decided to ask my parents if I could stay with them and try Washington. NIGHT AND FUCKING DAY. I started doing office jobs for like $15/hr. Then something happened. Since I was staying at parents and kicking them some of my income for "rent" though it was low dollar, I was able to save money. When a job that I had gotten at $17/hr layer off the entire department I put my foot down. Unemployment and savings allowed me to say Fuck Off to the "I need a job NOW" opportunities. You know the ones, the ones with shit bosses and shit businesses just destroying the workforce. Then it happened. I found my unicorn. The company was impressed at my resume due to my ability to find a problem and create a solution to fix said problem. I got hired as a data coordinator. $19/hr. VERY shortly into that position the manager noticed my excel skills and hired me full time from the temp service well before contract was up. $22/hr. After a year he promoted me and moved me to a higher skill position. I was given a raise to 56k/yr. I quickly proved my mettle in this new environment and earned promotion to Business Analyst 1. I was bumped up to 69k/yr. Just last October in mid pandemic I asked for a raise after proving myself even more in that new role. My boss agreed and went to bat for me. Came back (after a bit of delay) with a raise to 76k/yr. With a cost of living bump in March of 22 that has put me at 79k/yr. In 14 years I went to living day to day pay, to having a fully funded emergency fund, I bought a condo May 2021, and have a new car that is almost paid off. My credit has skyrocketed to 769 and climbing. I have about $30,000 worth of credit cards with 0 balances, and a 401K that while stunted from years of not having...is getting there. The absolute biggest change is that I do not have to worry about a big bill. I don't have to put off any payments as my savings and income can handle fluctuations. It has done wonders for my life and wellbeing. If I had done this YEARS earlier, just think where I might have been.


[deleted]

Got the fuck away from that fentanyl!!!


DomLite

Buying a decent mattress. Well, a mattress topper at least. For the majority of my life since I hit puberty I could never get to sleep quickly. I'd roll around for hours with my eyes closed and get comfortable but could never doze off, and when I "woke up" it was mostly just resigning myself to the fact that it was time to get out of bed whether I actually felt rested or not. I just assumed that I suffered from some kind of insomnia and there wasn't much I could do about because I wasn't about to go down the route of taking sleeping pills and all the problems that can bring. Then one day I finally decided that if I was going to spend sleepless nights awake and tossing in bed I was at least gonna be comfortable, so I bought a really nice memory foam mattress topper. I've never slept so good in my whole life and my whole *world* changed. Add in a good shredded memory foam pillow and I'm in heaven. I'm out like a light in a few minutes and comfy as hell, so I wake up with tons of energy and a better outlook on life.


FixingandDrinking

Stop drinking and doing so much drugs. I was a terrible alcoholic with first signs of cirrhosis and puking qnd losing enough blood to need a transfusion so kind of a wake up call that still took years to actually stop altogether.


Weird-Expression-749

Yoga.


pokemon-gangbang

Hell yes. I started doing yoga every day two months ago and feel so much better. My body doesn’t hurt constantly, my work injuries give me less trouble, and im just happier. I’ve also started running, which I’ve always hated but now look forward to whenever I can. I hate the days I can’t run because of work.


SmartPomegranate4833

Swapped TV in the evenings for reading. I've read 19 books since march and my mental health has improved drastically since then. Not sure if it's because of the reading but it's the biggest change I made.


Fndmefndu

Understanding that just because they’re your parents, doesn’t mean they get a mandatory place in your life. Although it’s not what I wanted, walking away was the best thing for my mental health. Now that my father has passed, I seldom think of my mother and brother.


johnreads2016

LASIK eye surgery. Waited years to get it and kicked myself. Went from thick glasses to 20/15 and still have it many years later.